The ABC’s of CDT® and Beyond: A CSI Certifications Guide

Complimentary event for members and nonmembers held by Zoom.

Space is limited to first 100 registered attendees.

The Construction Specifications Institute (CSI) offers four different certifications to the construction community:

• Construction Documents Technology (CDT®)

• Certified Construction Specifier (CCS)

• Certified Construction Contract Administrator (CCCA)

• Certified Construction Product Representative (CCPR)

This informational session will be given by the CSI Chicago Certification Committee and review the ins and outs of earning each certification. Program presenters are holders of multiple certifications, past exam developers, and CDT® class instructors. They will each speak from their personal experiences on the path they followed to certification, and how earning CSI certifications has impacted their careers.

Learning Objectives:

1. Explain the overall goals of the CSI Certification Program.

2. Compare the different certifications and investigate the skills and knowledge demonstrated by earning each certification.

3. Explain the national exam cycle, plan how to register for the exam, and identify the CEU and renewal requirements for each certification.

4. Analyze the benefits of earning CSI Certifications from the perspective of a manufacturer’s rep, a specifier, and an architect.

Continuing Education: 1.0 AIA CES LU (Pending)

About Our Presenters:

Ryan Tapak, CSI, CDT

FitzGerald Senior Associate | Architecture

Ryan is a licensed architect and both NCARB- and CDT-certified. He is very detail-oriented, hard-working, and pleasant to work with—with no ego or agenda yet has clear opinions. This enables project managers to be confident that if Ryan is working on it, it will get done and done well and has driven him to successfully provide a large amount of responsibility here at FitzGerald.

Paul Fogarty, CSI, CCPR, CDT®

President & CEO of ALT Global / WestWood USA

Paul is the President & CEO of ALT Global / WestWood USA, a worldwide leader in rapid-curing PMMA liquid-applied roofing, waterproofing, and trafficable surfacing solutions. Paul has held numerous roles during his 25+ years in the commercial building envelope industry, including technical inspector, sales, marketing, and education. He is a member and Immediate Past President of the Chicago Chapter of CSI as well as long-time chair of the chapter’s award-winning certification committee.

Melissa Gibson, CSI, CCS, CCCA, CDT

Director of Specifications, Perkins&Will

With over 20 years of experience in architecture, Melissa is Director of Specifications for large scale commercial office, multi-family, and mixed-use projects across the United States. Melissa is deeply committed to fostering a culture of continuous learning and mentorship within the AEC industry. Melissa is a past President of the Chicago Chapter of the Construction Specifications Institute, and President-Elect of the CSI Chicago Foundation. She is a member of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and a LEED and WELL Accredited Professional.

Srdjan Avram CSI, CCS

BLK Director

Srdjan Avram is adept in all phases of project development, including programming, conceptual design, design development, construction documentation, permit approvals coordination, and contract administration.

He has worked with both public- and private-sector clients on a range of projects in the US, China and Korea. He has experience with institutional facilities, mixed use developments, office buildings, corporate headquarters and corporate interiors; his specialty is residential and educational building types.