Keynote Session
Monday, July 14, 2025
Time: 8:00 – 10:00 AM
William Detwiler, P.E.
TYLin
2025 IBC General Chair
Ed Gainey
Mayor, City of Pittsburgh
Ed Gainey, Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh, is a visionary leader and a dedicated public servant known for his commitment to improving the region and the people he serves. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Mayor Gainey’s passion for the city is evident in every aspect of his life.
As a devoted family man, Mayor Gainey draws strength from his loved ones and strives to create abrighter future for future generations. He and his wife Michelle are raising their children in the Lincoln Lemington neighborhood. With his forward-thinking approach and tireless dedication to the welfare of Pittsburgh and its residents, Mayor Ed Gainey leaves an indelible mark on the city, making it safe, thriving, and welcoming for all who call it home.
Bradley J. Heigel, P.E.
Chief Engineer, PA Turnpike Commission
Bradley J. Heigel, P.E. is a native of St. Mary’s, PA and a graduate of Penn State University. Since April of 2012, Brad has served as the Chief Engineer of the PA Turnpike Commission. He oversees the day-to-day operation of the Commission’s Engineering Department which includes Engineering-Design, Engineering-Construction and Facilities Operations. He is responsible for delivering both their 10-year $7.5 billion Capital Plan and their Independently Funded Program which supports Act 61 projects. Brad is a past President for the Harrisburg Section – ASHE, the 2017 Central PA Engineer of the Year, co-Chair of IBTTA’s Engineering and Construction Sub-Committee and a member of the Penn State Industrial and Professional Advisory Council (IPAC).
Dr. Jay Apt
Jay Apt graduated from Harvard in 1971 with a bachelor’s degree in physics. He completed his Ph.D. in experimental atomic physics at MIT and in 1976 joined the Center for Earth and Planetary Physics at Harvard, studying the weather on Venus. He later directed the observatory at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab in Pasadena and worked in NASA’s mission control center in Houston.
Dr. Apt has spent more than 847 hours in space, on four Space Shuttle missions, and performed two space walks. He has been to the Russian space station Mir, and is the recipient of NASA’s highest honor, the Distinguished Service Medal.
He is a pilot and aircraft owner with 7,000 hours of experience in more than 25 types of aircraft, sailplanes, and human-powered aircraft. He has flown single-engine aircraft to Greenland, Iceland, Europe, Alaska, and Central America.
An award-winning photographer, Apt shares his images and knowledge of the Earth in Orbit: NASA Astronauts Photograph the Earth, published by the National Geographic Society in 1996, and in softcover in 2003. The book has been printed in eleven languages; more than 600,000 copies are in print.
Dr. Apt is an emeritus Professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper School of Business and in the CMU Department of Engineering and Public Policy. He served as the Director of the Carnegie Mellon Electricity Industry Center. He has authored over 125 papers in peer-reviewed scientific journals as well as two books and several book chapters. He has published op-ed pieces in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and the Washington Post. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. He received the Metcalf Lifetime Achievement Award for significant contributions to engineering.
Duane K. Miller, Sc.D.
President and Chief Consultant
Duane K. Miller, Sc.D. is a recognized authority on the design and performance of welded connections. He is a popular speaker on the subject and has lectured around the world. In 2015, he was named an AWS Fellow. He received the American Institute of Steel Construction’s T. R. Higgins Lectureship Award in 2001, the AISC Lifetime Achievement Award in 2005, and became the eighth recipient of the AISC Robert P. Stupp Award for Leadership Excellence in 2016; he became the first recipient of the AISC Steel Conference Speaker Award in 2018. He was appointed an Adjunct Professor at the University of Alberta in 2019. In 2024, he was induced into the National Academy of Engineering. He has authored or co-authored texts and chapters of many handbooks, including the AISC Design Guide on Welding. He has appeared as a subject expert on the History Channel and Discovery Channel.
After a successful 44-year career at The Lincoln Electric Company, Duane formed an independent engineering consulting firm called Listen to the Steel. He has an ongoing consulting arrangement with Lincoln and serves other clients as well.
Dr. Miller earned a B.S. degree in Welding Engineering from LeTourneau University in Longview, Texas, an M.S. in Materials Engineering from the University of Wisconsin – Milwaukee and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Science degree from LeTourneau University in 1997. He is a former Chair of the AWS D1 Structural Welding Code Committee. He was the first Chair of the Seismic Welding Subcommittee and is a former co-chair of the AASHTO-AWS D1.5 Bridge Welding Code Committee. His current technical involvement includes membership on the AWS D1 and D14 committees, and the AISC Specification Committee. He is a former Professional Engineer, Certified Welding Inspector and Qualified Welder.
Michael Carroll
Secretary of Transportation, Pennsylvania DOT
Mike Carroll was first elected to the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in 2006 and subsequently re-elected for seven additional terms, and he worked on transportation throughout his time in public office. Mike was Democratic chairman of the House Transportation Committee from 2018 through 2022.
In 2010, Mike was awarded the Boy Scouts of America Minsi Trails Council Distinguished Citizen Award for his work to rehabilitate the Stillwater Dam in Tobyhanna Township. In 2014, he was awarded the Jean Yates Award from the Pittston Memorial Library Board of Trustees based on his dedication and service to the library and the Joseph Battisto Award for his legislative service to the citizens of Monroe County. In 2015, he received the Pennsylvania Citizens for Better Libraries (PCBL) State Elected Official Award. In May 2016, he received the BAYADA Home Health Care Champion award, and in June 2016 he was presented with the Silver Bayonet Award by AMVETS in grateful appreciation of services rendered to the community, state, and nation.
Mike formerly worked as the chief of staff for then-state Rep. John Yudichak, served as legislative liaison for PennDOT under Gov. Robert Casey and served as district office director for Congressman Paul Kanjorski. A graduate of Pittston Area High School, Mike earned a bachelor of arts in liberal studies from the University of Scranton. A lifelong resident of Avoca, he is a member of the Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick in Pittston, and the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Avoca Division. Mike is father of three adult children, Matt, Mackenzie, and Ali.