Events

• Strategies for excelling in your role and growing your career

• Best practices in proposal management and business development
• How to apply takeaways to your day-to-day work

(Please note: this is a revamped version of the NERC Notes & Nuggets: What You Missed (and What Matters) program postponed from June.)

Additional details:

●        Agenda / timeframe:

Welcome/Networking: 4:00 – 4:15 PM

Panel Discussion and Q&A: 4:15 – 5:00 PM

Happy Hour: 5:00 – 6:00 PM

●        Closest metro: Braddock Road (Blue Line)

●        Parking: Trader Joe’s Retail Parking (under building) OR Colonial Parking

●        Questions contact: Maggie Ruble

●        Refunds may be requested 24-hours prior to event and will be considered on a case-by-case basis

●        Walk-in Pricing — Members: $35  |  Non-Members: $45

PANELISTS:

Jen McGovern, FSMPS, CPSM, Senior Regional Marketing Manager

Vanasse Hangen Brustlin, Inc. (VHB)

Jen McGovern, FSMPS, CPSM, senior regional marketing manager, helps oversee marketing efforts for VHB’s Southern Marketing Practice covering 13 offices from Washington, DC, to Orlando, FL. With a background as an editor and copywriter, Jen fell into the A/E/C industry in 2012 and found a passion for proposals and infrastructure projects. A prolific author and presenter, Jen is a past president of the Society for Marketing Professional Services (SMPS) Washington, DC, chapter and was named the 2022 SMPS Chapter President of the Year. She also serves on the Editorial Committee for Marketer, SMPS's national journal, as well as the national Certification Committee. She achieved her Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM) credential in 2015 and was named a Fellow of the Society in 2025.

Karen Cotton, CPSM, LEED AP, Senior Marketing Manager

Timmons Group

Karen Cotton is a Senior Marketing Manager for Timmons Group, an ENR Top 500 design firm specializing in civil, environmental, GIS, and surveying services. With 25 years of experience working in the AEC industry, she shares her passion for learning, coaching, mentoring, and self-discovery as a frequent presenter and Enneagram instructor in the Washington, DC area. Karen is a Certified Professional Services Marketer (CPSM) and a LEED Accredited Professional. She serves as Secretary on the Board of Directors for the SMPS Washington, DC Chapter.

Shambi Eubanks, CPSM, Director of Communications

SK&A Structural Engineers

Shambi Eubanks, CPSM, draws on two decades of AEC experience to reframe complex engineering and construction concepts into creative narratives that resonate with clients and project partners. As Director of Communications at SK&A Structural Engineers, she leads digital marketing, public relations, and internal communications, partnering across teams to strengthen engagement, support business development, and elevate the firm’s brand. A core focus of her work is thought leadership: equipping engineering staff to share their technical expertise through content that reaches and informs. She also publishes the AECintheDMV newsletter, with regional architecture, engineering, and construction events and opportunities. Launched in 2011, it now serves 2,000 industry professionals and is widely relied upon by the National Capital region’s AEC community.

Michelle Crandall, Creative Design Associate

Pennoni

Michelle Crandall is a Creative Design Associate at Pennoni with over 15 years in the AEC industry, blending marketing strategy with creative design to help Pennoni communicate its story and connect with clients. She began her career at Pennoni as a Proposal Specialist, and her passion for design led her to partner with leadership to create a unique role that merges creativity with strategy. For the past five years, she’s delivered visually compelling materials that strengthen the Pennoni brand and drive growth.