Description

 SPEAKER'S BIOGRAPHIES

Major General Barry D. Keeling, USA (RET)

Deputy Secretary, Department of Transportation and Development

Major General Barry Keeling (ret) serves as Deputy Secretary of the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development (LA DOTD) performing duties as assigned by the secretary and will serve as acting secretary in the absence of the secretary. Major General Keeling began his career with the LA DOTD on February 1, 2016 as the Undersecretary, Office of Management and Finance (the “OMF”), a multi-disciplined division responsible for OMF’s Management and Budget, Financial Services, Human Resources, Procurement, Enterprise Services, Audit, and Quality and Continuous Improvement Program sections with an annual budget of over $3.2 billion. Prior to joining LA DOTD, Major General Keeling served in the Louisiana National Guard and the United States Marine Corps in a career spanning 35 years. Major General Keeling retired from the military on June 30, 2017. Major General Keeling graduated from Southeastern Oklahoma State University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and Biology, and graduated from the United States Army War College with a Masters of Strategic Studies. He resides in Robert, Louisiana with his wife, Donna and they have three children.

Tyler Gray

Secretary, Department of Energy and Natural Resources

Tyler Gray, Secretary Louisiana Department of Energy and Natural Resources (DENR). Prior to this role, he has served as Corporate Secretary to Placid Refining Co, LLC, president and general counsel to Louisiana Mid-Continent’s Oil and Gas Association, an attorney to the Office of Conservation within DENR, and for the City of New Orleans. He received his B.A. in Economics from James Madison University in Virginia, a J.D. from Loyola University in New Orleans, M.B.A. with a specialization in Economics from Louisiana State University, and is licensed to practice law in Louisiana.

Roger Husser P.E.

Assistant Commissioner, Office of Facility Planning and Control

Roger Husser is a native of Husser, Louisiana. Roger obtained a Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering in 1993 from the University of Southwestern Louisiana (ULL) and a Master of Science in Biological and Agricultural Engineering from LSU in 2000. Roger became licensed in both Civil Engineering and in Agricultural Engineering in 2001.  Roger’s career began at the LSU AgCenter in 1994 as a Research Associate in the areas of ergonomic workspace design and alternative energy research.  Roger later became a Project Manager in the LSU Agricultural Center Facilities Planning Department then became Director in 2001. After serving in this capacity for eleven years, Roger became Director of LSU Planning, Design and Construction in 2012 and was later promoted to Assistant Vice President in 2016 having the responsibility for a $1 billion capital development portfolio including all long term physical planning, development and construction efforts on the LSU campus in Baton Rouge.  

In 2023, Roger accepted the position of Director of Facility Planning and Control in the Division of Administration, administering the multi-billion dollar Capital Outlay Act for the State of Louisiana.  In November of 2024, Roger was promoted to Assistant Commissioner in the Division of Administration with oversight of Facility Planning and Control as well as the Office of State Lands.  Roger currently resides in Husser, Louisiana, has been happily married for 31 years and is an active member of Loranger Legacy Church.

Steve Hall

Executive Vice President, ACEC National

Steve joined ACEC in 2001 as head of the Council’s advocacy program. Prior to that he worked on Capitol Hill for 14 years, most recently as Legislative Director and Chief of Staff for Rep. Sue Kelly (R-NY). He worked for three additional House Republicans during his time in Congress, with particular focus on defense and infrastructure policy. Steve received a BA in Government & Politics at George Mason University, and currently lives with his wife Terre and daughter Sarah in McLean, Virginia.

Glenn Ledet 

Executive Director, La. Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA)

An accomplished leader with more than 17 years of expertise, Glenn P. Ledet, Jr., PE has extensive experience in both the public and private sectors navigating coastal issues in Louisiana. Before being appointed to be Executive Director of the Louisiana Coastal Protection and Restoration Authority (CPRA), Mr. Ledet spent over 13 years in the Coastal engineering industry, including the last 4 years with a nationally renowned multi-disciplined engineering, planning and construction management firm, where he led the strategic growth, business development, and operations for all of the company’s Coastal and Water Resources initiatives. Mr. Ledet also spent more than three years at CPRA serving as an Engineering Supervisor and then as the Assistant Administrator of CPRA’s Operations Division.

