CSI DENVER CHAPTER - 2026 BUILD DENVER
SPEAKERS:
Aaron Johnson
Aaron Johnson is one of the two Wildland Urban Interface Professional Development Educators with the Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC). In this role, Aaron supports jurisdictions across Colorado in adopting and implementing the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code (CWRC) by providing training, technical assistance, and implementation resources.
Before joining the DFPC, Aaron worked closely with Colorado communities to advance wildfire mitigation and resilience efforts. His background includes over 20 years of experience in firefighting along with extensive work supporting local wildfire mitigation programs and partnerships, including program development, home assessments, community wildfire planning, code adoption, and workforce training for mitigation professionals. Aaron lives in Montrose and is excited to continue supporting communities across Colorado as they strengthen their wildfire resilience.
Kim McDonald
Kim McDonald is one of the two Wildland Urban Interface Professional Development Educators with the Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC). In this role, Kim supports jurisdictions around Colorado in adopting and implementing the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code (CWRC) by providing education, training, technical assistance, and implementation resources.
Before joining the DFPC, Kim worked for Summit Fire & EMS as a Division Chief/Fire Marshal. His background includes over 25 years of experience in firefighting, including code adoption, code enforcement, program development, fire inspection, fire investigation, education, medical response as a paramedic, and all other aspects of being a firefighter. Kim lives outside of Alma below Hoosier Pass and is excited to continue supporting the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code in communities across Colorado and the difference it will make in the future.
Peter C. Elliott, CSI, CDT, CCPR
President, Elliott Associates
Golden, CO
Peter Elliott is a respected construction industry professional with more than 30 years of experience serving the architectural, design, and construction communities throughout the Rocky Mountain region. As President of Elliott Associates, the manufacturers' representative agency he founded in 1994, Peter has earned a reputation for providing exceptional customer service, technical expertise, and specification-driven building product solutions. His collaborative approach and deep industry knowledge have made him a trusted resource for architects, designers, contractors, distributors, and building owners alike. A graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder, Peter is actively engaged in numerous professional organizations and industry associations. He is a past president of both the Construction Specifications Institute Denver Chapter and the Door and Hardware Institute Rocky Mountain Chapter, reflecting his longstanding commitment to advancing professionalism within the construction industry. Outside the office, Peter enjoys taking advantage of Colorado's outdoor lifestyle. Whether skiing, hiking, cycling, golfing, or exploring the mountains, he values staying active and spending quality time with his family and his Australian Shepherd, Pepper.
Cole Howard
Shums Coda
Cole has over two decades of experience in construction and code management. His career started in Utah working as an eight-way certified building inspector across the State. He has transitioned to work in the State of Colorado, first with a jurisdiction and now through a role with SCA in Colorado. He has spent the past year preparing for a transition to take over the reins as the Colorado Regional Manager and has been actively involved with more customer outreach related to the codes across the State, with an active involvement with the Colorado Code Chapter of ICC (CCICC), assisting with technical training and organizational goals. Cole has extensive experience in both residential and commercial building codes, being able to review, inspect or teach both.
Laura Perez, AIA, LEED AP, BD+C, LFA
Sr. Regenerative Design Advisor – Associate
Laura is a sustainability leader committed to harnessing the built environment as a powerful tool to address the global climate crisis. At Perkins & Will, she supports teams in delivering high-performing projects that achieve ambitious sustainability goals, including LEED Gold certification and beyond. Laura was a contributor to Perkins & Will’s Embodied Carbon Benchmarking effort and is an expert in whole building life cycle assessments (WBLCA). She leads the Denver studio’s material standards and the Common Material Framework education series, helping to advance low-carbon material decision-making across the practice. Laura is also actively engaged in shaping the future of policy through her volunteer work with the City of Denver’s code updates on the Embodied Carbon subcommittee, the Colorado Embodied Carbon Collaborative, and Carbon Leadership Forum. She brings a strong design foundation and a systems-thinking approach to her work advancing a more regenerative, climate-conscious future.
Amanda Spice, AIA, LEED AP BD+C
Embodied Carbon Specialist | Sustainability Project Manager
Amanda brings design and technical performance together to reduce embodied carbon in buildings. With a decade of experience as an architectural designer, she understands how early decisions shape long-term outcomes. Her work supports clients in aligning material choices with embodied carbon reduction targets, meeting regulations, reducing building impact, and advancing decarbonization goals. As a project manager at Group14, Amanda helps teams define sustainability goals, streamline documentation, and integrate carbon-reducing strategies. She's an expert in life cycle assessment (LCA), embodied carbon analysis, and Buy Clean Colorado compliance. Amanda regularly supports design teams and public owners navigating policy requirements with clarity and confidence. Amanda is instrumental in statewide conversations on policy readiness, material transparency, and embodied carbon strategy. She is a key contributor to the Colorado Embodied Carbon Collaborative and active in several Carbon Leadership Forum hubs. She speaks often on decarbonization through both performance-based and policy-driven pathways. Her focus is always on actionable solutions that move the industry toward a more resilient, low-carbon future.
Bob Redwine, Retired Structural Engineer
Director, Colorado Embodied Carbon Collaborative (CECC)
Bob Redwine practiced structural engineering for 45 years before his retirement. As a structural engineer Bob was involved in a broad field of engineering, including bridge engineering, building design, coal-fired power plants, underground mining and surface facilities, teaching, data processing, and project management. Bob received his BSCE from Texas Technological University, and his MSCE from the University of Texas, Austin. He started a commercial structural engineering firm in 1983, and merged with KL&A in 2015, where he helped start Team Carbon in 2019 to focus on Life Cycle Assessments and embodied carbon reductions.
Upon retirement in January of 2021, Bob started CECC, a non-profit organization focusing on the reduction of embodied carbon in buildings. CECC currently has a membership of 15 architectural firms, an environmental firm, and a general contractor. CECC conducts research on how to reduce embodied carbon emissions in all building systems including structure, enclosure, interiors, MEP (Mechanical Electrical and Plumbing), FF&E (Furniture Fixtures and Equipment), and site. This work requires a knowledge of all of the components that go into each building system as well as understanding the development of innovative materials that can help reduce embodied carbon emissions.
