What Clients Really Want
All the things you want to know — that your clients won’t tell you in a debrief
Have you wanted to ask your clients a question that you know they couldn’t or wouldn’t answer? Have you ever wondered why some firms continue to win work and you continue to try? During a debrief, have you heard “you were one point away… close second… the other team was just a little bit better…”
During this session, you will get candid answers to all of your burning questions by industry-renowned executives driving mega-million dollar Capital Improvement Programs. Each panelist has served in various decision-making roles making them THE experts on what clients really want. Their experience working up through all levels within an organization brings both a unique perspective as well as insight into our clients’ frustrations and expectations. Join our session if you want to learn about what it takes to be a “go to” consultant in these challenging economic times when competition is fierce and winning seems harder now than ever before.
Shiloh Spriggs, CPSM – Facilitator
Shiloh launched her marketing career in the A/E/C industry over 17 years ago. Over the last six years, she has been the Regional Marketing Manager for Brown and Caldwell’s California Business Unit, and is a strong advocate for marketing and business development within her firm and the industry. Shiloh’s experience and expertise includes big-picture, long-term business growth planning; market sector and client evaluation; facilitating strategic company initiatives; sales and marketing team management and mentoring; internal sales training and coaching; sales tracking and forecasting; proposal and presentation preparation and coaching; and client and pursuit strategy development and execution. She has extensive experience working with multiple, top 20 A/E/C firms’ sales and marketing teams and executives, and brings that experience and knowledge to develop and educate others on creative and innovative ideas and techniques. Over the last year, Shiloh and her team have maintained a consistent 60%+ capture rate – winning work in one of the most challenging and dynamic economic environments seen in the last ten years.
Our panel of experts:
Craig Miller, P.E. – Assistant General Manager, Inland Empire Utilities Agency (IEUA)
Craig is the Assistant General Manager for the IEUA. He has spent most of his 23-year career advocating for clean drinking water, as well as being in the forefront of recycled water use throughout Southern California. As Executive Director of Engineering and Planning during his tenure with the Orange County Water District, prior to joining IEUA, Craig was integral in the planning, design, and construction of the first landmark Groundwater Replenishment System in the United States. He is Past Commissioner for the Santa Ana Watershed Project Authority, Past Chairman of the Santa Ana River Watermaster, Member of the Association of California Water Agencies Groundwater and Energy Committee, and continues to be actively involved in key water initiatives throughout Southern California.
Vic Bianes, P.E. – Engineering Manager, San Diego County Water Authority (SDCWA)
Vic Bianes is an Engineering Design Manager for the Water Authority’s Capital Improvement Program. Vic is responsible for providing design services in the execution of the Water Authority’s $3.6 Billion CIP Program, which includes the design and construction of large transmission pipelines, pump stations, flow control facilities, power generation facilities, water Treatment plant enhancements and the expansion of the San Vicente Dam Raise. Vic was instrumental in the Authority receiving the 2008 Claire Hill Award of Excellence Finalist from the Association of California Water Agencies for the organization’s efforts with “Leading the way to be a public agency of choice”. Prior to joining the Water Authority, he served as Deputy Director of the city of San Diego’s Water Department CIP. Bianes’s extensive experience includes construction management, project management, and design, and he earned a B.A. in Civil Engineering from San Diego State University and a MBA from the University of Riverside.
Vic was the founding chair of the San Diego Regional Procurement Committee, composed of public agencies throughout San Diego County. In 2008, the committee received the Golden Watchdog Award from the San Diego Taxpayers Association for their efforts to standardize specifications and the regional coordination of construction bidding opportunities. He continues to be active with the committee, which coordinates discusses market issues, material shortages, and ideas for improving public agency procurement processes. Vic is a board member with San Diego Imperial Chapter of American Public Works Association (APWA), a member on the national Storm Water Council for APWA, a member with American Society of Civil Engineering and American Water Works Association.
Jim Barrett, P.E. – Assistant General Manager, Coachella Valley Water District (CVWD)
Jim joined the CVWD as its Assistant General Manager in March 2010. Prior to joining CVWD, Jim worked for the City of San Diego as its Water Department Director. In December 2007, Jim was appointed as the City’s Director of Public Utilities, reuniting the Water and Wastewater Departments under a single leadership for the first time since 1996. He was responsible for coordinating the efforts of over 1,700 City employees with a combined budget worth more than $1 billion annually. Jim also held concurrent appointments on the Boards of Directors for both the San Diego County Water Authority and the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California. Other career highlights include Vice President of Federal Programs for Earth Tech, Incorporated, which was a global engineering consulting firm with over 8,000 employees; the Commanding Officer of the Navy Public Works Center in San Diego; and, Regional Engineer on the staff of the Commander, Navy Region Southwest. He was responsible for the delivery of facilities related services at 14 different locations, coordinating the efforts of almost 2,000 employees with an operating budget of over $700 million annually. Jim retired from the Navy in November 2004 after serving more than 20 years.
Tony Heinrichs, P.E. - Director of Public Works, City of San Diego
Prior to assuming Tony’s present position as the City’s Director of Public Works, he was the Director of the City’s Storm Water Department. Before joining the City in April 2008, Tony was the Senior Director, Facilities/Chief Engineer for the Port of San Diego for over seven years. His previous experience also includes a 24-year career in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps from which he retired at the rank of Captain; Assistant Director of Administrative Services at Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC), San Diego; and, Assistant Managing Engineer, Boyle Engineering Corporation, San Diego. Tony earned Bachelor and Masters of Civil Engineering degrees from the University of Louisville, Louisville, Kentucky, and a Masters in Business Administration degree from Golden Gate University, San Francisco, California.