2025 Professional Development & Training Workshop

ICEAA’s annual Professional Development & Training Workshop brings together professionals from government, industry and academic cost communities for an intensive 3-day program dedicated to developing the understanding and appreciation of using data-driven estimating and analysis techniques.

Sponsors Schedule  Registration  Hotel Info

Breakout Sessions  Presenter Bios  Keynote Presentations

OEM Forum & Networking Event    ICEAA Cost Challenge  Baseball Tickets

The deadline for submitting abstracts for the 2025 ICEAA Workshop was November 4, 2024. Abstracts may still be submitted, however, they will be placed on the wait list for consideration once space becomes available: https://www.iceaaonline.com/atl25cfp/

Keynote Presentations & Panel Discussions:

Tuesday, May 13 – 8:30am
From Big Data to No Data: Building a Brand When the Dashboard Disappears
Andrea Wightwick

Andrea Wightwick built her career in the world of big brands and big data, working with household names such as PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, and many more. With full access to consumer insights, market models, and robust analytics, she learned how to make informed decisions with confidence. But as her path shifted to smaller, emerging CPG brands, and eventually to launching her own non-alcoholic cocktail company, Hapsy, that certainty vanished.

What happens when the dashboard goes dark? When you have to rely on instinct, scraps of public data, and lessons etched from years in corporate trenches? In this keynote, Andrea shares how her relationship with data transformed as she moved from abundance to scarcity. Along the way, she found that creativity thrives in constraint…and that trust in your own internal analytics might just be the most powerful tool of all.

Her story is both a data-driven case study and a personal roadmap for anyone navigating a transition, reminding us that the absence of data doesn’t mean the absence of direction. You just have to learn to read the map differently.

Andrea Wightwick spent over 20 years in Consumer Product Goods (CPG) marketing, creating innovations in food and beverages that consumers have come to know and love. Her work with companies such as PepsiCo, New Belgium, and The Coca-Cola Company inspired her to create a socially inclusive cocktail company, Hapsy. Originally from New Orleans and raised in Atlanta, she is used to having a great drink in her hand and was searching for a proper non-alcoholic cocktail crafted with real ingredients and no bubbles, like all good cocktails. She left corporate marketing to create the first bubble-free, low-calorie, non-alcoholic beverage that drinks well with others.

Wednesday, May 14 – 8:30am
Discussions from Generations of Cost Professionals
Panel Discussion

Four professionals from our OEM community whose experience varies from early to senior will discuss challenges and growing pains when moving up the career ladder, from deciding whether to specialize or generalize, and when (and how) to learn to let go and delegate. Our panelists will share their experiences on career advancement, finding your place in the corporate culture, and what one can learn from the generations that come before and after. We’ll discuss how the different styles of the various generations can work together to enrich the entire profession, and how to recognize and seize opportunities as they arise.

Michael Finnegan, The Boeing Company
Michael Finnegan currently works for the Boeing Company in El Segundo, California. After earning his Masters in Mathematics at Missouri State University, he joined the Business Skills Rotation Program within the Boeing Company in his hometown of St. Louis, Missouri. His first rotation was in Labor Estimating & Pricing, where he also had the opportunity to attend the ICEAA Conference in San Diego. He began to seek out opportunities to further his career in Estimating & Pricing, which were limited in St. Louis at the time, so he moved to Philadelphia, PA, for his second rotation in Procurement Financial Analysis. After three years in the procurement side of the business, he attempted a rotation in Integrated Scheduling, where he lasted a total of 3 months before moving back into a Procurement Finance role. Roughly five years into his career, he had a midlife crisis due to not wanting to settle down at the old age of 28. His mentor found a role for him within Satellites Estimating & Pricing in El Segundo, CA, where he currently works as a parametric cost estimator, building cost models, satellite proposals, and independent cost analyses. In his spare time, he can be found with one of his run clubs (either running or at the brewery), at the bowling alley, or traveling for a marathon.

Ebonii Hodgers, Lockheed Martin
Ebonii Hodgers is the Director of Core Estimating & Pricing at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, overseeing estimate development across ADP, AMMM, LMLS, and IFG lines of business. With 18 years of experience, she has held leadership roles in Estimating, Program Management, and Finance across multiple business areas. Ebonii holds master’s degrees in Accountancy and International Finance and is an active advocate for inclusion, serving as the WIN Retention Pillar Lead and a mentor for TLMAL’s Women’s Group in India. She also volunteers with Meals on Wheels in Atlanta and enjoys traveling and gaming in her free time.

