Episodes

Ronald J. Bennett has an impressive track record of achievements, including serving as the Founding Dean and Professor Emeritus at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. He began his career in the industry, spen...

Joining BJ on the show today is Bill Mandara, the CEO and Owner of Mancini Duffy. With over 25 years of experience in architectural design, Bill has applied his expertise to a wide range of projects, including industrial faci...

True leadership isn’t just about personal achievement; it’s about empowering others and driving meaningful impact. In this solo episode of The Leadership Blueprints Podcast, host BJ Kraemer dives into the heart of leadership ...

Some of the best examples of good leadership come from the military. Today on Leadership Blueprints we are joined by veteran and CEO of HCPA Construction, Heath Sanders. Tuning in, you’ll hear all about who Heath is today, hi...

Capital is the cornerstone of healthcare infrastructure, and building large-scale projects without it is impossible. Joining us today is Gail W. Kosyla, Executive Vice President and CFO at Yale New Haven Health System, to exp...

Ever wonder what it takes to fix the people problem in the industries that quite literally build our world? In this episode of Leadership Blueprints, we sit down with Dan Briscoe, President of BuildWitt, a company on a missio...

Engineers should leave the world a better place than they found it! Today, we are joined by the executive director of the National Engineering Foundation, Pat Natale. In this conversation, you’ll hear all about Pat’s incredib...

How can today’s leaders best empower the new generation? Melissa Smith is a Leadership and Innovation Consultant for a boutique firm in Michigan called Innovatrium, and she joins us today to share her career journey, and key ...

In the final episode of Leadership Blueprints for 2024, BJ Kraemer focuses on Christmas gratitude, reflecting on the year, and planning for a successful 2025. The episode emphasizes the importance of annual reflection as a to...

What does it take to excel in architecture and engineering leadership? Andrew Lewis, principal architect at NK Architects and manager of their Philadelphia office, shares his journey from an ambitious architecture student to ...

While military strategy often looks to the past, the future demands adaptability and innovation. At West Point, the Cyber Engineering & Academic Center (CEAC) is designed to prepare cadets for the technological and military c...

Long-time listeners of the show may have noticed that we have a new name! Welcome to another episode of Leadership Blueprints – formerly Inspiring People and Places. Today, BJ is discussing the podcast’s recent rebrand and th...

If you want to be a leader, you have to own your career and do it with humility. Today’s guest is self-proclaimed practitioner-scholar, Tedd Wheeler. With a background in the military and a career in AEC, Tedd uses his incred...

There is a destructive yet persistent American culture that sees people elevated to leadership positions without the required training or coaching. Today’s guest aims to ease this particular pain point by bringing military-st...

What does it take to redefine leadership beyond the battlefield? In this episode of Leadership Blueprints, former CH-53E helicopter pilot, Marine Corps veteran, and MCFA Project Leader Steve Kempa sheds light on his transform...

What if your personal challenges could inspire a business that changes lives? In this episode, we delve into the power of transformative leadership and impact-driven entrepreneurship. We uncovered the inspiring journey of Bre...

From military precision to civilian construction, today’s guest offers a powerful blueprint for transformative leadership. Pete Anzovino recently joined MCFA after retiring from the US Army, coming to us through the Departmen...

Being coached in leadership is one thing, but without actionable steps to turn those lessons into reality, that coaching becomes redundant. Welcome back to our rebranded podcast, Leadership Blueprints! Today we are very excit...

Joining BJ on the debut episode of our newly rebranded podcast, Leadership Blueprints, formerly Inspiring People & Places , is Katie Kilker, Senior Project Director for Federal Facilities in the Engineering, Design, and Infra...

What does it take to turn big ideas into lasting infrastructure? In this episode, we sit down with two MCFA team members, Michael Fuhrman and Brian Pieplow, to dig into their new book, Make No Little Plans: A Planning as a Pr...

Entering a new career after your military service can be a tough transition, but there are plenty of transferrable skills that can help you on your journey. Joining us today is Paul Garvey, Executive Managing Director at Cush...

Many veterans struggle to find their place in a world different from the one in active service. However, many skills learned on the military base are valuable and transferable to civilian life. For sales, your military backgr...

Committing to candid quarterly conversations is one of the most powerful organizational levers you can tap into. These discussions are beneficial to everyone, driving growth for both individuals and the organization. As we he...

What makes or breaks a multi-million-dollar capital project? In today’s episode, we sat down with Jim Brill, Managing Director of the Construction and Real Estate Practice at EY to uncover what it takes to be successful in la...