Our Chapter's Board of Directors

Zoe Belcher, Vice President - Zoe is a Senior Project Geologist with HRP Associates, Inc. She specializes in geotechnical and environmental investigations, as well as site remediation. During the nine years Ms. Belcher has been with HRP, she has been involved in numerous design, implementation and monitoring projects of engineered remediation systems at large manufacturing facilities. She also concentrates her efforts on the clean-up and redevelopment of Brownfield properties. In 2007, Ms. Belcher became the first Registered Brownfield Professional in Connecticut. She holds a B.S. in Geology with an Engineering Specialty and an M.S. in Environmental and Engineering Geosciences, both from Redford University in Virginia.

Carolyn Kurth, CPA, Treasurer - Carolyn S. Kurth, CPA, is an Audit Manager at Sheptoff, Reuber & Co., PC. in Glastonbury, CT. Ms. Kurth is responsible for managing the execution of financial statement audits, reviews and compilations and providing business advisory services to private companies and non-profit organizations. Prior to joining Sheptoff Reuber, Carolyn was an Internal Audit Manager at Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation where she was responsible for managing Tribal Internal Audit's involvement in all of the Tribe's Capital Projects - including the ongoing construction activities of the MGM Grand at Foxwoods Expansion Project. Ms. Kurth was also a Manager in the Accounting and Auditing department at Blum, Shapiro & Co., PC in West Hartford, CT. Ms. Kurth's construction industry expertise includes claims analysis and consulting services related to major construction projects for a range of project owners in both the public and non-public sector. Ms. Kurth's experience also includes working with various municipalities to provide financial reporting services for school construction projects. Carolyn previously served on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Women in Construction. She is a member of the Connecticut Society of Certified Public Accountants, the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners and the Institute of Internal Auditors.

Jessica M. Samios, Secretary - Jessica is the Director of Business Development for Strategic Building Solutions. SBS' core services include facilities planning, project management, commissioning, retro-commissioning, and energy management. From offices in Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, SBS partners with institutions and organizations to create buildings that work and operate efficiently and effectively. Jessica's career has focused on marketing and business development for professional services firms engaged in civil engineering, environmental engineering, general contracting and construction management. In addition, she has an active involvement in select professional and civic organizations. She serves on the Membership Committees of the Connecticut Real Estate Exchange and the Society for Marketing Professional Services-Connecticut Chapter. Jessica is also an active member of the Connecticut Association of Boards of Education (CABE), the Connecticut Association of School Business Officials (CASBO), the Construction Institute, and the New England Healthcare Engineers' Society (NEHES). From 2006-2008 Jessica served as Head Teller for PWC-CT's annual elections. She is a past member of the Board of Directors and served as Nominating Committee Chair for the Northwest Connecticut Chamber of Commerce.

Laurann Askloff, Director and PWC Mentor Commitee Chair - Laurann is a principal at the law firm of Gordon, Muir and Foley, LLP. Her practice concentrates on construction litigation, representing owners, contractors and subcontractors throughout Connecticut involving multi-million dollar construction projects. Since joining Gordon, Muir and Foley, LLP, Laurann has been the principal construction litigator for the University of Connecticut’s UCONN 2000 and 21st Century Construction Infrastructure Program. In addition, Laurann has represented the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation in their construction litigation matters. Besides representing owners, Laurann has represented subcontractors and contractors in all forums of litigation including Alternative Dispute Resolution processes, and state and federal courts. She also counsels clients during construction projects so as to avoid litigation and achieve optimal resolutions. Laurann is admitted to practice law in the States of Connecticut and New York, the United States District Court of Connecticut and the Southern and Eastern District Courts of New York. Laurann has lectured and authored articles on the topic of mold in construction, subcontractor payment issues, BIM and how to get the greatest economic advantage in a down economy. She has served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Connecticut Law School instructing students in the art of appellate writing and oral argument. Laurann received her undergraduate degree from Georgetown University in 1982 and earned her law degree from Albany Law School of Union University in 1985. In addition to her roles with PWC, Laurann is a member of the Connecticut Bar Association, Construction Law Section Executive Committee; and American Bar Association, Construction Law Section.

Jennifer N. Buchanon, P.E., Director - Jennifer is a Geotechnical Engineer at Haley & Aldrich, Inc., in East Hartford, Connecticut, the first geotechnical and environmental consulting firm in New England with 15 offices nationwide and over 50 years of experience. Her scopes of work have ranged from preliminary feasibility evaluations and environmental impact studies, through design investigations, preparation of plans and specifications, consultation and monitoring during construction. She is also an active member in the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) as well as the Connecticut Society of Civil Engineers (CSCE) and CSCE Younger Members groups which represent over 1,800 civil engineers statewide. Jennifer received her B.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and her M.S. in Civil Engineering from Columbia University in the City of New York. She is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Connecticut.

