Conference Schedule at a Glance
2026 RMA Annual Conference
Thriving in the Heat
September 6–11, 2026
Omni Tempe Hotel at ASU · Tempe, Arizona
This schedule provides a high-level overview of conference activities by day. Additional session details and timing will be added closer to the conference.
Sunday, September 6
Arrival & Early Registration
- RMA Board travel
- Conference registration open
Monday, September 7
Board Meetings & Arrival Day
- RMA Board meeting (all day)
- Conference registration open
- Travel day for some attendees
Tuesday, September 8
Activities, Setup & Welcome Events
- Travel day for attendees
- Business Partner booth setup
- Activities and optional events
- First-Timer Meeting (evening)
- Opening Reception & Networking Event (evening)
Wednesday, September 9
Conference Sessions & Expo
| Time | Track 1 | Track 2 | Campus Tour | |
| 7:00-8:00 | Breakfast | |||
| 8:00-9:30 | Introductions & Keynote | |||
| 9:30-9:45 | Break | |||
| 9:45-10:30 | Beyond the Built Environment: A Panel Discussion on Leadership in Higher Education Speaker: Tim Smith Vice President and Chief Facilities Officer, ASU | |||
| 10:30-11:00 | Tradeshow | |||
| 11:05-11:55 | TBD | Strive to Thrive in the Heat – Overcoming Supply Chain Challenges with Client Direct Procurement Speaker: Caryn Becker, PE, SourceBlue, LLC | Utilities Building: TDUP and Cold Storage | |
| 12:00-1:00 | Lunch / Tradeshow | |||
| 1:05-1:55 | CORE – AI Presentation (Seth Beer) | |||
| 2:05-2:55 | The Cost of Doing Nothing Speakers: Joshua Spear, NAU Jesse Pruitt, PBG Sam Robertson, ASU | Laboratory Decommissioning: Managing Risk, Ensuring Safety, and Enabling Seamless Transitions Speaker: Kathryn Peacock, Strategic Director, Partner Engineering and Science, Inc. | Student Life Building: Mill Avenue | |
| 2:55-3:30 | Break / Tradeshow | |||
| 3:30-4:20 | Achieving Building Electrification Without Increasing Electrical Demand Speaker: Ely William LaBerge, PE, CDP, LEED AP BD+C Senior Associate, Principal Engineer | Fast Builds Fast Failures – In a World of Collaborative Project Delivery, Why Do Many Buildings Fail Shortly After Completion? Speakers: Gerard Lee, Marx|Okubo Associates, Inc. Courtney Wladyka, Marx|Okubo Associates, Inc. Rena Russ, Marx|Okubo Associates, Inc. | University Gateway | |
Thursday, September 10
Conference Sessions & Awards
| Time | Track 1 | Track 2 | Campus Tour | |
| 7:00-8:00 | Breakfast | |||
| 8:05-8:55 | Practical, actionable strategies for managing facilities in extreme and arid environments Speaker: Chuck Hink, Pueblo Mechanical | |||
| 9:00-9:45 | Break / Tradeshow | |||
| 9:45-10:30 | Decarb Through the Decades: The University of Denver’s Journey to 2030 – Era by Era Speakers: Chad King, Johnson Controls James Rosner, Johnson Controls Lynn Bailey, University of Denver | From Building Performance Standards to Business Case: RCx That Delivers ROI on Higher Ed Campuses Speakers: Ryan Shepherd, Colorado Mountain College Michael Brubaker, Colorado College Matt Wakulchik, McKinstry | ||
| 10:35-11:25 | Building Connections for a Sustainable Future: Pathways to Securing Tomorrow’s Workforce for Facilities Management Speakers: Alexandria Tannehill, University of Colorado Anschutz Vimol Mitchel, University of Colorado Anschutz | Designing an AI-Enabled Interdisciplinary Engineering Hub Speakers: Benjamin Strain, DLR Group Steve Johnson, Colorado State University | The Walton Center | |
| 11:30-1:00 | Lunch / Tradeshow | |||
| 1:05-1:55 | Recalibrating, Not Replacing: Turning Aging Buildings into High-Performance Assets Speakers: Rachel Rasmussen, Architekton Todd Reust, Affiliated Engineers, Inc (AEI) | Risk Management and Safety in Occupied Campuses Speaker: Matt Gilliland, Safety Director, CHASSE Building Team | ||
| 2:05-2:55 | Retro-Commissioning a Medical Campus Chiller Plant: Restoring Efficiency Through Automation and Control Strategies Speaker: Erik Jeannette, PE Director of Engineering, Iconergy | Zero Energy Case Study – U.S. Air Force Academy Speakers: Katie Willemarck, USAF Academy Assoc/Foundation Amanda Occhi, Farnsworth Group Corey Chinn, Farnsworth Group Kevin Gould, RTA Architects Christine Costa, RTA Architects | Wilson Hall | |
| 2:55-3:15 | Break | |||
| 3:30-4:30 | Keynote TBD | |||
| 6:00-8:00 | Awards Banquet | |||
Friday, September 11
Departure
Additional schedule details, session descriptions, and speaker information will be posted closer to the conference date.
- Travel day