Presentations will contribute to actionable knowledge, meaningful dialogue, and real-world impact in one or more of the following areas:
- Economic Development and Nation Building
- Residential and Tribal Housing
- Workforce Development, Capacity Building, and Business Growth for Indigenous Communities
- Tribal Leadership, Tribal Sovereignty, and Construction Governance
- Digital Transformation, Artificial Intelligence, Drones
- Cultural Preservation in Design Construction
- Infrastructure Gaps and Funding Opportunities
- Safety, Risk and Compliance Innovation
- Legal, Insurance Trends, Tribal Law, and Governance
- Modular, Prefabrication and Industrialized Construction
- Partnership, Collaboration Models, Community Engagement, and Trust Building
- Indigenous Led Sustainability, Land ownership, Traditional Ecological Knowledge (TEK)
- Navigating Federal, State, and Tribal Regulations
Gila River Resorts & Casinos
2026 CIIC Conference Program: Printable PDF Schedule
Pre-Conference Workshop (Separate registration needed to attend)
Construction 101 & 102 Workshops
Location: Vee Quiva Resort | 15091 S Komatke Ln. Laveen Village, AZ 85339
Fee: $100 Conference attendees get 25% off (code provided upon completed registration)
Wednesday, October 21, 2026
9:00 am -12:00 pm
CON 101 –Turning an Idea Into a “Shovel Ready” Project Course Description – The building construction process must be done step by step to ensure an efficient construction project. The construction process can be split into three main phases: preconstruction, construction, and post-construction. The preconstruction phase includes acquiring land, acquiring funding, strategic design, preparing budget and estimates, surveys and clearances, and hiring experts. The construction phase involves site preparation, excavation, framing, roofing, interior finishes, exterior finishes etc. The post-construction phase involves the final walkthrough and the handover of the completed project to the owner. It involves multiple stakeholders such as owners and/or owner representatives, architects, consultants, and specialty trade subcontractors. This session will provide an overview of the evolution of a building project with special focus on the unique aspects related to building on Tribal lands.
12:00 pm-1:00 pm: Lunch Provided
1:00 pm-4:00 pm
CON 102 – Applying the Process: A Case Study Course Description – Although Construction 101 is not a prerequisite, CON 102 expands on the concepts introduced in CON 101. Through a conceptual case study, participants will walk through each phase of the development process—planning, architectural design, and construction.
Construction professionals will illustrate best practices, highlight challenges, and share real-world insights at every stage of the project.
October 21, 2026 | Wild Horse Pass Conference Kick-Off
Conference Registration Open
6:00 PM – 7:30 PM | Join us for an exclusive networking happy hour designed for exhibitors, tradeshow professionals, and conference attendees. Enjoy drinks and appetizers while forging valuable industry connections in a comfortable, informal atmosphere. | Palo Verde C and Foyer
Thursday, October 22, 2026
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE (sessions/speakers/times are subject to change)
8:00 AM-9:00 AM| Breakfast Buffett
8:30 AM – 9:45 AM | OPENING GENERAL SESSION | Palo Verde A/B
Posting of Colors | TBD
Opening Prayer | TBD
Welcome Address | Jacob Moore, Vice President and Special Advisor to the President on American Indian Affairs
Opening Remarks | TBD
Keynote Address | Susan Masten, Yurok Tribe of Northern California, Tribal Advisor and Government Relations
Master of Ceremonies | TBD
9:45 – 10:00 AM | BREAK
10:00 AM – 11:00 AM | BREAKOUT SESSIONS I
Session A: Sage Memorial Tiny Home Community: Master Plan to Development– Kim Kanuho, President/Planner, Fourth World Design Group, LLC., Jarom Prows, Director of Facilities, Sage Memorial Hospital, Tina James-Tafoya, Chief Operations Officer, Sage Memorial Hospital, & Chad Hafstrom, Principal, Kenēw Construction, LLC. | Willow
