Speakers
EIMA is pleased to welcome an exceptional lineup of speakers for the 2026 EIMA Annual Meeting. This year’s program features a broader range of external voices than ever before, with experts contributing not only to the Opening Session but also to every EIMA Working Group meeting. Each Working Group will include a featured speaker who will bring relevant insights and perspectives to help inform discussions and support the work of the group.
Together, these thought leaders bring perspectives from across the building industry, policy community, and related fields, helping to inform meaningful discussions and advance the work of EIMA and its members. We invite you to learn more about this year’s speakers below.
Together, these thought leaders bring perspectives from across the building industry, policy community, and related fields, helping to inform meaningful discussions and advance the work of EIMA and its members. We invite you to learn more about this year’s speakers below.
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Benjamin R. Hobbs - Assistant Secretary
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) Assistant Secretary Hobbs comes to the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Office of Public and Indian Housing (PIH) with a breadth of policy and cross-functional leadership experience having served previously at PIH, the White House, U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, private sector, and non-profit organizations. In May 2025, Mr. Hobbs was nominated by President Donald Trump to be Assistant Secretary of PIH and was sworn into office on January 14th. During the first Trump Administration, Mr. Hobbs served on the Domestic Policy Council as a Special Assistant to the President and was the Council’s lead on affordable housing, economic development, entrepreneurship, public assistance, and homelessness. Ben’s work included the implementation of regulations for the Opportunity Zones tax incentive, the White House Opportunity and Revitalization Council’s cross-agency coordination to target federal programs to economically distressed communities, and policy reforms to reduce homelessness by increasing drug and mental health treatment, transitional housing, and self-sufficiency. |
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Prior to his time at the White House, Ben served as the Senior Policy Advisor at HUD PIH where he drove the development and implementation of several policies – including the 2016 expansion of the Moving to Work demonstration program and HUD’s effort to reposition Public Housing. In the second Trump Administration, Ben served as the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary of Public and Indian Housing for one year before his confirmation as Assistant Secretary.
On Capitol Hill, Mr. Hobbs served Chairman Jason Smith on the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, as a Professional Staff Member. In this role, Ben helped draft and pass bipartisan legislation into law that promoted work, self-sufficiency, and Tribal sovereignty for means-tested public assistance programs. His work focused on reforms to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; Supplemental Security Income; Social Services Block Grant; and Child Support Enforcement programs. Prior to this, Mr. Hobbs served Ranking Member Tim Scott as a Professional Staff Member on the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. In this role he worked on the Senator’s “Opportunity Agenda” to uplift millions of Americans with a unique focus on older Americans and people with disabilities. Ben’s career also includes various roles in both the private and non-profit research sectors including time at the Heritage Foundation and Leadership Institute.
Assistant Secretary Hobbs received his Bachelor of Arts from Denison University and holds a Masters in Social Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
On Capitol Hill, Mr. Hobbs served Chairman Jason Smith on the U.S. House Committee on Ways and Means, as a Professional Staff Member. In this role, Ben helped draft and pass bipartisan legislation into law that promoted work, self-sufficiency, and Tribal sovereignty for means-tested public assistance programs. His work focused on reforms to the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families; Supplemental Security Income; Social Services Block Grant; and Child Support Enforcement programs. Prior to this, Mr. Hobbs served Ranking Member Tim Scott as a Professional Staff Member on the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging. In this role he worked on the Senator’s “Opportunity Agenda” to uplift millions of Americans with a unique focus on older Americans and people with disabilities. Ben’s career also includes various roles in both the private and non-profit research sectors including time at the Heritage Foundation and Leadership Institute.
Assistant Secretary Hobbs received his Bachelor of Arts from Denison University and holds a Masters in Social Science from the London School of Economics and Political Science.
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Annie Brody, Director of Business Coalitions
Office of Majority Whip at U.S. House of Representatives Annie Brody leverages almost a decade of experience working with conservative policymakers and business leaders to establish effective and efficient channels of communications between Capitol Hill and the industries most affected by their work. Previously the Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director for Rep. Russell Fry (R-SC), she also served Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) in the Senate and worked in the Finance Department of the Republican National Committee after the 2020 election cycle. |
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Mike McSherry, Partner
Mercury Public Affairs Mike McSherry is a Managing Director of Mercury in Washington, DC. and an experienced government relations strategist, political strategist, and operative providing counsel to institutions dealing with federal and state legislative and intragovernmental issues. A political operative, he has served in appointed offices at the state and federal levels, as well as in key leadership positions in several national political organizations. Mike served as Director of the Virginia Liaison Office for Federal Affairs for Virginia Governor Jim Gilmore, during which he was responsible for working with the Virginia congressional delegation on a variety of issues. He gained further experience in federal-state relations serving as Executive Director of the Republican Governors’ Association and, later as Director of Government Affairs for the Republican National Committee. He was also a member of the Staff Advisor Council (SAC) for the National Governors’ Association, the Executive SAC of the Southern Governors’ Association, and a Governors Delegate to the Appalachian Regional Commission. |
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Mike has direct federal experience, including appointments to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, where he served on the staff of Secretary Jack Kemp, and the U.S. Department of Labor. He was also directly involved in the elections of 11 members of the U.S. Senate during his time as Deputy Political Director of the National Republican Senatorial Committee.
