The 2026 UCCo Safety & Leadership Conference brought together leaders from Underground Construction, IMC, and Par West for two days of keynotes, panels, and strategic alignment at the San Ramon Marriott. Featured guest speakers JP Dinnell (Echelon Front) and Manley Feinberg (Vertical Lessons) headlined alongside executive presentations on safety, operations, AI, and supply chain. This site is your post-conference hub — watch the highlight videos, download presentations, review the full agenda, and access all resources shared during the event.
Relive the Event
CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS
Watch the Day 1 and Day 2 recap videos from the 2026 Safety & Leadership Conference.
Day 1 Summary
Operational discipline, financial performance, technology adoption, supply chain strategy, legal risk mitigation, and cross-company collaboration.
Key Themes
- Safety & Operational Integration — Safety and operations are fully integrated in planning and execution, with emphasis on discipline, accountability, and continuous improvement.
- Financial Performance & Profitability — Strong gross profit improvements, but "lost jobs" remain the largest opportunity for margin recovery. A 13% profitability target was set.
- AI & Technology Adoption — Company-wide push to adopt AI tools with emphasis on controlled rollout and field-driven implementation.
- Leadership & Workforce Development — Expanded leadership training programs, mentorship initiatives, and digital training tools.
- Legal Risk & Lytx Cameras — Strong mandate for camera usage, training, and coaching to reduce liability exposure.
- PMO West & Process Standardization — Standardized project management training, improved software utilization, and intern pipeline development.
- Supply Chain & Energy Link — Centralized procurement and vertical integration strategy to improve buying power and reduce risk.
- Sister Company Collaboration — Encouragement to break silos, treat sister companies as internal partners, and pursue joint large-scale opportunities.
Drive disciplined execution, eliminate financial leakage, leverage technology, and operate as one integrated organization to support growth.
Day 2 Summary
Leadership philosophy, ownership culture, operational excellence, alliances, and empowerment.
Key Themes
- Extreme Ownership & Decentralized Command — Leaders must take full responsibility for outcomes while empowering junior leaders with clear intent and authority.
- Trust & Communication — Communication gaps are the primary cause of breakdowns; alignment across estimating, PMs, and field teams is critical.
- Operational Excellence & Alliance Model — Safety, productivity, quality, innovation, and leadership drive long-term customer alliances.
- Training & Discipline — "Discipline equals freedom" — rigorous training, structured debriefs, and continuous improvement are foundational.
- Breaking Down Silos — Emphasis on cross-functional teamwork, "cover and move" collaboration, and three-way communication for clarity.
- Leadership Development & Mentorship — Invest in developing others, give early responsibility, and model humility and grit.
- Growth & Integration Benefits — Corporate integration provides access to capital, equipment, safety resources, and cross-division collaboration.
- Customer Engagement — Proactive relationship-building and visible leadership in the field reinforce value and strengthen partnerships.
Build a culture of ownership, empower leaders at every level, strengthen customer alliances, and operate with discipline and trust to sustain long-term growth.
Download
CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS
Download the presentation decks shared during the conference. Note: the JP Dinnell (Echelon Front) presentation is not available for distribution.
General Session — Day 1
Full presentation deck from the Day 1 general session including keynotes, panels, and strategic updates.
Download PDF →General Session — Day 2
Full presentation deck from the Day 2 general session including guest speakers, panels, and closing remarks.
Download PDF →Manley Feinberg — Vertical Lessons
Keynote presentation: "99% Committed vs. 100% Committed" by Manley Feinberg of Vertical Lessons.
Download PDF →Guest Speakers
FEATURED SPEAKERS
Two inspiring leaders on commitment, leadership, and decision-making under pressure.
verticallessons.com →
echelonfront.com →
Watch
EVENT VIDEOS
Highlights, stories, and inspiration from across our companies.
Downloads & Links
RESOURCES & DOCUMENTS
Documents, tools, and references for conference attendees.
Safety SharePoint
Access the Underground Intranet Safety portal for policies, forms, and resources.
