Welcome to our MBA Speakers Bureau
Your go-to resource for connecting with top industry leaders in construction.
We offer this service at no charge so we can support organizations and professionals in our industry and region.
Our expert speakers are members of MBA’s Leadership Team, and ready to deliver customized presentations tailored to your event’s needs. Whether it’s a conference, workshop, or corporate gathering, our speakers bring experience, insider insights and expertise to help you achieve your goals and ensure your event’s success.
Topics include construction safety, workforce development, mental health in our industry, government and public affairs, organizational leadership, building partnerships across our region, and the future of sustainable building.
Ready to book the perfect expert speaker for your event - OR – have questions about how one of our speakers can contribute to the success of your event?
Contact: Mary Chuderewicz, Membership & Communications Coordinator
mchuderewicz@mbawpa.org
412.922.3912
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Dave Daquelente
Executive Director
Dave joined MBA as Executive Director in 2019, after leading the Ironworker Employers Association of Western Pennsylvania. He has a passion for construction and almost twenty years of experience, including as a former Carpenters Union member. He is a Pittsburgh native and a skilled relationship builder, dedicated to the mission and membership of the MBA. He works with owners, contractors, and labor leaders at regional and national levels.
Leading the MBA to achieve strategic organizational and members’ goals, Dave is proud of recent impactful results, such as the mutually beneficial collective bargaining agreement settlements with Labor Union partners, a successful COVID-19 response, the launch of the YinzGood™ mental health campaign, and the development of the BUILDWPATM, a unified regional initiative for resources, access, and career opportunities in the union construction industry.
He is committed to strengthening labor management relationships, and representing MBA members in Pennsylvania through his leadership on committees and board memberships for a variety of industry-related organizations. They include: the Builders’ Guild of Western PA; ACE Mentor Program of Western PA; Carpenter Contractor Trust; various multi-employer benefit funds, such as a Local Employer Organization (LEO), both as a Committee member, and former LEO Committee Chair; The Association of Union Constructors (TAUC); the Apprenticeship, Training & Education Committee, and Voting Director; on the Board for the International Foundation of Employee Benefit Plans (IFEBP); the Union Contractor Committee Representative, and Professional Development Committee Co-Chair; and Board member for the Executive Leadership Council (ELC) of the American General Contractors of America.
Dave has been featured in the Pittsburgh Business Times 20 People to Know in Construction & Architecture, Pittsburgh Power 100 List, and City & State Magazines PA Labor Power 100.
He is a proud alumnus of the Pennsylvania State University, and member of the University of Pittsburgh’s Entrepreneurial Fellows Class, and Leadership Pittsburgh LPXXXVII.
Lance Harrell
Director, Workforce Development and Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Lance serves as Director of Workforce Development and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at MBA where he plays a pivotal role in shaping the construction industry's workforce of the future.
He leads MBA's comprehensive regional Workforce Development effort, www.BuildWPA.com that serves as a one-stop-shop workforce development resource for jobseekers looking for union careers and companies looking to hire. Lance also provides personalized support to those seeking to implement workforce development, diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
In his role, he focuses on increasing minority participation within the union trades, and working with MBA’s Emerging Contractor Development Committee, to develop MWDBE contractors. Echoing the words of Marian Wright Edelman, “You can't be what you can't see,” Lance believes that exposure is essential for young people.
Lance's approach is rooted in direct community engagement, collaborating with union partners, pre-apprenticeship programs, schools, community organizations, veteran groups, and re-entry programs. As he aptly puts it, “it’s never too late to reinvent yourself.”
Lance's dedication to his community is evident through his many volunteer commitments. He has served as a mentor with Big Brothers Big Sisters of America. Currently, he sits on the boards of Operation Better Block, the Young Preservationists Association, Industrial Arts Workshop, Reimagine Reentry, and Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh
He is frequently recruited as a speaker and panelist on workforce diversity, equity, inclusion, and Minority Women-Owned Business Enterprises (MWDBE) initiatives.
Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Lance is a graduate of Point Park University, earning a bachelor’s degree in business. He played a pivotal role at the Hill Community Development Corporation, and was responsible for implementing the Community Collaboration and Implementation Plan (CCIP) for the redevelopment of the historic 28-acre Lower Hill site. He was named by the New Pittsburgh Courier as one of their 2024 Men of Excellence.
Brandon Mendoza
Director, Public & Government Affairs, Master Builders’ Association
Brandon Mendoza leads Public Affairs and Government Affairs for MBA. Before joining MBA, he served as Executive Director of NAIOP Pittsburgh, the local chapter of the national association representing the interests of developers and owners of industrial, office, mixed-use and related commercial real estate. He has extensive knowledge about land use policy, advocacy, nonprofit fundraising, and PAC fundraising. Brandon has raised millions of dollars in his career.
Brandon also served as Government Affairs Manager for the Greater Pittsburgh Chamber of Commerce, the advocacy affiliate of the Allegheny Conference on Community Development. He led the Chamber's federal and local government affairs strategies. In addition to his advocacy role, he directed the Chamber's legislative events, and raised nearly $1 million in sponsorships, while growing the events' reputation in the community. Mendoza has deep economic development experience, having led the Chamber's advocacy efforts to build the incentive package for Shell Chemical's multibillion petrochemical investment in Beaver County. In addition to his work on economic investment, he has an extensive history on transportation and immigration policy.
He was named to the Pittsburgh Power 100 list by the Pittsburgh Business Times in 2022 and 2023. He was also named to the Power 100 by City & State.
Brandon received his Master of Public Administration from the University of Pittsburgh's Graduate School of Public & International Affairs (GSPIA), and his B.S. from Lock Haven University of Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh's Leadership Development Initiative XXI. In 2017 he was selected by The Incline as one of eighteen rising political leaders shaping Pittsburgh's tomorrow. He sits on the boards of Partner4Work and the Graduate School of Public & International Affairs (GSPIA) at the University of Pittsburgh.
Brandon and his wife Jacinta reside in the North Hills with their two young sons, Miguel and Isaiah.
Bob McCall
Director of Safety
Bob McCall is the Director of Safety for MBA. He has headed MBA’s safety department since 1996, assisting members with safety program development, training, safety audits, and bringing best practices in construction safety and health to the region’s jobsites. His expertise includes information, interpretation, and consultation on OSHA regulations for member contractors.
He is a seasoned professional in safety-related matters, and an informed speaker on the critical importance of mental health in the construction industry, including MBA’s mental health campaign, YinzGood? ™
He has also been integral to the development of MBA’s online safety training games, such as Harness Heroes, a gaming app hailed as an innovative approach to saving lives in the construction industry
Bob is an active participant in several industry initiatives. He is a member of the Associated General Contractors of America’s Safety and Health Committee where he serves as a member of its Steering Committee, and Vice-Chair of the Chapter Safety Professionals Subcommittee. Additionally, he serves on the National Safety Council’s Board of Delegates and is the immediate past chair of their Construction and Utilities Division.
In 2020, Bob was named one of Pittsburgh Business Times Top 20 People to Know in Construction. He also was awarded the 2021 Frontline Worker of the Year at The March of Dimes 11th Annual Pittsburgh Transportation, Building & Construction Awards. In 2022, Bob received the National Safety Council’s most prestigious individual honor, the Distinguished Service to Safety Award.
A versatile speaker, Bob has addressed audiences at national conventions, and universities, and led workshops and trainings across the region.
Bob is a proud graduate of West Virginia University. He and his wife Mary Jane reside in Bethel Park, Pa. They enjoy traveling and visiting their adult children, Jake and his wife Becca in Philadelphia, Pa, and Patrick in Hollywood, Ca.