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Michele A. Russo, LEED AP, Vice President of Research
The American Institute of Architects (AIA) Michele Russo is the Vice President of Research at the American Institute of Architects where she is responsible for advancing architectural research and practice prosperity, providing insights on disruptive trends, and overseeing AIA's business intelligence, market research, and economic work. Michele previously worked for Dodge Data & Analytics where she ran its SmartMarket market research program providing data and intelligence on AEC industry trends, most notably sustainable design and construction, technology, and workforce. She has a B.S. in chemical engineering from Cornell University and a Master’s in Public Policy from Harvard University. |
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Amy Schmidt
Founder, Nest Solutions Executive Director, Energy Efficient Codes Coalition Amy Schmidt is a recognized leader in energy-efficient construction advocacy, with over 25 years of experience guiding product manufacturers (Dow, DuPont) and industry groups like the American Chemistry Council’s Plastics Building and Construction Committee and Foam Sheathing Committee. In 2024, she founded Nest Solutions LLC, a consulting firm dedicated to advocacy and market strategies for energy-efficient building solutions. She also serves as Executive Director of the Energy Efficient Codes Coalition, championing stronger national codes for resilient, low-energy homes and buildings. |
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Amy actively shapes standards as a member of the ASHRAE 90.1 Envelope Subcommittee, ASHRAE 90.2 Committee, and ICC’s International Energy Conservation Code Residential Main and Envelope Subcommittees. Her past service includes the ICC Board of Directors for the Alliance for National and Community Resilience, ICC 700 National Green Building Standard Committee, and RESNET Standard 301 Committee.
A frequent speaker at DOE, RESNET, ASTM, ACEEE, and similar events, Amy holds a B.B.A. from Northwood University and certifications as a USGBC LEED Green Associate and NASM Personal Trainer. Passionate about sustainable innovation, she bridges industry expertise with policy to advance energy-efficient, resilient construction.
A frequent speaker at DOE, RESNET, ASTM, ACEEE, and similar events, Amy holds a B.B.A. from Northwood University and certifications as a USGBC LEED Green Associate and NASM Personal Trainer. Passionate about sustainable innovation, she bridges industry expertise with policy to advance energy-efficient, resilient construction.
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Anna Lasso, Founder + CEO
Smart EPD As the founder of Smart EPD, Anna Lasso’s passion and focus centers around developing innovative ways to consistently disclose the environmental impacts of products in a credible, streamlined, and universally understood manner. Anna has provided transparency, sustainability and operations consulting services for 15+ years, led North America’s largest EPD Program at UL for close to a decade, and is a Life Cycle Assessment Certified Professional (LCACP). Prior to Smart EPD, Anna worked as Digital Program Manager at Building Transparency, the creators of the Embodied Carbon in Construction Calculator (EC3) with a repository of 100K+ EPDs. With her experience in program management, product development, management consulting at Deloitte, and standards development, her background positions her to translate strategic initiatives into scalable business solutions that drive climate change and environmental policy. |
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Anna has MS degrees in Technology Policy and Mechanical Engineering from MIT and BS degrees in Industrial Design and Industrial Engineering from North Carolina State University.
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Debbie Steckel, Executive Director
American Center for Life Cycle Assessment (ACLCA) Debbie Steckel has served as Executive Director of ACLCA since 2014, building the organization into the professional community where industry leaders, manufacturers, and decision-makers come to understand — and strategically harness — the power of life cycle assessment. Whether an organization is navigating a PCR, investing in EPD development, shaping procurement policy, or driving product innovation, ACLCA provides the community, training, and technical frameworks to ensure that investment is grounded in credible science and delivers real impact. At the heart of ACLCA is a membership community of LCA professionals, researchers, and the organizations that rely on their expertise — brought together through committees, work groups, and events including, the ACLCA Annual Conference, the field's premier gathering for advancing knowledge, forging connections, and shaping the future of LCA practice. |
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ACLCA drives this work on two fronts: developing and advancing the credentialed workforce the field depends on — the practitioners, reviewers, and educators who bring rigor to LCA at every level — and through its member-driven technical committees, building the standards infrastructure that makes LCA-based claims trustworthy and defensible. Most notably, the PCR Open Standard serves as the authoritative framework for developing Product Category Rules, ensuring PCRs and EPDs are consistent, comparable, and credible across program operators and sectors globally. As regulatory demand, procurement policy, and market pressure for verified product impact data accelerate, the PCR Open Standard — now undergoing a major update — sits at the center of how the industry gets this right.
Debbie holds an MBA from Johns Hopkins University and a BA in Communications from American University.
Debbie holds an MBA from Johns Hopkins University and a BA in Communications from American University.
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Isabel Soto, Professional Staff Member
U.S. House Committee on Education and Workforce Isabel Soto is a professional staff member on the U.S. House Committee on Education & the Workforce. The Committee oversees programs that affect all Americans, from early learning and postsecondary education to skills development and retirement security. The Committee is chaired by Rep. Tim Walberg of southern Michigan. |
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