2025 PEPS Conference

TxDOT’s Professional Engineering Procurement Services (PEPS) division conducted a two-day conference on December 9 and 10, 2025, at the Embassy Suites Convention Center in Frisco, Texas. The purpose of the PEPS conference was to:

educate newer consulting firms about working with PEPS contracts,
share various tools and technology that TxDOT and the PEPS division are implementing, and
provide a forum to build collaboration and community between the PEPS division and its customers.

To view or download presentations from the 2025 PEPS conference, please click on this link to Box.com.

For questions about the PEPS conference, please contact Angela.Kissel@txdot.gov.

PDH Hours Certificate

Professional Engineering Procurement Services

Tuesday | December 9, 2025

Time	Session Information
10:00 – 10:45 am	Contracts, Funding, and Encumbrances (Session #1) Track: Doing Business with TxDOT Presenters: Dan Neal (PEPS Division Center of Excellence Section Director) & Raymond Bischoff (Budget Management Section Director)
10:00 – 10:45 am	Utility Engineering & Coordination Best Practices Track: Tools & Technology Presenters: Stephan Srnensky (Austin District) & Marco Cameron (Austin District)
10:00 – 10:45 am	Panel: Building Bridges for a More Successful Team Track: Building Bridges – Collaboration and Community Panelists: Jodi Bird (Corsair Consulting), Donna Adams, Shawn Singh (Kimley-Horn), Stephanie Beckham (DAS Geospatial), Sal Alonzo (El Paso District), & Phil Howlett (PEPS Division – San Antonio Service Center)
11:00 – 11:45 am	Administrative Qualifications Basics Track: Doing Business with TxDOT Presenters: Gabe Villanueva (PEPS Division – Business Operations Center) & Elizabeth Grado (PEPS Division – Business Operations Center)
11:00 – 11:45 am	Precertification (Session #1) Track: Tools & Technology Presenter: Sierra Salinas (PEPS Division – Center of Excellence)
11:00 – 11:45 am	Panel: Maintaining Consistency During Change Track: Building Bridges – Collaboration and Community Panelists: Kimberly Brooks (White Hawk), Aneil Sandhu (ARS Engineers), Mike Garrison (BGE Inc), Alisha Elmore (Freese & Nichols), Ashton Strong (Dallas District)
1:00 – 2:00 pm	Guest Speaker Panel Discussion Panelists: Alejandro “Alex” Meade (Texas Transportation Commissioner) & Mohamed “Mo” Bur (Senior Director of Project Development)
2:15 – 3:00 pm	Small Business Track: Doing Business with TxDOT Presenters: Nora Perez (Civil Rights Division) & Billy Connolly (PEPS Division – Center of Excellence)
2:15 – 3:00 pm	Precertification (Session #2) Track: Tools & Technology Presenter: Sierra Salinas, PEPS Division – Center of Excellence
2:15 – 3:00 pm	Panel: A Consultant’s Journey: Approaches to Achieving TxDOT Projects Track: Building Bridges – Collaboration and Community Panelists: Naser Abusaad (Bartlett-West), Emily Izard (Bartlett-West), Stacie Dovalovsky (Primera Engineering), and David Sutton (HRD Inc)
3:15 – 4:00 pm	The Golden Ticket to Understanding Revolving Door Restrictions Track: Doing Business with TxDOT Presenter: Amy Owens (Senior General Counsel)
3:15 – 4:00 pm	Level of Effort (LOE) Estimation & Negotiation Tool (Session #1) Track: Tools & Technology Presenters: Mindy Sawyer (PEPS Division – Center of Excellence) & Marissa Lopez (Transportation Programs Division)
3:15 – 4:00 pm	Panel: How Time Has Changed our Perspective of Managing Consultant Services Contracts Track: Building Bridges – Collaboration and Community Panelists: Maureen Wakeland (Hill International), Eliza Paul (HNTB), Gina E. Gallegos (GFT Inc), & Melisa Montemayor (LJA Engineering)

Wednesday | December 10, 2025

Time	Session Information
9:00 – 9:45 am	Enhancements of Indefinite Deliverable (ID) Contract Utilization and Beyond Track: Doing Business with TxDOT Presenter: Gail Morea (PEPS Division – Contract Utilization)
9:00 – 9:45 am	Information Technology Division (ITD) Data Security Track: Tools and Technology Presenter: David West (Information Technology Division)
9:00 – 9:45 am	Kick-off Meetings Presenters: Phil Howlett (PEPS Division – SAN Service Center) & Scott D. Nelson (San Antonio District)
11:00 – 11:45 am	Contracts, Funding, and Encumbrances (Session #2) Track: Doing Business with TxDOT Presenters: Dan Neal (PEPS Division COE Section Director) & Raymond Bishoff (Budget Management Section Director)
11:00 – 11:45 am	Level of Effort (LOE) Estimation & Negotiation Tool (Session #2) Track: Tools & Technology Presenters: Mindy Sawyer (PEPS Division – Center of Excellence) & Marissa Lopez (Transportation Programs Division)
11:00 – 11:45 am	Negotiation Center Updates Presenters: Becky Lozoya (PEPS Division – Negotiations Center) & Whitney Nalle (PEPS Division – Center of Excellence)
11:45 am – 1:00 pm	Closing Budget Presentation Presenter: Martin Rodin (PEPS Division Director)