Industry Expert Instructors
Alex MacKenzie, CPE
NJPEA PRESIDENT
Alex MacKenzie is currently serving as President of the New Jersey Professional Estimators Association. Alex is also a member of the American Subcontractors Association (ASA, NJ), past member of American Society of Professional Estimators (ASPE), and he is past president of the New Jersey Chapter for two terms and a member of Professional Women in Construction (PWC).
Alex is the Vice President and part owner of IAP Construction Group, LLC, specializing in mold inspection and remediation, general construction, project management, construction claims and restoration.
Alex is a certified professional estimator in structural steel, miscellaneous and ornamental metals as well as the following:
- Certified Environmental Inspector
- Certified Environmental Manager
- Certified Environmental Specialist
- Certified Environmental Consultant
- Certified Remediation Specialist
- Certified Mold Inspector
- Certified Mold Assessor
- Certified Mold Specialist
- Certified Testing Specialist
- Certified Air Quality Specialist
He has more then 20 years experience in the industry and has received certificates from both New York University and North Carolina State University in Estimating Miscellaneous Iron, Structural Steel and Ornamental Metals. He is passionate about promoting educational opportunities within his field and training the younger generation. He teaches at New Jersey Institute of Technology and Pratt University. He is founder and president of AM Estimating, LLC, an estimating and project management company and resides in Ringwood, NJ with his wonderful wife.
Joseph P. Majewski F.C.P.E., P.E.
NJPEA Director of Education
JPM Construction Consultants, Inc. - President
Joseph P. Majewski is the founder and president of JPM Construction Consultants. Mr. Majewski has applied his expertise for major A/E corporations, general contractors, and owners on a wide variety of projects including nuclear power plants, petro-chemical process plants, food process plants, refinery improvements, schools, shopping centers, airports, hospitals and both federal and state correctional institutions. His project experience includes:
- Construction estimating
- Productivity
- Cost and construction claims analysis
- Project management
- Construction Audits
- Comparisons studies in construction management procedures
- Project planning and scheduling
- Turnkey management
Joe is a Licensed Professional Engineer in NJ (State Registration NJ 33466) and a Certified Professional Estimator in the field of General Construction as of 1978 (Certification # 100-673-116). Other certifications include:
- Project Management
- Construction Investigation
- Construction Inspector
- Construction Specifications
An active member of Garden State Chapter 26 of the American Society of Professional Estimators for the past twenty-five years he was elected National President for two consecutive years (2000-2002) and served as Chapter President and Eastern Regional Governor of this prestigious organization. The American Society of Professional Estimators named Joe Majewski Estimator of the Year in the State of New Jersey and Nationwide for 1994 through 1995. In addition to the A.S.P.E., Joe has membership in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (A.S.M.E.), the Construction Specifications Institute, the American Nuclear Society, the American Arbitration Association, the National Society of Professional Engineers and the American Association of Cost Engineers. Joe was part of the design team at Foster Wheeler that developed the patented Fin Tube, which is used in all PWR reactors, reheaters and super heaters.
Mr. Majewski has taught courses in the field of Construction Estimating in this country and overseas. He as taught at undergraduate and graduate and professional levels.
Jerrold Ratner, CPE, VMP
Has more then 45 years of construction and engineering experience.
- Technical Editor Frank R. Walker Building Estimator’s Reference Book.
- Past Instructor for County College of Morris.
- Retired Assistant Professor New York University, Real Estate Institute
Has worked for contractors for 23 years such as:
- Peter Kiewit Sons’ Company - Project Manger/Estimator
- Schiavone Construction Company - Project Manager / Estimator
- Bechtel - Chief Estimator
- Worked for Engineering/ Architectural Companies 25 Years:
- Deleu Cather (Parsons Transportation, Inc) - Estimator
Parsons Brinckerhoff Construction Services - Public Agencies:
- MTA Bridges and Tunnels (TBTA) - Chief Estimator
- Education:
- 1980 Newark College of Engineering (NJIT) BSCT
- Societies:
- American Society of Professional Estimators (ASPE)
Society of American Value Engineers International (SAVE)
Retired as Lead/Chief estimator on the largest public works project in the United States (after Boston), Long Island Rail Roads (LIRR) East Side Access $6.4 Billion.
Mr. Ratner’s cost estimating experience includes cost estimating from the conceptual stage of a project through to the budget planning, design budgets, and construction cost estimating (bid) and ending at the post construction estimating (claims).
