Build Smarter Together: Communication That Strengthens Job Cost and Profit

John Schenkel is the Chief Financial Officer of one of Florida’s largest privately held HVAC companies, bringing a strong track record of executive leadership across finance, operations, and banking. His career includes senior roles such as Senior Finance Manager at Walt Disney Parks & Resorts and Vice President overseeing a 1.2 billion dollar real estate investment loan portfolio. John is currently completing his MBA with a finance emphasis at the University of Central Florida and holds a Bachelor of Science with Honors in Economics and Finance from the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School. Deeply committed to community service, he serves on several nonprofit boards, including Heart of Florida United Way, Good News Prison and Jail Ministry, Better Man Ministries, and Nathaniel’s Hope. He also chairs Joy Prom – Night of Joy, supporting children and adults with special needs.

Sheila Lockhart is the ERP Specialist at French Brothers Homes, an award-winning homebuilder based in southern New Mexico. Sheila has built her career around the belief that technology should make life easier for both teams and customers. At French Brothers, she’s the connector between construction, sales, and customer experience, helping the company’s ERP system run smarter so people can work better together. From streamlining workflows to making data more meaningful, Sheila focuses on using tech to bring the “human touch” back into the process.

Bob Cain is a Business Unit Leader in the residential construction division for ECI Software Solutions, a global provider of cloud-based business management software and services. Cain brings 26 years of experience in residential construction to his role, where he’s focused on expanding business growth, customer success, and driving software development to improve the overall customer experience.  Previously, Cain served in senior management positions for MarkSystems®, ECI’s flagship enterprise resource planning software for residential home builders. Additionally, he holds a Certified Graduate Associate designation (CGA) from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) and is a Certified NAHB Instructor with the University of Housing. Cain has also been involved in his local Home Builder Associations, BLSJ, and state association NJBA since 2004, serving as Committee Chair on the Leadership Development Committee and BLSJ 2nd Associate VP. Cain received his bachelor’s degree from The College of New Jersey with a major in Business Information Systems Management and his associate degree from Rowan College at Burlington County in Liberal Arts and Science. Bob has a wife, three kids, and a dog. He is an active coach in his community’s youth sports programs.

Joseph Walston is a construction and operations executive with extensive experience across residential homebuilding and complex commercial healthcare projects. He currently serves as General Manager of RNC at Caryl Mechanicals. Joseph previously spent over 12 years at D.R. Horton in roles including Operations Manager and Purchasing Manager, supporting large-scale residential developments. He holds a B.S. in Construction Management with a minor in Business from East Carolina University.

Stew Walker is Vice President of Construction at Epcon Communities, where he leads construction operations and strategy across the organization. He brings more than 30 years of experience in residential construction, with deep expertise in building operations, process improvement, and large-scale community development. Prior to his current role, Stew served as Director of Construction at Epcon Communities for over a decade and previously held senior construction leadership roles at Dominion Homes. He also spent several years as a Partner at Renovara, UHS Contracting, LLC, further broadening his operational and entrepreneurial experience. Stew’s long-standing career reflects a strong commitment to quality, efficiency, and leadership in residential construction.

Cody West is the Director of Operations at Corey Construction, a residential and commercial roofing company, where he helps lead day-to-day execution and operational performance. He’s held multiple leadership roles at Corey Construction since 2019, including Director of Business Development and Division President, supporting growth and strengthening field and customer-facing operations across Texas. Before joining Corey Construction, Cody spent over five years at RKS Roof Systems, LLC in a VPO role, building a strong foundation in roofing operations and leadership. He is based in Houston, Texas.