Bonus Content: Kicking Off 2025 with Lisa Washington and Tom Foley

DBIA is keeping the conversation going with a Bonus Content Episode of the Design-Build Delivers Podcast, expanding on the insights shared in our January episode, "Looking Back, Building Forward: Kicking Off 2025 with Lisa Washington and Tom Foley."

In this bonus content, DBIA Executive Director/CEO Lisa Washington and DBIA National Board Chair Tom Foley (Commissioner, New York City Department of Design and Construction) talk about the power of legislative advocacy in expanding design-build authority across the nation. Tom reflects on New York City's hard-fought legislative wins and how DBIA's national support helped secure critical alternate delivery methods. Lisa explains how DBIA's educational advocacy equips regions and chapters with the resources needed to drive change at the grassroots level.

Of course, it wouldn't be a DBIA conversation without a little fun! Tom also shares a lighthearted gripe from the 2024 Design-Build Conference & Expo that you won’t want to miss.

If you enjoyed our January episode, this bonus content offers even more industry insights and engaging moments. Be sure to listen to both episodes to get the full picture of what's ahead for 2025.

Guest(s):
Lisa Washington, CAE
ED/CEO, DBIA

Thomas J. Foley, P.E., CCM, DBIA
Commissioner, New York City Department of Design and Construction

Access all our free design-build resources and learn more about Design-Build Done Right® at dbia.org.

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Transcript

00:00

(Music)

Erin Looney  00:08

welcome to the first design build delivers podcast bonus content episode of the year, brought to you by us, cat and our cons company. I am your host, Aaron Looney, and if you enjoyed our January episode, looking back building forward, with Lisa Washington and Tom Foley, lucky for you, we have more here. We talk a bit about the legislative wins shaping design builds future, plus. Tom shares a light hearted, slightly, maybe a little jilted look back at one of the most popular DBIA conference sessions in recent years. And you both talked a little about effecting change, and I already mentioned this earlier, but some of the most popular material we put out from the communications team, including the podcast and the design build delivers blog, is focused on legislation and some of the places and some of the ways that design build authority has been expanded through that legislation. And you both mentioned the regions, in the chapters, to talk now about what role DBIA national can play in the legislative arena and in supporting those efforts. 

Tom Foley  01:08

Well, I would just say, on a purely selfish point of view, that we as in New York City, have been advocating for alternate delivery, which includes cn build, progressive design build, this is how it was packaged up in Albany, and for three plus years, my team and I have been advocating for this, literally knocking on doors, and it was only through the efforts of Lisa and Richard and team that we were successful. The governor signed off on our alternate delivery right before Thanksgiving. So there was a sigh of relief for us in the city. It wasn't easy. It was a long process. We we, as in dBc and Department of zoning construction, were singled out as an agency in the city for this. So our next goal is, obviously, of sharing this great tool with our colleagues. We'll be running pilots and things like that, so once the elected officials and that get more comfortable with how this is done, I would imagine I'll continue to to advocate for my colleagues, that New York City would have an expanded use of these amazing tools on a national level, it's so, so important from a lessons learned perspective and more of a pulse of what's coming up. The landscape changes constantly, and with DBIA, we're always ahead of that. And I think that's what's that's really with key we wouldn't, would not have been possible without an amazing partnership with Lisa and her team in order to get New York City the tools that it needs 

Lisa Washington  02:28

Tom, I think your partnership with National sort of a model. You look to national for the education, the research, the data, the facts. Aaron, what national does not have is we don't have a political action committee of Pac, as some people call it. You know, we don't have money to give to candidates. Our advocacy is focused on educational advocacy, providing that information. Now at the region level, they may hire lobbyists or go the extra mile to affect change, but our role at national is to provide that framework, that data, that information that is needed for those at the grassroots level to effect that change. 

Tom Foley  03:11

And that's something that helped us when we were we as in DDC, with my team and I, advocating in the halls of Albany for progressive design build for alternate delivery, you know, several years ago for design, build, and it was always for the elected officials. What does your membership look like? How is it set up? So, as Lisa indicated, having that membership there, having that core, obviously the regions and the local chapters, but the membership and how that drives and then having others in the room from AIA, A, C, E, C, contractor associations, everybody being on the same page. Each of those associations are all involved with DBIA, so everybody is nodding their head around the table with the elected officials, so that they know that we're not trying to get something past them. This is common sense. It's not sexy. It doesn't sell, quote, unquote, you know, in the halls of Albany and DC for that matter. But it's so, so important to have that membership to get the word out, because at the end of the day, it provides more opportunity for everybody. 

Erin Looney  04:12

You know, you said it's not sexy, that there is a lid for every pot. There might be someone who's really into this and they're excited to be at that table. 

Tom Foley  04:20

I would say, have them give me a call. I'm married, but I'll be happy to talk about design bill. They probably should have went to the dating game at the last you know, absolutely people are still talking about that. Yeah, and Lisa, I'm gonna have to do another one, because it was so literally no exaggeration. As I was flying out from Dallas, there was some flight delays over the airport was very, very busy. And I would say there was at least half a dozen people at different times that had approached me that said that they voted for me. So there will be an investigation at some point. And I know Dave Triplett from the FBI is looking into this.

Lisa Washington  04:56

Do an audit. Yes.

Erin Looney  04:58

Well, let's not put more conspiracy theories out into the world. 

Tom Foley  05:02

Aaron and Lisa, those sell as well, the conspiracy theories 

Erin Looney  05:05

they do, and that's a really fun one, the dating game conspiracy theory. And with like no warning, we've gone from design build legislation to a not so scandalous dating game investigation. Now, if you missed it, the dating game was a fan favorite session at the 2024 Design Build Conference and Expo in Dallas. It was a creative twist on the classic TV show with a design build. Spin Tom took the stage as one of the owner bachelors, alongside Janice Zahn from the Port of Seattle and Jim Kehoe from Van trust real estate, while Hensel Phelps says Katherine Woodworth was the design builder Bachelorette, who was tasked with choosing the perfect owner partner. Now, technically, Janice officially won the game, but as Tom mentioned, the audience may have had some other thoughts. I'm not taking anything away from Janice. I say she won fair and square. Are you ready for more DBIA conference fun and of course, some work. Join us march 19 through 21st in National Harbor, Maryland for our spring specialty conferences on water, wastewater and transportation, aviation, visit DB water.com and DB transpo.com for all the details. As always, a big thank you to us, CAD for making the design build delivers podcast possible until next time, keep