Candace Lowry

The document appears to be a transcript from an awards luncheon, specifically the Awards Luncheon for the State Construction Conference 2025. Key discussions included the presentation of the 2025 Frank B. Turner Award to Lisa H. Johnson, AIA, for her integrity and dedicated public service in the built environment. The event also featured the presentation of the 2025 State Building Commission Merit Awards across three categories: Excellence in Design, Excellence in Construction, and the Hub Awards (which included categories like Historically Utilized Business, Hub Advocate, Public Sector Owner Agency, Professional Service Construction Industry Company, and Industry Agency Individual Award). Specific award recipients mentioned included Lisa H. Johnson, Austral Metri and Kristen Austerland, H Heartland Contracting, Reginald Johnson with the City of Durham Department of Community Development, and others recognized during the Hub Awards.

The meeting addressed the declaration of emergency repairs for the Winston-Salem State University Electrical Distribution System and the National Guard's Lenoir Field Maintenance Shop #2 Fire Panel Replacement. The commission selected Smith Sinnett Architecture, P.A. as the preferred design firm for the National Guard's Camp Butner Training Center project. The Innovations Subcommittee provided an update, including a discussion on the project Dollar Threshold. The State Construction Office reported on scheduled Capital Project Coordinator training, the registration status for the Annual State Construction Conference, and changes to the SBC Merit Award submission deadline, moving it from December 31st to February 1st. A design review report overview was also presented, detailing submittals, responses, and exemption requests for the beginning of 2026.

The meeting included the approval of emergency declaration letters for various maintenance and system upgrades across several institutions, including HVAC replacement at Durham Technical Community College and cellular communicator installations for fire alarm systems for several state agencies. Key actions involved the selection of design firms for multiple projects, such as HVAC controls upgrades at Caswell Developmental Center, roof replacements at Department of Transportation facilities, repairs at the Charlotte Hawkins Brown Museum, UPS battery replacement at the Eastern Data Center, and on-call design services for the Department of Environmental Quality. Design-build firms were selected for roof replacement at the Eastern North Carolina School for the Deaf and HVAC/security upgrades at the Governor Morehead School for the Blind. Old business addressed the modification of the State Construction Office Contractor Evaluation Matrix Form to harmonize rating scales.

The event was a State Construction Luncheon that included an awards presentation segment. Key topics covered the presentation of awards in three categories: Excellence in Design, Excellence in Construction, and Excellence in Project Implementation. The Excellence in Design award was presented to the UNC Charlotte University Recreational Center (UREC). The Excellence in Construction award recognized the UNC Wilmington Student Housing Village project, noting its completion under budget and ahead of schedule despite challenges including the global pandemic, hurricanes, and supply chain disruptions. The Excellence in Project Implementation award was also given to the UNC Wilmington Student Housing Village for demonstrating flexibility and adaptability in phasing and responding to unexpected issues like Hurricane Florence damage and COVID-19 effects. Additionally, the Frank B. Turner Award was presented to Cynthia Register for her dedicated public service and contributions to the built environment. The final segment honored HUB excellence among contractors and advocates.

The opening session included an anecdote about a dry cleaning mishap to illustrate the unpredictability of plans. The session celebrated a record attendance of 1,115 participants, a 30% increase from the previous year. Recognition was given to the conference planning committee members and presenters for their contributions. A major focus was the introduction of Secretary Pamela Brewington Cashwell of the North Carolina Department of Administration (DOA), highlighting her background, achievements, including being the first American Indian woman to lead a cabinet department in the state's history, and her extensive roles on various state commissions. Updates were provided on the State Capital and Infrastructure Fund (SKIF), noting over $11 billion in active projects and an emphasis on Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) participation, which is nearing 28% for construction projects. The session also highlighted the partnership to update North Carolina's uniform floodplain management policy in response to climate change. Furthermore, there were acknowledgments regarding Director Tammy Hall's departure and the appointment of Alicia Lyon as interim director. The session concluded with a video message from Governor Roy Cooper emphasizing infrastructure improvements and support for minority-owned businesses, followed by an introduction to the keynote speaker, Xena Howard, Chair of the North Carolina State Building Commission, who provided an update on the commission's focus areas, including policy updates and HUB support.