Federal Design-Build Leaders Chart a Path Forward at Federal Sector Design-Build Industry Days

DBIA’s 2025 Federal Sector Industry Days gathered more than 450 Owners and practitioners from across the federal marketplace at the Hyatt Regency Reston in Virginia for two days of timely conversations on the future of design-build in federal projects. With procurement reforms on the horizon, shifting economic priorities and agencies under pressure to deliver faster and more cost-effectively, attendees gained valuable insights on how to prepare for a dynamic marketplace.

FMI Corp. CEO Chris Daum set the tone with an economic forecast in the opening session. Daum provided insights into the challenges and opportunities facing federal agencies and their industry partners and gave attendees a sense of the market forces shaping federal construction. He also framed the larger policy and procurement conversations that followed. 

From there, discussions ranged from adaptive reuse led by the National Institute of Building Sciences (NIBS) and partners to forward-looking strategies that highlighted how design-build delivery is poised to meet the challenges ahead.

One focal point was the sweeping Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) Overhaul, described as one of the most significant procurement shifts in decades. Reggie Jones of Fox Rothschild and Laura Stagner, FAIA, DBIA, NAC (ret.), explored what the reforms could mean for Owners and industry, outlining both challenges to prepare for and opportunities to shape a more efficient future federal marketplace.

Attendees also benefited from direct agency dialogue. Leaders from the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC), Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) provided updates and fielded questions, giving participants not only greater clarity on upcoming opportunities but also actionable guidance on how to align with agency goals and position their teams for success. Several of these sessions were standing-room only, including the VA update and the NAVFAC briefing, underscoring just how valuable this engagement was for the federal design-build community.

Case studies reinforced design-build’s ability to deliver results in mission-critical environments. Bret Cummock, DBIA, from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), traced the lab’s 16-year journey building one of the most successful Owner-led design-build programs in the nation, highlighting the NREL Research and Innovation Laboratory (RAIL) project, which was recognized with four 2024 DBIA National Awards. Dave Triplett, DBIA, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shared how the agency has embraced Design-Build Done Right® in its facilities program, ranging from the new Redstone Arsenal campus in Alabama to the Bureau’s future portfolio, describing how the agency shifted its culture, educated its team and embedded design-build principles directly into its acquisition program.

Community and leadership were also celebrated. During a networking lunch on the second day, DBIA and the federal design-build community honored Craig Unger, FDBIA, with the new UNGER Award (Unrelenting Navigator for Governmental Excellence and Results), recognizing his extraordinary leadership and lasting impact on federal design-build.

The two-day event concluded with Jim Ropelewski, DBIA; Molly Jones, AIA, DBIA; and Rich Benton, PE, FDBIA, tying together the insights from across the sessions in a forward-thinking call to action. They emphasized what attendees can do with what they learned, including shaping agency-aligned strategies, adopting tools and approaches that save time and creating programs that add value. In closing, they echoed the themes that ran throughout the event: federal design-build must move forward with collaboration, speed and strategies tailored to agency priorities. 

From economic forecasts and policy reforms to case studies and agency briefings, DBIA’s Federal Sector Design-Build Industry Days demonstrated that the future of federal design-build will depend on turning these insights into action and delivering high-impact, mission-ready results.

To see more highlights from the event, explore the Federal Sector Design-Build Industry Days photo album.

Save the Date

2026 Federal Design-Build Symposium

August 11-12, 2026 | Hyatt Regency Reston, Virginia

Dave Triplett, DBIA, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) shared how the agency has embraced Design-Build Done Right® (DBIA’s 2025 Federal Sector Industry Days)
DBIA’s 2025 Federal Sector Industry Days gathered more than 450 Owners and practitioners from across the federal marketplace at the Hyatt Regency Reston in Virginia.
Bret Cummock, DBIA, from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL), traced the lab’s 16-year journey building one of the most successful Owner-led design-build programs in the nation (DBIA’s 2025 Federal Sector Industry Days)
FMI Corp. CEO Chris Daum set the tone with an economic forecast in the opening session of DBIA’s Federal Sector Design-Build Industry Days.
Attendees gain insight into challenges and opportunities across the federal sector at DBIA’s 2025 Federal Sector Industry Days
DBIA’s 2025 Federal Sector Industry Days gathered more than 450 Owners and practitioners from across the federal marketplace at the Hyatt Regency Reston in Virginia.
Jim Ropelewski, DBIA; Molly Jones, AIA, DBIA; and Rich Benton, PE, FDBIA, tie together the insights from across the DBIA Federal Sector Design-Build Industry Days in a forward-thinking call to action.
DBIA’s 2025 Federal Sector Industry Days gathered more than 450 Owners and practitioners from across the federal marketplace at the Hyatt Regency Reston in Virginia.
DBIA and the federal design-build community honored Craig Unger, FDBIA, with the new UNGER Award at DBIA’s Federal Sector Design-Build Industry Days.
Reggie Jones of Fox Rothschild and Laura Stagner, FAIA, DBIA, NAC (ret.), explored what the FAR reforms could mean for Owners and industry (DBIA’s 2025 Federal Sector Industry Days).