2021 PEPS conference presentations
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2021 PEPS conference presentations

PEPS 4th Annual Conference – Dec. 1-2, 2021

TxDOT’s Professional Engineering Procurement Services (PEPS) Division held a two-day conference on Dec. 1-2, 2021. The focus of the event was to provide insight and updates on the PEPS procurement processes to the consultant community and TxDOT’s districts and divisions.

The table displays the conference agenda and links to any presentations and session recordings for each session.

Professional Engineering Procurement Services
Email

Wednesday, December 1

Time Description
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.

Opening remarks

  • Lucio Vasquez, PEPS Deputy Division Director
  • Martin Rodin, PEPS Division Director
  • Brian Barth, TxDOT Deputy Executive Director, Program Delivery
9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m

Developing proposal panel discussion

Moderator:

  • Martin Rodin

Panelists:

  • Kendall Baker, PEPS Rural Service Center
  • Luis Nieto, TxDOT Dallas District
  • Jacob Fuentes
  • Raba Kistner
  • Susan Nidam, HD
10:15 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.

Invoicing 101

  • Tira Dobrozensky, PEPS Invoice Center
  • Priscilla Vasquez, PEPS Invoice Center

Screening process to avoid disqualification

  • Noemi Rios, PEPS Service Center for Divisions
  • Phil Howlett, PEPS Rural Service Center

CEI panel discussion

Moderator:

  • Jaime Vela

Panelists:

  • Shane Cunningham, TxDOT Tyler District
  • Daniel Garcia, TxDOT Pharr District
  • Ryan Smith, Halff Associates
  • Scott Ressler, HNTB
  • Candido Bocanegra, CONSOR

PEPS-specific hub and DBE information

  • Lisa Merwin, PEPS Center of Excellence

Administrative qualifications

  • Roy Gonzales, PEPS Business Operations Center
12 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.

Keynote address

  • Marc Williams, TxDOT Executive Director
1:15 p.m. - 2:45p.m.

How to become a prime provider panel discussion

Moderator:

  • Jessica Andrews

Panelists:

  • Christine Graygor, Pape Dawson
  • Aaron Lauinger, Ulteig Engineers
  • Johnny Flores, Flores Geotechnical

Prime provider evaluations panel discussion

Moderator:

  • Kendall Baker, PEPS Rural Service Center

Panelists:

  • Christopher Johnson, TxDOT Amarillo District
  • Matt Brazil, TxDOT Lufkin District
  • Robin Handel, CP&Y
  • K.D. Warach, HW Lochner

Annual rate negotiations updates

  • Norma Glasscock, PEPS Negotiations Center
  • Mark Lorance, CobbFendley
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.

PS-CAMS 101

  • Mindi Menzel, PEPS Center of Excellence
  • Gunalini Rajkumar, PEPS Center of Excellence
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m

Preparing to work with TxDOT

  • Clara Carbajal-Sanchez, PEPS San Antonio Service Center

DRIVE program panel discussion

Moderator:

  • Caleb Bryant, PEPS DRIVE Program

Panelists:

  • Ruben Chavez, CEA Group
  • Taileah Hunter, TJ Hunter Engineering
  • Marques Allen, Shrewsberry
  • Zina Schwartz, CONSOR
  • Donna Adams, Atkins
3:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m

TxDOT rule revisions

  • Martha Juch, PEPS Center of Excellence
5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

DRIVE Reception

Thursday, December 2

Time Description
8:00 a.m. - 9:30 a.m.

Work authorization development

  • Tamika Griffin, PEPS Service Center for Divisions

Ethics in PEPS contracting

  • Kristin Alexander, TxDOT Compliance Division

Precertification updates

BONFIRE

Recording

  • Dan Neal, PEPS Center of Excellence

Level Of Effort Labor Hour Estimates

Recording

  • Cliff Hallford, PEPS Negotiations Center 
  • Michael Haithcock, TxDOT Abilene District 
  • Lauren Garduño, TxDOT Engineering Project Advisor
9:45 a.m. - 11:15 a.m.

Quality control of deliverable panel discussion

Moderator:

  • Joe Jancuska, PEPS Dallas Service Center

Panelists:

  • Ashton Strong, TxDOT Dallas District 
  • Spenta Irani, Jacobs

Level of effort negotiations panel discussion

Recording

Moderator:

  • Charles Davidson, PEPS Austin Service Center

Panelists:

  • Todd Speck, PEPS Austin Service Center 
  • Jesse Bullard, TxDOT Austin District 
  • Travis Falls, Volkert

TxDOT contracts and DocuSign

Handouts

 

  • Whitney Nalle, TxDOT Contract Services Division
11:30 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

Keynote address presentation

Recording

  • Anh Selissen, TxDOT Chief Information Officer
12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.

Closing session

  • Martin L. Rodin, PEPS Division Director

Disclosure: Recordings were not made available for every session, and in some cases the recordings are incomplete.  We have made every effort to provide as much of every session as possible.