Project Insights

In this episode of Project Insights , host Amanda Donovan is joined by PMA's Saumil Maniar and Terrance Cooper to explore what it takes to build construction cost estimates that owners can actually trust. The two experienced estimators share what high-performing owners consistently get right, how to spot red flags in contractor and consultant estimates, and practical approaches to modeling es...

In this episode of Project Insights , PMA experts Rick Johnson and Jeff Plant join host Bryan Ritch to explore why value engineering (VE) remains a vital tool for successful infrastructure delivery. Drawing on decades of experience, they explain how true VE goes beyond cost cutting by using a structured, function‑driven approach to improve performance, constructability, and lifecycle value. Throug...

In this episode of Project Insights , host Amanda Donovan is joined by Erika Flynn from GovSpend and Kim Varghese from PMA Consultants to explore the importance of market research and pre-positioning. Erika and Kim share how tools like GovSpend and proactive intelligence help firms identify decision makers, anticipate procurement trends, and uncover client priorities. Throughout the episode, our g...

In this episode of Project Insights , host Amanda Donovan is joined by PMA Executive Director Angel Ripepi and Managing Director of Marketing Bryan Ritch to explore the balance between collaboration and competition in construction project delivery. Angel and Bryan share insights on why strategic teaming is essential in today’s market, how early positioning and trust influence project success, and...

In this episode of Project Insights , host Zoe Moschella sits down with Executive Director Chris Carroll as he reflects on his remarkable 33-year career at PMA and his upcoming retirement. Chris shares stories from his early work on Boston’s Big Dig and the Ted Williams Tunnel, as well as his more recent assignments leading transformative school and municipal projects. Through these stories, he hi...

Learn about PMA's hiring and recruiting process from our Director of Talent Acquisition, Dave DePina, and our Michigan Managing Director, John Zann. Host Amanda Donovan asks our guests how they approach finding the right employees for a people-first company, considering both technical and soft skills. If you are looking to bolster your interview questions to find the perfect candidate for you...

After a meeting, it's a straightforward process to incorporate project members' feedback into a schedule - what's more difficult, but just as essential, is incorporating what wasn't said at all. In this episode of Project Insights , Shane Wilhelmsen and Graham Briggs, two of PMA's Braintree Directors, explore what it takes to be an effective scheduler in the construction i...

In this episode of Project Insights , host Zoe Mervine welcomes PMA Consultants Founder Dr. Gui Ponce de Leon and Dr. Vivek Puri, Managing Director in PMA’s Innovation Group, for a deep dive into delay analysis and schedule compression. As leading innovators in forensic scheduling and the Graphical Path Method (GPM), Dr. Ponce de Leon and Dr. Puri share the origins of GPM, how it transformed the f...

In this episode of Project Insights , PMA's Sal Augusto and Trusted Advisor Associate's Noelle Mykolenko discuss what it means to be a trusted advisor with host Amanda Donovan. Both guests have extensive experience in this role, which involves building trust and fostering collaboration to elevate professional relationships. After years of working with clients and training hundreds of pro...

In this Project Insights episode, PMA’s experts Dan Patterson, a global innovator in schedule and risk analytics, and Francisco Cruz, a seasoned project controls and risk management, join Zoe Mervine in an engaging and thought-provoking discussion that dives into how artificial intelligence (AI) is revolutionizing risk management in project controls. They explore how AI tools can identify hidden r...

Co-hosts Zoe Mervine and Brian Sullivan take on the complexities of managing changes and claims in construction projects through talking with PMA's Clark McCormick. With over 28 years of experience in contracts administration, claims management, and owner's project manager (OPM) work across major transportation and education projects, Clark brings a wealth of knowledge to the discussion...

In this episode of Project Insights , hosts Zoe Mervine and Bryan Ritch are joined Eduardo Nazario, PMA Orlando’s Managing Director, to discuss navigating the complexities of pharmaceutical construction and production project management. As someone who has been in the industry for 30 years, Eduardo is able to convey the intricate nature of the pharmaceutical industry, namely efficient planning wit...

Explore Agile's impact on construction project management with hosts Hatim Elnueri and Zoe Mervine joined by PMA’s Alex Neary. As a senior associate and product manager, Alex is an accomplished project manager in technology and Agile methodology. Agile, unlike the traditional waterfall approach, is an iterative process that enables more frequent adjustments and closer collaboration, making it...

Join the Projects Insights team while they discuss Earned Value Management (EVM) with guests Jerry Klanac and Reniz Moosa! Jerry, a consultant at PMA and university faculty member in construction engineering and management, and Reniz, PMA Chicago Senior Director, both bring significant experience in this performance management method. Throughout the episode, our guests share the background and fun...

In this episode of Project Insights , hosts Zoe Mervine and Alex Worth kick off Construction Safety Week (May 6 – 10, 2024) by interviewing PMA Detroit’s Reed Johnson. Reed has been involved in construction almost his entire life, now serving as an inspector and project manager on multiple construction projects, giving him a deep understanding of the risks involved for workers. Throughout his disc...

To celebrate Women in Construction Week (March 3 – 9, 2024), hosts Zoe Mervine and Bryan Ritch are joined by PMA Northeast director Kathy Gorman, who specializes in scheduling and delay analysis. Over her 35-year career, Kathy has gone from being one in a handful of women on a construction project to being one amongst many – something that she believes makes the industry stronger. Tune in to hear...

Hosts Hatim Elnueri and Zoe Mervine are joined by Wee Orwatthana, PMA senior associate, to discuss long-term projects and planning. As a project controls specialist for pharmaceutical, transportation, and public infrastructure industries, Wee delves into what she sees as pivotal to planning long-term projects, including the greatest uncertainties and crucial aspects to outline and discuss with sta...

Join us in our discussion with PMA Director John Hill as he reflects on his 42-year project management career. While he is currently a project manager, mainly supporting large-scale electric utilities projects, John began his path thinking he would be a structural engineer. Even after finding his strengths in scheduling, his career still required no shortage of adaptations from him, including new...

To kick off the Project Insights series, hosts Zoe Mervine and Hatim Elnueri interview their guest, Ernesto Toxqui, about the future of AI technology. While covering a variety of topics such as the science of AI, its past and present stages, and its place in project management, possibly the most important question they weigh in on (and the one that listeners are probably wondering themselves) is “...

Hosts Zoe Mervine and Hatim Elnueri interview Francisco Cruz, PMA’s Chief Knowledge Officer and Maimi Senior Director, about decision and risk management for this episode of Project Insights . During their discussion, Francisco delved into the intricacies of topics such as the most effective approaches for risk management in capital projects, calibration assessments to avoid bias, and the importan...

In the second episode of Project Insights , Brian Sullivan, PMA Director and Rhode Island Operations Lead, gives listeners a look into the current market in Rhode Island and how it has changed over the recent years. Having worked in Rhode Island for the majority of his career, Brian has observed its market go from being based in small, local firms to working primarily with out-of-state and buyout...