Mr. Ledet has played a key role in steering critical projects that contribute to the resilience and sustainability of Louisiana’s coast. This includes leading engineering, project management and program management on critical coastal endeavors, such as the Upper Barataria Basin Flood Risk Reduction System ($3B), Calcasieu-Sabine Hydrologic Restoration and Large-Scale Marsh Creation Program ($261M), and St. Tammany Parish Flood Risk Reduction Program ($5B). These efforts have left an indelible mark, particularly in Coastal Louisiana and other Gulf Coast states, showcasing his commitment to advancing sustainable solutions and resilience in the face of environmental challenges.

Christopher L. Dunn, Ph.D., P.E.

Chief Engineer, New Orleans District

Dr. Christopher L. Dunn currently serves as the New Orleans District Chief of Engineering Division and as the District’s Levee Safety Officer. In these roles he is responsible for leading a team of approximately 250 engineers, scientists, technicians, and other support staff, in preparing quality engineering products in support of the New Orleans District Civil Works program and providing direct oversight of the District’s Levee Safety Program.

Dr. Dunn obtained his B.S. in Civil Engineering from Louisiana State University in 1998 and his M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of New Orleans in 2001. Dr. Dunn’s academic pursuits culminated in receipt of his Ph.D. from Louisiana State University in 2013 after completion of his dissertation entitled, “Assessing Levels of Reliability for Design Criteria for Hurricane and Storm Damage Risk Reduction Structures.” As a direct follow-on to his academic research, Dr. Dunn was the lead author of, “Statistical representation of design parameters for hurricane risk reduction structures,” published in Structural Safety in 2013. In August 2021, Dr. Dunn earned a Certificate in Risk Assessment and Management from the Notre Dame of Maryland University. He has been a licensed Professional Engineer in Civil Engineering in the state of Louisiana since 2002. He is also currently a member of the American Society of Civil Engineers and the Society of American Military Engineers.

Dr. Dunn’s career began with a two-year tenure with URS Corporation as a structural engineer before joining the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) New Orleans District (MVN) in 2000. Now in his 22nd year with USACE, Dr. Dunn has spent most of his time in Engineering Division, where he served in multiple leadership roles within Structures Branch culminating in his selection as Branch Chief in 2014. He has also served as Acting Branch Chief for the New Orleans District Hydraulics and Hydrologic Design Branch and in 2016 he was selected to serve as the Assistant Chief of Engineering Division before being selected to his current role as Chief of Engineering Division in late 2021.     

Dr. Dunn currently lives in Metairie, Louisiana, with his wife Kelly, their three daughters, and two dogs.

John McCormick

Galloway, Johnson, Tompkins, Burr & Smith

 John “Trip” McCormick diligently protects each client’s legal interests while helping grow and develop the client’s business. Trip’s legal counsel seeks not only to achieve the best legal outcomes, but also to preserve valuable business relationships and the client’s hard-earned reputation. Trip takes deep pride in the partnerships he forges with his clients, and is committed to fostering the growth and prosperity of the businesses working in Louisiana’s most vital markets.

 Focused on his clients’ business success, Trip aggressively defends contractual or third-party claims, pursues debts gone unpaid, and helps craft strategic business plans by identifying and eliminating uncertainties that may stand in the way. He provides general advice and assistance to his clients in negotiating and drafting contracts, selecting insurance products and coverages, managing risk, and resolving conflicts early.

 More specifically, Trip focuses his practice on commercial and construction litigation, representing a broad spectrum of clients ranging from architects and engineers to general contractors, subcontractors, land surveyors, and material suppliers. He has litigated cases arising from a variety of public, private, commercial, and industrial projects in bench trials, jury trials in state and federal court, and arbitrations. Types of matters include claims under the Louisiana New Home Warranty Act; payment claims on federal projects under the Miller Act; major public works such as storm levees and pumping stations, emergency response centers, and university classroom buildings; commercial projects, including luxury hotels, condominiums and apartment complexes, shopping centers, and hospitals; and catastrophic structural failures. In addition to the construction industry, Trip also represents clients in trucking and transportation, energy, oil and gas, real estate and property management, and regulated utilities.