Session B: From Water Rights to Tribal Careers– Joe Brown, Sr. Project Manager, Hunter Contracting Co., Ron Grittman, Director, Department of Public Works, Gila River Indian Community, & TBD TERO Representative | Cholla
Session C: Combined Sessions:
Building Tribal Capacity Through Code Adoption & Enforcement- Michael Long, Fire & Life Safety Regulatory Manager, Bureau Veritas
Construction Site Fire Safety & NFPA241- Greg Rogers, Regional Director, National Fire Protection Association
Code & Culture, How Building Codes Empower Tribal Sovereignty- David Jackson, President, Native American Code Officials Chapter of the International Code Council | Yucca
11:00 – 11:15 AM | BREAK
11:15 AM – 12:15 PM | BREAKOUT SESSIONS TWO
Session D: Building Water & Sewer Infrastructure in Alaska Native Communities– Cy Two Elk, Construction Manager V, Arland Anderson, Director of Construction Services, & Robert Sitton, Construction Manager IV, Mechanical, Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Division of Environmental Health and Engineering | Willow
Session E: Turning Infrastructure Investment into a Comprehensive Nation-Building Strategy- Luyen Nguyen, Assistant Professor, Navajo Technical University, Syerra Wartz, Student, Navajo Technical University (Chinle Site), & Eugenia Bia, Accountant/Student, NTUA, NTU | Cholla
Session F: Combines Sessions:
Building for Seven Generations: Creating Housing & Community Infrastructure that Endures- Frank Gordon, Strategic Development, BuildBlock Systems, LLC.
Building Tribal Infrastructure for Generations- Luke Welles, General Manager, Tribal Development Partners & Shad Schoppert, Director of Facilities and Engineering, Tribal Development Partners
Built to Last: Building Sustainable Tribal Housing- Becca Pedrosa Martinez, Achitectural Designer I, Travois Architecture, Jerad Jessee, Senior Architect, & TBD Tribal Housing Professional | Yucca
12:15 PM – 1:45PM | LUNCHEON – GENERAL SESSION
Lunch General Session- Palo Verde A/B Tribal Leaders Panel:
1:45 PM – 2:00 PM | BREAK
2:00 PM – 3:00 PM | BREAKOUT SESSIONS THREE
Presentation G: Protecting Tribal Energy Assets: Enforcing Strict Procurement Integrity- Vanessa Castro, Lead Consultant/Owner & Jack Azbill, CEO, Lead Engineer, Varitec Systems | Cholla
Presentation H: (Pending Confirmation) Protecting Tribal Communities from Asbestos & Lead Exposure Through Education, Compliance, and Prevention- Tracey Carpenter, Instructor/Project Manager, Dominion Environmental Consultants | Yucca
Presentation I: Combined Presentations:
Cleared to Build: Environmental & Cultural Review Before Groundbreaking- Eunice Tso, Principal/CEO, Ace Overmann, Archaeologist/Cultural Resource Manager, & Kyle Myers, Environmental Compliance PM/ Communications Manager, ETD, Inc.
What We've Learned Building in Indian Country as a Structural Engineer- Stanford Lake, Owner, Hooghan, LLC. | Willow
3:00 PM – 3:15 PM | BREAK
3:15 PM – 4:15 PM | BREAKOUT SESSIONS FOUR
Presentation J: The Power of Partnerships: Southwest Tribal Climate Resiliency Academy- Jeremiah Powless, Program Manager, Enterprise Community Partners, Jackie Montesdeoca, Sr. Director, Technical Assistant, Enterprise Community Development, Prestene Garnenez, Executive Director, Navajo Townsite Community Development Corporation, & Buddy Rocha Jr., Chairman, Yavapai-Apache Nation | Cholla
Presentation K: Willment Presents: Women in Construction Panel– Moderated by Kari McCormick, Director of Client Services, Native American, Willmeng
Panel TBD | Yucca
Presentation L: Combined Sessions:
From Funding to the Finish Line: Streaming Tribal Capital Programs with Next-Gen Construction Technology- Ben Kleiber, Account Executive, Public Sector/Tribal, Procore Technologies
AI as a Thinking Partner in Your Work- Seth Beer, Vice President, Education, CORE Construction & Frankie Lee, Project Manager, CORE Construction | Willow
4:15-4:30pm BREAK
4:30 PM – 6:30 PM | Conference Happy Hour & Networking Mixer: Unwind after a day of sessions! Join us for entertainment, drinks, light bites, and great conversations at our Conference Happy Hour. Connect with fellow attendees, exchange ideas, and expand your professional network in a relaxed, informal setting.