Open SharePoint →PMP Initiative Overview
Preconstruction Meeting & Project Management Plan initiative presentation.
Download PDF →PMP Meeting Agenda Template
Draft agenda template for PMP meetings with form fields.
Download Template →Contract Award Meeting Initiative
Contract Award Meeting initiative presentation and overview.
Download PDF →Contract Award Meeting Agenda Template
Agenda template with form fields for Contract Award Meetings.
Download Template →Underground Connection Newsletter — January 2026
The latest edition of the Underground Connection company newsletter.
Download PDF →The Academy SharePoint
Access The Academy SharePoint site for training programs, courses, and development resources.
Open SharePoint →PMO West Dashboard
Access the PMO West project management dashboard for real-time project tracking and reporting.
Open Dashboard →PMO West SharePoint
Access the PMO West SharePoint site for documents, resources, and project information.
Open SharePoint →Conference Schedule
AGENDA
Two full days of keynotes, panels, guest speakers, and strategic sessions.
| Start | End | Session |
|---|---|---|
| 6:30 AM | 8:00 AM | Breakfast | Bishop Ranch Patio |
| 8:00 AM | 8:05 AM | Kick Off Thiel Harryman, Vice President |
| 8:05 AM | 8:10 AM | Facility Information & Safety Moment Brian Donecker, Vice President, Health and Safety |
| 8:10 AM | 8:40 AM | Welcome Address Andrew Nortz, President |
| 8:40 AM | 8:45 AM | Leadership Moment Jordan Gall, Project Manager |
| 8:45 AM | 9:15 AM | 2025 Review and 2026 Outlook – Safety Ryan Griffith, General Superintendent, Electric Civil Luis Guerrero, Jr., General Superintendent, Southern California Jon Kapahu, Superintendent, Island Mechanical, Inc. Joe Froome, Director of Safety, Northern California |
| 9:15 AM | 9:45 AM | 2025 Review and 2026 Outlook – Financial Jason Bowen, Chief Financial Officer |
| 9:45 AM | 10:00 AM | Break |
| 10:00 AM | 10:05 AM | Leadership Moment Joshua Burt, Superintendent |
| 10:05 AM | 11:05 AM | Panel: Sister Companies and How Our Success is Interconnected Steve Giltner with Quanta Government Solutions Brandon McEwen with Fibertel Will Cope, Director of Operations, Electric Civil Mark Pracanica, Director of Operations, Southern California Moderated by Andrew Nortz |
| 11:05 AM | 11:10 AM | Leadership Moment — 2025 Quanta Elite Troy LaBass, Mechanical Foreman |
| 11:10 AM | 12:00 PM | Operational Excellence - Training + Technology Scott Tunison, Vice President Quanta Services, Inc. |
| 12:00 PM | 1:00 PM | Lunch | BR Patio |
| 1:00 PM | 1:05 PM | Leadership Moment Terance Hamrick, Superintendent |
| 1:05 PM | 1:30 PM | LYTX Success and Risk Perspective Allen McNeil, General Counsel Quanta Services, Inc. |
| 1:30 PM | 1:45 PM | PMO West Thiel Harryman, Vice President |
| 1:45 PM | 1:50 PM | Leadership Moment Robert Hartsock, Senior Project Manager |
| 1:50 PM | 2:30 PM | Supply Chain: Status and Future Seth Gunsauls, President, Supply Chain Quanta Services, Inc. |
| 2:30 PM | 2:50 PM | Break |
| 2:50 PM | 2:55 PM | Leadership Moment Christopher Curtis, Project Manager |
| 2:55 PM | 4:25 PM | Special Guest: 99% Committed vs. 100% Committed Manley Feinberg, Vertical Lessons |
| 4:25 PM | 4:30 PM | Leadership Moment Eric Simmons, Shop Foreman |
| 4:30 PM | 4:55 PM | AI in Operations Sergon Attisha, Director of Operations, Northern California Josh DeLeon, Director of Fleet |
