Lumber Construction Outlook: Rotation or Retreat? with Ken Simonson
Thursday, 9:45 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
Ken Simonson has been chief economist for the Associated General Contractors of America since 2001. He provides insight into the economy and what it implies for construction and related industries through frequent media interviews, presentations, and the Data DIGest, his weekly one-page e-newsletter that goes to more than 20,000 subscribers.
Ken has more than 40 years of experience analyzing, advocating, and communicating about economic and tax issues. He is a Fellow and past president of the National Association for Business Economics, and he is co-director of the Tax Economists Forum, a professional meeting group he co-founded in 1982.
Ken has a BA in economics from the University of Chicago, and an MA in economics from Northwestern University.
Meet Our Traders Market Keynote, Ashley Fox 
Ashley Fox is one of the NFL’s most well-respected journalists and a trailblazer in the ego-infused world of sports media. During her 24-year career, including 7 years as a lead NFL reporter and analyst for ESPN, Inc., The Worldwide Leader in Sports, Ashley covered the United States’ most popular sport for the largest sports media network in the world. By being fair, honest, and accountable, with unwavering professionalism and boundless optimism, Ashley earned the trust of professional athletes, coaches, owners, team executives and league commissioners.
Learn How to Motivate Like A Pro with Ashley
Keynote Luncheon | Thursday, 11:15 a.m. - 1:15 p.m.
To Ashley, professional athletes by nature are some of the most highly motivated people on the planet. But developing high-performing individuals into a cohesive, championship team takes skill, consistency and patience. In the National Football League, there is on average a 22-percent annual turnover rate among head coaches. Time, therefore, is of the essence. In this illustrative keynote, Ashley shares stories from her experience as one of the only female on-air NFL analysts at ESPN and what she has learned from NFL coaches about how to extract peak performance through motivation.
Meet-and-Greet with Archie Griffin 
Exhibit Hall | Thursday, 1:30 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Born at University Hospital nearly in the shadow of Ohio Stadium, Archie Griffin has been a Buckeye his whole life.
After serving for 11 years as president and CEO of The Ohio State University Alumni Association, Griffin stepped back in 2015 to a consultant role as senior advisor in the Office of Advancement at Ohio State. During his tenure leading the OSUAA, Griffin led an expanded effort to embrace young alumni and began initiatives focusing on career assistance and establishing an Office of Volunteer Relations.
Known to the world as the only two-time winner of the Heisman Trophy, Griffin is also one of select group of Buckeyes to be named a three-time All American during his playing days from 1972-1975. A member of the National Football Foundation & College Hall of Fame and current board of directors, Griffin is a member of the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame, and was named the All-Century Player by the Tournament of Roses Association during the centennial celebration of the Rose Bowl in 2014. Griffin is one of two players in NCAA history to start in four Rose Bowls.
Legendary Ohio State football coach Wayne Woodrow Hayes famously said of Archie Griffin, “He's a better young man than he is a football player, and he's the best football player I've ever seen.”
A sought-after speaker and humanitarian, Griffin serves on many boards and foundations. He has been a Director of Abercrombie & Fitch Co. since 2000. Mr. Griffin serves as a Director of Motorists Mutual Insurance Company, and Member of the board of directors for The Columbus Youth Foundation, and the Ohio Auto Club.
Birds of a Feather
Expand your NAWLA Network by joining in Birds of a Feather discussions. These informal discussions are available to promote community growth and provide a space for attendees to gather on common topics.
Join one of the following groups:
- First-time Traders Market Attendee
- Wood Basics Alum
- YELP Member
- Leadership & Mentoring
- People Management
- Recruiting & Onboarding the Next Generation
- Customer Relationships
- Promoting the Story of the Industry
- Sustainability
- Open Forum: Mills
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