Celebrating Leadership and Partnership at the 2026 AGC Installation & Awards Gala

On January 30, 2026, the AGC of California hosted its Installation and Awards Gala at the historic Fairmont Hotel in San Francisco—an evening dedicated to celebrating leadership, excellence, and the achievements of California’s construction industry.

The program honored the remarkable leadership of Pat Kelly, 2025 AGC President from Granite Construction, and welcomed Ryan Aukerman of Griffith Company as the incoming 2026 AGC President, signaling a continued focus on collaboration, innovation, and industry advancement.

What stood out this year was the strong presence of senior public agency leadership, including Dina El-Tawansy (Caltrans Director), Donna M. Berry (Chief Engineer, Caltrans), David Ambuehl (Caltrans District 4 Director), Jeremy Peterson-Self, Lindsey Woolsey (Division of Construction, Caltrans), Malcolm Dougherty (HDR and former Caltrans Director), and Tanisha Taylor (Executive Director, California Transportation Commission). Their engagement underscores the ongoing commitment to Partnering between public agencies and the construction industry—critical to delivering complex infrastructure projects that serve Californians.

A highlight of the evening was recognizing exemplary leadership in the industry. Tim Lindholm, Chief Program Officer at Los Angeles Metro, received the SIR Achievement Award (Skill, Integrity, Responsibility) for his outstanding contributions to public service and project delivery.

The gala also brought together leaders across industry associations, including Jason Mordhorst (Hazard Construction & AGC San Diego Chapter President), Emily Cohen (CEO, United Contractors), Paul Pendergast (Build It), and Miguel Galarza (Yerba Buena Construction & Chair, Contractors State License Board), showcasing the strength of collaboration across California’s construction community.

GLA had the pleasure of connecting with Scott Seltz, Publisher of Engineering News-Record (ENR), and Scott Blair, Editor-in-Chief of ENR, whose ongoing coverage continues to highlight innovation, best practices, and leadership in the sector.

Congratulations to all award recipients, and a special thanks to Chandler Brooks and the Procore Technologies team for their generous sponsorship of this prestigious event.

What made the evening truly inspiring was the visible unity across agencies, contractors, and industry leaders—One Industry, One Voice—working together to advance California’s infrastructure and serve the public.

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