Surety Considerations in the Era of Sustainable Construction

Sustainability in construction projects is heavily incentivized and increasingly mandated by regulation, both in the public and private arenas. Meeting the requisite sustainability certification requirements is a core element of a green project, one that requires sophisticated systems, expertise, and meticulous record-keeping. In the event of a default and performance bond claim on a green building project, complex challenges related to various certification standards and compliance with sustainable building criteria throughout the building process can exacerbate the claim process and increase completion costs. Practical strategies for balancing performance obligations with the demands of environmentally certified building standards can assist in understanding how these dual obligations impact project timelines, costs, and compliance in order to mitigate risk and implement successful resolutions.

Connor Chow

Director & Registered Architect

THE VERTEX COMPANIES, LLC

Connor is an award-winning Construction Executive and Registered Architect with international expertise in Surety, Construction Management, Project Management, Risk Management, and Building Design. He unites these skills to specialize in resolving complex construction defaults, insolvency, and disputes for high-value commercial construction projects across North America. Connor is one of less than ten people with the Professional, Gold Seal Certification in Owner's Construction Management (P.GSC-OCM) designation from the Canadian Construction Association. He is a Registered Architect, Licensed Architectural Technologist, and is a LEED Accredited Professional in Building Design and Construction. As a design professional, he has contributed to large-scale commercial buildings projects in healthcare, education, retail, office and corporate work, holding positions on design teams for projects valued up to $1 billion.

Rodrigo Monsalve

Managing Consultant

THE VERTEX COMPANIES, LLC

Rodrigo is certified as a LEED Accredited Professional for Building Design and Construction. Mr. Monsalve provides Surety Consulting and Construction Management services for complex projects of all scales throughout the U.S and internationally. He has worked on a variety of projects in the public and private sectors including U.S military and governmental facilities, mid-rise residential and commercial projects, healthcare, education, hospitality, and roadway construction projects. Also, Mr. Monsalve has been a consultant and contributed to the success of LEED certified projects. His expertise at Vertex includes Project Management, Cost and Time Management, Risk Management, Quality Management, Owner’s Representation, and Contract Administration.

Mary Jean Pethick, Esq.

Senior Vice President, Surety Risk Solutions

Zurich North America

Mary Jean Pethick is Senior Vice President, Head of Surety Risk Solutions, with Zurich North America. She is a graduate of Rutgers University and Georgetown University Law Center. She began her surety career as an associate at the law firm of Wolff & Samson in New Jersey. Before joining Zurich, she worked at Reliance Surety, Travelers Bond, and Arch Insurance in Philadelphia, and the American Insurance Association in Washington, DC. She has written and spoken on various surety topics throughout her career.

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