13th Annual CAI Seminar for P.E.s Draws Dozens to Earn 6 PDH/HSW Credits

By MATT PEPE – November 22, 2023

TARRYTOWN, NY—The always-popular professional development seminar, presented annually by the Construction Advancement Institute (CAI), drew a capacity audience last month for a program entitled “ENGINEERING: Knowledge, Innovation, Inspiration.” More than 50 P.E.s gathered at the Sleepy Hollow Hotel & Conference Center on Monday, Oct. 30, to hear presentations by five experts in their respective fields, spanning materials, geotechnical engineering, industry innovations and the legal profession.

As part of the day-long program, a technical study tour of Rye Playland was organized in the early afternoon to learn about the ambitious $140-million building activity that’s ongoing at the famed entertainment park owned by Westchester County.

The program earned the enrolled P.E.s a total of six professional continuing-education credits, according to CAI Chairman Mark Fante of the Construction Advancement Institute of Westchester & The Mid-Hudson Region, Inc., which also organized the program. Attendees earned six PDH/HSW hours from the American Institute of Architects (AIA), and those health safety welfare credits are also recognized by the New York State Department of Education for P.E.s, added Mr. Fante, who is Vice President of Darante Construction Inc. of Elmsford, NY.

The Construction Advancement Institute seminar on Oct. 30 drew a diverse audience of more than 50 P.E.s, architects and contractors. Above, Steven Witkowski, P.E., of the firm Thornton Tomasetti, discussed new trends and innovations in Engineering.

Established in 2010, the CAI P.E. seminar perennially draws a diverse audience of P.E.s, architects and contractors—all keen to delve into a range of topics.

The guest experts that presented the program were:

  • Concrete’s Evolution to Being Sustainable by William Lyons III, FACI, who is National Business Development Manager, North East of The Euclid Chemical Company;
  • Managing Your Engineering Practice to Reduce Liabilities by Thomas H. Welby, Esq., P.E., of the law firm Welby, Brady & Greenblatt, LLP;
  • Innovations in Our Industry by Steven Witkowski, P.E., principal/construction engineering of the engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti;
  • Geotechnical Engineering—Build On and With Earth Materials by Alfred H. Brand, P.E., D.GE, who is Technical Specialist at Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers;
  • Geotechnical Grouting: Introduction by Matthew Cichetti, P.E., Principal of Cichetti Engineering/Earth Construction Services.

Extended beyond the confines of the conference center, the seminar integrated a practical component with an exclusive afternoon site inspection to Rye Playland. This private tour, led by experts from The LiRo Group, Savin Engineers and the Westchester Parks Department, granted the attendees an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of Playland during its off-season. Over the course of two hour visit to the Sound Shore parkland, the group gained insights into the intricacies of the county’s ambitious $140-million restoration project, designed to recapture the historic essence of its original 1920s theme.

The restoration efforts were tangible, with participants observing the meticulous renovation of the carousel enclosure and the construction of a new housing for the Derby Racer. While the iconic Dragon Coaster was not under renovation at the time, the supporting infrastructure for the coaster was undergoing significant construction, a process the group witnessed firsthand.

A new program is now being planned for mid-2024. For more information and registration, contact CAI Program Manager Laurel Brunelle at (914) 631-1033 or [email protected].

Guest speakers and organizers, from left, Matthew Pepe of the BCA/CAI; William Lyons III, FACI, of The Euclid Chemical Company; Steven Witkowski, P.E., of the engineering firm Thornton Tomasetti; Anthony P. Carlucci, Esq., and Thomas H. Welby, Esq., P.E., of the law firm Welby, Brady & Greenblatt, LLP; Alfred H. Brand, P.E., of Mueser Rutledge Consulting Engineers; Laurel Brunelle of CAI; and Matthew Cichetti, P.E., of Cichetti Engineering/Earth Construction Services.
A private tour of Rye Playland amusement park on Oct. 30 was led by, from left: Dan Loscalzo, P.E., of The LiRo Group; Westchester County Department of Public Works & Transportation Nadia Savage, P.E.; Frank Carrieri, P.E., of the Westchester Parks Department; County Commissioner Hugh Greechan, P.E.; Faisal Choudhury, P.E., of The LiRo Group; Hussein Elzoghby, P.E., of Savin Engineers, P.C.; Faisal Choudhury, P.E., of The LiRo Group; and CAI’s Laurel Brunelle and Matt Pepe.
This private tour of Westchester County Parks Department and its plans to spend $140 million to upgrade Rye Playland, with its famed Dragon Coaster in the background.
Over the course of their two hour visit to the Sound Shore parkland, the group gained insights into the intricacies of the county’s ambitious restoration project, designed to recapture the historic essence of its original 1920s theme.
Scroll to Top