Javier Provencio, Otto Aviation
Javier L. Provencio is a principal cost engineer with 14 years of aerospace program cost analysis experience. He has studied the art of affordability from numerous perspectives from an [OEM, Tier 1 Supplier, startup company], also by type of platform [commercial jetliners, Fighter Jets, Commercial and military helicopters, missiles, space], and by functional team deployment [Engineering/supply chain/management]. Each assignment has been an opportunity to learn about cost but from a different perspective. Professional experiences inspired the creation of two published books, Mr. Provencio, that focus on the best practices for cost control of aerospace programs.

Dr. Wendy Robello, Northrop Grumman
Dr. Wendy Robello is the National Director of Systems Engineering, leading an organization of over 1300 engineers and analysts, for Northrop Grumman’s Aeronautics Systems sector. Prior to this role, Dr. Robello held the distinguished position of Senior Northrop Grumman Fellow, focused on strategic integration of technology and engineering. She has led strategy, competitive positioning, and data analytics teams across multiple sectors within Northrop Grumman. Dr. Robello has supported systems across space, air, ground, and underwater domains. Dr. Robello is a mentor across development programs and employee resource groups and the founder of the Robello California Alliance for Minority Participation Scholarship. She has received numerous awards to include induction into the University of California, Irvine School of Engineering Hall of Fame. Dr. Robello earned a B.S. in mechanical engineering from University of California, Irvine, an M.S. in systems architecture and engineering from University of Southern California, and a D.Eng. in systems engineering from George Washington University. She has been a member of ICEAA (ISPA/SCEA) since 2008, has participated in numerous ICEAA review committees, an OEM COG member, and the outgoing Region 7 Director.

Brent Johnstone, Lockheed Martin (moderator)
Brent Johnstone is a Lockheed Martin Fellow and production air vehicle cost estimator at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Fort Worth, Texas. He has 37 years’ experience in the military aircraft industry, including 34 years as a cost estimator. He has worked on the F-16 program and Advanced Development Programs and has been for 28 years the lead Production Operations cost estimator for the F-35 program. He has a Master of Science from Texas A&M University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin.

Thursday, May 15 – 3:15pm
Reimagine Your Work: Managing Your Career Like It’s Your Business
Wendy Cocke

In the ever-changing world of work, flexibility is all over the headlines, but when it comes to career success, flexibility is more than just time and location. Careers aren’t a straight line and there isn’t a way to “win” at one, so it is up to each individual to redefine what success looks like to them. As we explore the evolving landscape of career paths in the contemporary world we live in, we have the freedom to shape our professional journeys’ in ways that resonate with our unique aspirations and life circumstances. Once we embrace the idea that careers are not linear, we can learn to navigate the twists and turns that define our individual experiences.

Wendy Cocke, a trailblazer in redefining career success, is the author of two bestselling books, “Making Flex Work: Defining Success on Your Own Terms” and “Reimagine Your Work: Managing Your Career Like It’s Your Business” in addition to being a contributor to the best selling human resources anthology “When Work Works: Cutting-Edge Solutions for the Contemporary Workplace.” She is the visionary behind Engineering Leadership Solutions LLC, guiding technical professionals and organizations to think about work differently. Her journey from growing up in a family business, to obtaining a chemical engineering degree from Georgia Tech and leading global teams at Fortune 500 companies showcases her belief in hard work and perseverance. She believes that with her experience and her engineering mindset, she can help people find their place at work and thrive once they get there.

Sponsoring

ICEAA’s 2025 Professional Development & Training Workshop exhibit hall will be open for over 30 hours, with 8 hours on the Workshop schedule dedicated for attendees to visit our exhibitors. The limited number of available booths allows for a focused, consultative environment in which you can meet with current and future clients. Tuesday and Wednesday’s evening receptions, as well as food buffets and beverage breaks, will be served in the exhibit hall among the booths, providing ample time to develop leads. The exhibit hall is located adjacent to the general session room in the grand foyer.

Join our growing list of sponsors and exhibitors!

Download our Sponsoring & Exhibiting Prospectus for available booths and other opportunities.  Contact Megan Jones for questions.

Hotel

Westin Peachtree Plaza, Atlanta
210 Peachtree St NW
Atlanta, GA 30303
1-404-659-1400

Book your room at Westin Peachtree by April 18, 2025 to take advantage of the ICEAA block rate of $209 per night: https://book.passkey.com/e/50927422

Employees of federal, state, or local governments of any country may take advantage of the limited number of rooms ICEAA has reserved at the 2025 government per diem rate of $182 per night. Guests unable to provide proof of direct government employment upon check-in will have their fee corrected to the ICEAA block rate.

Should you have difficulty making your reservation, or if one or more of the nights desired are not available at the desired rate, please contact the hotel directly at 1-404-659-1400.