Wendy Kennedy Venoit, Esq., Director - Wendy is a partner with the law firm, McElroy, Deutsch, Mulvaney & Carpenter, LLP (formerly Pepe & Hazard, LLP) in Hartford, Connecticut. Her practice is concentrated on construction litigation and dispute resolution. Ms. Venoit has litigated in state and federal forums throughout the country, and has mediated and arbitrated construction disputes both nationally and internationally. She also counsels clients with respect to claims that arise during the course of construction projects so as to avoid litigation and achieve resolutions that are optimal to the client. She also has extensive experience in both prosecuting and defending complex insurance coverage disputes. Ms. Venoit is heavily involved in the ABA Forum on the Construction Industry, serving as the Chair of the International Construction Division (Division 8), co-chair of the 2009 Midwinter Meeting, and liaison to the Forum Membership and Publications Committees. She is the Treasurer of the Lawyers Collaborative on Diversity, and sits on the board of the Amistad America Golf Classic and on the Advisory Committee of the Institute for Transnational Arbitration. Ms. Venoit is the immediate Past President of the Connecticut Chapter of the Professional Women in Construction (PWC) and is currently serving on its board of directors. Prior to becoming President of the Connecticut Chapter of PWC, Ms. Venoit served as Secretary and General Counsel of the chapter. Ms. Venoit has lectured and authored articles on the topics of International Dispute Resolution, insurance coverage issues arising out of construction defects, E-Discovery, ethics, and legislation and issues affecting the construction industry. Ms. Venoit is the Executive Editor of "International Construction Law" published by the ABA Press in the Fall 2009, and co-authored a chapter on construction manager tort liability in the "Design Professional and Construction Law" handbook (ABA Press). Ms. Venoit was named by the Hartford Business Journal as one of its "40 under Forty" business professionals and by the National MS Society Connecticut Chapter as one of the “2008� Corporate Achievers�, and is a past recipient of the Connecticut Law Tribune's New Leaders of the Law Award. Ms. Venoit received a B.A. degree in economics and Spanish from the College of the Holy Cross, and a J.D. degree, magna cum laude, Valedictorian, from Pace University School of Law. While attending law school, Ms. Venoit was an editor on the Pace Law Review and authored multiple publications. Ms. Venoit is admitted to the State and Federal bars of Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey, as well as the Second and Third Circuit Courts of Appeals.

Kathryn D. Pappas, Director - Kathryn has more than 20 years of marketing management & business development experience in the professional services arena. Ms. Pappas began her career in Commercial/Residential Real Estate Banking and Branch Management. She then went on to specialize in environmental risk management working for a national environmental management and consulting firm as Regional Vice President for the New England Division. Ms. Pappas marketed environmental and engineering consulting services to institutional, healthcare, and real estate industries. Ms. Pappas established KDP Consulting, a consulting practice concentrating in strategic planning, sales and marketing strategies in private and public government sectors for professional services firms. Ms. Pappas was engaged to re-organize, re-shape and re-brand the firms' image. Through the years, Ms. Pappas has successfully cultivated the relationship building aspect of the business, teaming and working with industry leaders in the A/E/C and Environmental industries in Connecticut and Massachusetts. Ms. Pappas has recognized high profile strategic opportunities, developing business cases, and understanding key business drivers. Ms. Pappas is experienced in establishing business plans including, plans for key account management, projected revenue, and cost models. Ms. Pappas has had had oversight of Marketing Departments and has led business development, mentoring and regional/national strategic planning efforts to develop a team dedicated to service improvement. Ms. Pappas is a graduate of American International College in Springfield, MA and holds a BA degree in Political Science, Business Administration Management. Ms. Pappas is a member of the Connecticut Chapter of the Society of Marketing Professionals, and a member of the Association for Corporate Growth in Boston.

Roxanne Perugino, LEED AP, Director - Roxanne is a Senior Project Planner with Diversified Project Management, a client-oriented Owner's Representative consulting company that provides project management, strategic real estate and facilities planning services to corporate, municipal and institutional clients. DPM specializes in pre-construction planning, program management, construction administration, space programming, portfolio management, Furniture Fixture & Equipment (FF&E) consulting and relocation management. As the Senior Project Planner, Roxanne's role is to provide advanced team leadership, manage the budgeting, scheduling, design, bidding, renovation, selection of furnishings, fixtures, equipment and vendors and relocation requirements. Roxanne directs and coordinates the activities of the project team to ensure that the project progresses on schedule and within the prescribed budget. Her focus is on complex relocation and FF&E assignments and moderate scale TI projects. Roxanne has over 21 years of diverse experience in relocation management, space programming, public and private sectors with an emphasis on furniture procurement, vendor and facilities management. She is a LEED Accredited Professional (Commercial Interiors), and holds degrees in Accounting (Northwest Community College) and General Studies (University of Connecticut). Roxanne also serves on the Plymouth CT Board of Education, Facilities, and Personnel & Finance Committee.