committee

Robert Bell

dRofus
Region Chairman – Americas

Nick Kramer

LPA Inc
Director of Design Technology

Nicholas M. Kramer, LEED® AP, is the Director of Design Technology for LPA Inc, a fully integrated practice focusing on all areas of the built industry based out of Irvine, California. He has been using Revit since version 8.1 on projects ranging from 400,000sf to 600sf and from medical to libraries to commercial and office buildings. Nicholas has actively run projects day to day as well as helped to implement Revit and new technologies along with the development of standards, processes and best practices for worldwide architectural companies. Additionally, he is currently working with some of the largest construction companies in the world to implement these practices and new technologies.

At LPA, Nicholas provides strategic direction for BIM and new technologies, spearheads the company’s research and development group and overseas the company’s Technology department. In addition to LPA, Nicholas is currently serving as the chairman for the South Coast Revit Users Group (SCRUG), has guest lectured on BIM and sustainability at UCLA, Autodesk University and other forums.

Desiree Mackey

BD Mackey Consulting
The Geek's Boss

Desirée Mackey has been in the AEC industry since the1990s. She holds a bachelor’s degree from University of California, Davis and a master’s degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Desiree has worked in construction, as a structural engineer, and in engineering technology leadership roles. Desirée is a regular speaker at many conferences, she co-founded the Rocky Mountain Building Information Society, was Chair of the Structural Engineers Association of Colorado’s BIM Committee, served as an AUGI board member, Treasurer, and Vice President, serves on the AU Advisory Council, and is Chairman of the BILT Americas Committee.

Phil Read

Read Thomas
Co-Founder

Phil is the co-founder of Read | Thomas – a global BIM/VDC consulting company focused on supporting building designers, engineers, builders and owners through cross-discipline technology integration and best practices. He has over thirty years experience in Architecture and Engineering including more than two decades implementing Autodesk Revit: the world’s only fully integrated platform for the parametric design of buildings and infrastructure.

While working in Civil Engineering, Phil completed his Architecture Undergraduate and Masters Degrees from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte. Soon after, he went to work with Revit Technology Inc. and then Autodesk where he had the fortune of providing Revit training, implementation and support for clients and projects around the world. Among other high profile clients and projects, played a lead role in providing training, implementation and ongoing support for the Architectural, Mechanical and Structural Engineers on the Freedom Tower World Trade Center Initiative in New York.

A globally recognized speaker on BIM, real-time/VR and AEC technologies, Phil has presented at Autodesk University since 2003 as well as RTC / BILT Conferences on topics ranging from “Best Practices and Large Project Management” to “Business Dynamics of Transitioning from 2D CAD to Building Information Modeling”. As an writer, Phil helped co-author the best selling Autodesk Mastering Revit series of books for publisher Wiley & Sons, which was translated into seven languages.

In 2020, Read | Thomas founded the AEC Leadership Retreat. The annual event is focused on developing leadership in Architecture, Engineering and Construction. The overarching goal is instilling better management of self and others amid the high stress and low control dynamics within the AEC profession.

When not traveling, you’re likely to find Phil driving around in his restored 1960 Triumph TR3A.

Mark Schmieding

bKL Architecture
Partnership Manager

“Mark has led BIM design and project delivery for multiple firms on projects ranging from retail interior projects to large-scale commercial towers throughout the world. It is his diverse experience and previous history working at the original Revit Technology Corporation that has enabled him to fully comprehend design method technology.
Mark earned a Bachelor of Architecture degree from the University of Kansas and held an International Study Scholarship at Universität Dortmund in Germany. He studied Post-Graduate Architecture and International Studies at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology.
Mark is licensed in the State of Illinois, is a member of the American Institute of Architects, and is a LEED Accredited Professional.
Mark is a Director at bKL Architecture as Technology Practice Leader.”