ICEAA does not have a relationship with any group accommodation providers, travel agents, or other third-party reservation services. You will not be contacted by anyone involved with the ICEAA workshop to make your reservation or to encourage you to do so. If you are unsure if a correspondence you have received regarding the Workshop is valid, please contact us at iceaa@iceaaonline.org

ICEAA 2025 Workshop Registration Rates

Visit https://members.iceaaonline.com/event/atl2025 to register

Attendees of the ICEAA Professional Development & Training Workshop will have access to four hours of thought-provoking presentations in general sessions and 36 hours of concurrent breakout training and professional papers presentations.  Individuals are free to determine their own schedule and do not need to indicate in advance which sessions or tracks they plan to attend.

Registration fee includes breakfast and lunch for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. Evening networking receptions on Tuesday and Wednesday will feature light hors d’oeuvres but dinner is not served.

*Attendees who register at a non-member rate will receive a coupon code after the conclusion of the Workshop to use for a complimentary year of ICEAA membership. Attendees will be instructed how to log into their ICEAA profiles to activate their free membership; the membership will not be automatically applied to your account.

Workshop Registration Cancellation Policy:

Refund requests made before April 1, 2025: Full refund, less a $100 administrative fee.
Refund requests made April 2-May 5, 2025: 50% refund.
On or after May 6, 2025: No refund.

Substitutions can be made at any time. Email iceaa@iceaaonline.org to transfer your registration.

Draft Detail Schedule

Download the detailed schedule (PDF) as of April 28, 2025. All times, titles, and speaker information subject to change.

Outline Schedule

Attending the ICEAA Professional Development & Training Workshop earns a minimum of 2 points towards CCEA recertification. Additional points can be claimed for individual sessions attended by completing a form after the Workshop.

Monday, May 12 all times subject to change
OEM Forum & Networking Event (optional) • 2:00 – 5:00
Monday Meetup Mixer (optional) • 5:00 – 7:00

Tuesday, May 13 all times subject to change
Breakfast buffet available • 7:00 – 8:00
Best Paper Awards & Keynote Presentation • 8:00 – 9:30
Papers • 9:45 – 11:45
Lunch • 11:45 – 12:45
Training/Papers • 12:45 – 4:45
Welcome Reception • 4:45 – 7:00

Wednesday, May 14
Breakfast buffet available • 7:00 – 8:00
Association Awards & Keynote Presentation • 8:00 – 9:45
Training/Papers • 10:15 – 12:00
Lunch • 12:00 – 1:15
Training/Papers • 1:15 – 5:15
Attendee Reception • 5:15 – 7:00

Thursday, May 15
Breakfast buffet available • 7:00 – 8:00
Best Paper General Session • 8:00 – 9:00
Training/Papers • 9:15 – 12:00
Lunch • 12:00 – 1:15
Training/Papers • 1:15 – 3:15
Closing General Session  • 3:30 – 4:15

2025 ICEAA Cost Challenge

The challenge will have the opportunity to showcase their data analytical and storytelling skills in a supportive environment that encourages taking some risks and trying new approaches! Our judges/ will focus on the reasonable assumptions, methodology and approach to their analysis, and producing thorough, communicable estimates. Teams will send their materials in advance and then give a live presentation to our judges on Tuesday, May 13 that include:

• • Team composition
  • Planning and research
  • Data sources
  • Approaches to data gathering
  • Ground rules & assumptions
  • Normalization techniques
  • Analysis of any economic trends
  • Any uncertainty or risks associated with their estimate
  • Analytical models

A maximum of six teams will be comprised of 3-5 junior estimators (5 or fewer years of experience) and one optional mentor that may provide guidance and support but not actively participate in the project.

Learn more and register your team at https://www.iceaaonline.com/costchallenge

ICEAA OEM Forum & Networking Event
Monday, May 12, 2025  |  2:00-5:00pm

ICEAA’s OEM COG was formed to identify, acknowledge, and address the challenges ICEAA members employed by Original Equipment Manufacturers face that differ from those employed by the government or other private sector organizations. The OEM COG is proud to return for the second annual OEM Forum & Networking Event, Monday, May 12, 2025 at the Westin Peachtree.

Join us for three hours of panel discussions, presentations, and networking from representatives from a variety of OEM organizations. The open forum will allow for questions of our panelists and time for individual discussions before the group hits the town for some social networking.

Attendees of the 2025 ICEAA Professional Development & Training Workshop are welcome to attend, whether employed by an OEM or elsewhere in the community.  RSVP for the OEM Forum and Networking Event when you register for the 2025 ICEAA Workshop.

Head out to the ballgame with your fellow attendees!

ICEAA has secured a block of tickets to see the Washington Nationals take on the Atlanta Braves on Wednesday, May 14 at Truist Park.  Purchase your tickets online by April 30 at
https://fevo-enterprise.com/s/other/ICEAA?purl=715bf3ba9513