Construction experience includes: Project Management, Cost Estimating, Constructability Reviews and Analysis, Value Engineering, Cost Controls and Expert Witness in all aspects of construction and construction engineering.
Priscilla J. Triolo, Esq.
NJPEA Legal Counsel
Law Offices of Richard Malagiere, PC
14 Bergen Street in Hackensack, NJ 07601
Dolcey E. Chaplin, Esq.
Director, NJIT – Defense Procurement Assistance Center
Dolcey E. Chaplin, Esq. is the Director of the NJIT Procurement Assistance Center. The State-wide Center assists small, woman and disadvantaged-owned businesses in obtaining federal contracts with particular emphasis on Department of Defense’s mission to support the warfighter in both the prime and subcontract arena. Dolcey is a nationally recognized expert in the various certification programs that exist on the state and federal level.
The Center prides itself on its policy of allowing free access to technical as well as contractual information for the small business community in the area of procurement regulations and policy. Dolcey has expanded the outreach efforts for which her work with women-owned businesses was recognized by the Pentagon as an example of “best practices”.
Her career in federal procurement law began at ITT Avionics as a contract attorney. In the late 1980’s, she became general counsel to a $50 million division of Bae, Corporation, formerly the General Electric Company of Great Britain located in Whippany, NJ. In the early 1990’s, she worked with IBM’s outsourcing subsidiary – ISSC and consulted to the American Express Company’s Travel Related Services division before joining NJIT. She runs her law firm on a part time basis specializing in Government Contract Law. She has appeared before the Arms Services Board of Contract Appeals and SBA’s Office of Hearings and Appeals.
Dolcey received her Bachelor’s degree from Ladycliff College, her Master’s from Wright State University and her Juris Doctorate. from Seton Hall University. She is a member of the New Jersey Bar.
She has served on the boards of National Contracts Management Association, New Jersey’s Association of Women Business Owners, and Women In Defense, Picatinny Chapter (an Affiliate of National Defense Industrial Association).
She was awarded the status of NCMA Fellow, and is a member of Who’s Who of American Attorneys.
Andrew J. Dempsey
Andrew Dempsey is 4th Vice President of ASPE Chapter 26, and is also President of Custom Interior Contractors in Fairfield, NJ. Custom Interior Contractors is a company that has been specializing in acoustical ceilings and drywall for 25 years.
Andrew has a B.S. in Business Management from Fairleigh Dickinson University and a Certificate in Construction Management from New York University. He has 14 years of experience in the construction industry.
Andrew started off as a junior estimator for Custom Interior Contractors doing unsupervised take-offs and proposals of projects under 5,000 SF. He then went to work for Office Facilities Services, Inc. in New York City for 3 years as an Assistant Project Manager in charge of scheduling manpower, purchasing materials, warehousing and trucking.
After working for a couple of drywall and acoustical ceiling companies in New Jersey as a Project Manager and Estimator, Andrew returned to Custom Interior Contractors as a Project Manager in 2002. He was named Vice President of Estimating and Sales in 2003 and President in 2005.
Walter P. Hager, CPE
Mr. Walter Hager has had a life long working relationship in the General Construction Business and has performed in all aspects of the industry including estimating, cost analysis, project management, field supervision and as president of his own Construction Company, specializing in general Construction CSI trades 01 thru 14.
He is a long-standing member of the American Society of Professional Estimators and presently serves a member of the Board of Directors as a treasurer of the Garden State Chapter 26.
As a complement to his industry experience, Walter holds certifications from Farleigh Dickinson University and New Jersey Institute of Technology (formerly Newark College of Engineering) in Building Construction and Architectural Technology.
Buck Lawrence CPE
Buck Lawrence has been estimating construction costs for over 20 years. Beginning in the industry as a painter and carpenter, he quickly graduated to doing takeoffs for Subcontractors, General Contractors and Construction Managers.
For the past 12 years, he has worked for some of the largest companies in New York City, including HRH, Bovis, and Tishman Construction Corporations. He has had the honor of working on projects such as Brooklyn Federal Courthouse and Time Warner Center at Central Park negotiating change orders and claims. His disciplines are Divisions 2, 4, and 6 through 13.
He earned his Certified Professional Estimator status in 1994, and is currently the Certification Chairman for New Jersey chapter of the American Society of Professional Estimators.