| 4:55 PM | 5:00 PM | Event Updates and Evening Agenda Ryan Griffith, General Superintendent, Electric Civil |
| 6:00 PM | 10:00 PM | Dinner | Contra Costa Ballroom |
| Start | End | Session |
|---|---|---|
| 6:30 AM | 8:00 AM | Breakfast | Bishop Ranch Patio |
| 8:00 AM | 8:05 AM | Kick Off Thiel Harryman, Vice President |
| 8:05 AM | 8:10 AM | Facility Information & Safety Moment Rebecca Molina, Safety Manager |
| 8:10 AM | 8:25 AM | Welcome Address and Recap Andrew Nortz, President |
| 8:25 AM | 8:30 AM | Leadership Moment Karl Trinnaman, Superintendent | 2025 Quanta Elite |
| 8:30 AM | 9:30 AM | Panel: Field Leadership Perspectives Ryan Griffith, General Superintendent, Electric Civil Silverio Rosas, Superintendent, Gas Luis Guerrero, Jr., General Superintendent, Southern California Matt Greene, General Foreman, Electric Line Jaydee Kollasch, Superintendent, Island Mechanical, Inc. Moderated by Andrew Nortz |
| 9:30 AM | 9:45 AM | Break |
| 9:45 AM | 9:50 AM | Leadership Moment Zane Halks, Superintendent |
| 9:50 AM | 11:15 AM | Special Guest: Leadership, Teamwork, and Decision Making Under Pressure JP Dinnell, Echelon Front |
| 11:15 AM | 11:20 AM | Leadership Moment Kaylie Commins, Project Engineer |
| 11:20 AM | 11:50 AM | Customer Perspective: Critical Execution Kenny Mercado, EVP, Commercial Excellence Quanta Services, Inc. |
| 11:50 AM | 12:00 PM | Look Ahead and Closing Remarks Andrew Nortz, President |
Thank You
PARTNER MERCH SPONSORS
Thank you for your generous donations. We truly value your partnership and appreciate your ongoing commitment to our shared success.
Congratulations
RAFFLE WINNERS
Congratulations to all of our raffle prize winners! Thank you to our generous sponsors.
Leadership Development
U-LEAD CLASS OF 2026
U-LEAD is a 12-month program pairing high-potential field team members with mentors to prepare them for career growth. The program spans Underground, Underground Electric, and IMC.
| 2026 Mentee | Position | Department | 2026 Mentor |
|---|---|---|---|
| William Bond | Groundman | Civil Elect | Andrew Nortz, President |
| Jayden Bohannon | Groundman | Civil Elect | Ray Lemen, Director |
| Raul Enciso | Lead Laborer | SoCal Gas | Mark Pracanica, Director |
| Deyron Diaz Miranda | Laborer | NorCal Gas | Joe Froome, Director |
| Robert Ernst | Line Equipment Man | Civil Elect | Art Deleon, Director |
| Alatini Tuitupou | Line Equipment Man | Civil Elect | Josh Deleon, Director |
| Charles Naone | Laborer | IMC | Dustin Griffith, President |
| David Worrel | Journeyman Lineman | Elect Line | Mike Kress, Sr Director |
| Chad Sears | Journeyman Lineman | Elect Line | Matt Greene, General Foreman |
| Kyle Appleyard | Groundman | Civil Elect | Ryan Griffith, General Superintendent |
| Stephen Brown | Journeyman Lineman | Elect Line | John Olson S, Sr Director |
| Vincent Pelayo | Lead Laborer | SoCal Gas | Luis Guerra Jr., General Superintendent |
| Jared Olsen | Operator | Fueling | Wes Halks, Superintendent |
| Barry Kaher | Line Equipment Man | Civil Elect | Brian Bohannon, Superintendent |
Frequently Asked
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Common questions about the conference and follow-up resources.
1. Where can I find the presentation slides?
2. Where was the conference held?
3. Who were the guest speakers?
4. What is U-LEAD?
5. Who do I contact with follow-up questions?
Follow-Up Support
CONTACT US
Have questions or need follow-up information? Reach out to any of these contacts.