Wild Horse Pass Conference Center Lawn (Weather Permitting)
Entertainment- Artificial Red: Randy Kemp (Choctaw/Euchee/Muscogee-Creek Nations of Oklahoma) performing with various Native American Flutes. Accompaniment by Phillip Empey playing original arrangements on acoustic guitar. Music is a blend of contemporary acoustic guitar with expressive flute responses, while intermittently fused with spoken word poetry of Native American life, themes, and views.
Friday, October 23, 2026
TENTATIVE SCHEDULE (sessions/speakers/times are subject to change)
8:00 AM- 9AM | BREAKFAST
9:00 AM – 10:00 AM | BREAKOUT SESSION FIVE
Session M: Innovative Practices for Tribal Infrastructure Design & Delivery-– Christian Jimmie, Water Resources E.I.T., Gwen Woods, PhD, PE, Water Resource Engineer, & Natasha Goldtooth, Field Technician, Riley Engineering | Cholla Session N: Understanding State Construction Regulations & Workforce Development Efforts in the Construction Industry– Maggie Roby, Community Outreach Coordinator/Tribal Liaison & Alex Figueroa, Assistant Chief of Investigations, Arizona Registrar of Contractors | Yucca Session O: What Tribal Councils Deserve from their Teams– Nicole Scott, VP of Tribal Strategy & Business Development, WORTHGROUP Architects & Designers, Travis Bryan, Principal/CEO, WORTHGROUP Architects & Designers, & Travis Olson, Director of Tribal Pursuits & Engagement, The Tepa Companies | Willow
10:00 AM – 10:15 AM | BREAK
10:15 AM – 11:15 AM | BREAKOUT SESSION SIX
Session P: Advanced Sustainable Housing, Reinforcing Infrastructure, & Driving Economic Growth-Kendra Bennett, National Account Manager, Skyland 3D, LLC & Sarah Yanez, CEO, Skyland 3D, LLC. | Cholla Session Q: Building Indigenous Construction Capacity Before the Bond is Requested– Matt Snowden, Sutety Practice Leader, The Mahoney Group | Yucca Session R: Housing and Nation Building-Desmond Bruguier, Executive Director, Great Plains Housing Initiative, Joseph Kunkel, Principal, Model of Architecture Serving Society, & James Crawford, Director of Business Development, Great Plains Housing Initiative | Willow
11:15 AM – 11:30 AM | BREAK
11:30 PM – 1:00 PM | CLOSING LUNCHEON – GENERAL SESSION | Palo Verde A/B
Box Lunch
Sponsor Recognition
Evaluations
Closing Panel: Managing Data Center Opportunities by Optimizing Water & Natural Resources- Panelists: David Sobeck, Executive Vice President & Managing Director of Marketing, Carollo Engineers, Chase Valesquez, Director of Economic Development & Native Partnership, Willmeng, & Simon Charter, External Affairs Manager, South32 Hermosa
Door Prizes: TBD
Closing Remarks
Retiring of Colors – TBD
Saturday, October 24, 206
Women in Construction Networking Golf at Whirlwind Golf Club-Devils Claw
Reserved Tee Times: 1:12pm-1:57pm
24 players (6 foursomes)
$180 + tax per player (Pay at the Course)
Contact [email protected] to reserve your spot.