PDCA Contractor College Instructors

PDCA is very proud of the talented people who share their insight and knowledge. Their efforts have made the Contractor College learning experience the best available in the industry. We are pleased to present this abbreviated list of instructors.

Jonathan R. Abbett, CLU, ChFC

Jon founded FAA in 1997 to better service the benefits and investment needs of not-for-profit organizations and the business community at large. He has been a financial planning professional for 18 years, 12 of which have been specialized in the association marketplace and their business owner members. Jon built his insurance and investment practice from a solo operation, managing individual clients, to a firm of over 15 financial professionals serving over 100 not-for-profit organizations and over 500 individual clients. FAA currently manages nearly $100 million in organization and individual assets and over $375 million in insurance programs, supporting an array of tax-efficient executive deferred compensation, estate and individual accumulation plans.

Jon and his team have worked with PDCA members through education programs and individual consultation. Their focus is on helping members in a variety of financial areas to become more efficient and cost effective with their employee benefits, as well as, assisting PDCA members on their personal needs for tax efficient retirement, transition, benefit and compensation planning. 

Richard Bright

Richard Bright is Director of Sales & Marketing for PDCA as well as founder & president of Bright Concepts, Inc., an association consulting organization founded 1997. Bright Concepts main focus is on developing and growing valued relationships between businesses and associations, Bright Concepts handles several major association accounts including the Painting & Decorating Contractors of America (PDCA), the American Council of Independent Laboratories (ACIL), and the American Subcontractors Association (ASA).

Along with his success as an entrepreneur, Richard is also an international speaker who addresses topics on CEO Peer groups, entrepreneurship, sales and marketing and motivation based on a solid foundation of knowledge and experience with a blend of humor and enthusiasm. He has presented for audiences from 15 to 150, for the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE); the Council of Growing Companies, and many other organizations and events. Richard Bright currently serves on the board of The Entrepreneurship Institute and The Remember the True Victims Foundation.

Peter A. Brown 

Pete Brown brings more than 20 years of sales and general management experience to his position as founder and president of Gateway Sales Development, Inc. (GSD), a sales training and business development firm based in Missouri, and an authorized franchisee of the Sandler Sales Institute.Gateway Sales Development is committed to helping our clients reach their financial goals. By introducing a systematic process approach to the selling environment, and then reinforcing these new behaviors through on-going training, GSD delivers value beyond traditional, technique-based seminars. Pete is a Magna cum Laude graduate of DePaul University with a Master of Business Administration degree, and a Bachelor of Science degree in business administration from the University of New Hampshire.

Irv Chasen

Irv is a Contractor, Consultant, Lecturer and Author. Irv worked for his family's contracting business which was established in 1914. Irv later went on to found Proff Management based on the same tried and proven methods that brought increased success to his family's contracting business. Irv has lectured throughout the U.S., Canada and Australia on overhead recognition and overhead recovery. He has written numerous articles and text on the standard of overhead recovery for the American Subcontractors Association which includes: Understanding Subcontracting Overhead, Allocating and Recovering Overhead and Managing Overhead for Profit.

Irv's 40 plus years of experience in a family contracting business combined with his eternal enthusiasm for the contracting trades makes him a plus for any construction training forum or meeting.

Robert Cusumano

Mr. Cusumano has long been active in organizations serving the paint and painting contractor industries. With over 30 years of experience, as a contractor and consultant, he has become a recognized expert in his field. He often provides expert witness testimony in many cases dealing with pricing, failure analysis and even personal injury.

In addition to being a Chairman of the PDCA Cost and Estimating Committee and a Board member of the Master Painters Institute International Advisory Board, Mr. Cusumano has served as National President of the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America.

He has a Bachelor of Metallurgical Engineering and a Master of Science Degree in Engineering, (specializing in corrosion research) both from the University of Florida.

Brandt Domas

Brandt Domas is Director of PDCA Online for PDCA and has provided communications services to PDCA for many years.  He is founder of Work-Systems.com, a Marketing and PR Small Business Consulting and Media company started in 1994.  He is also President of Domas Fine Painting, a painting and decorating contracting business started in 1979.  Both businesses are located in Denver, Colorado. 

Brandt served as a National President of the Painting and Decorating Contractors of America during 2000-2001.  He has served on several PDCA committees and other construction-related association's committees. Brandt is a national speaker and the author of numerous articles and web sites on business communications and management as well as painting and decorating. He brings relevant, practical and technical expertise to his presentations, combined with an engaging delivery.

Brian Drucks

Brian is the fourth generation of his family to be in the paint business.
He started his own residential wallpaper company and 10 years ago decided to start a commercial paint and wallcovering firm. Last year his company went union. Drucks Inc. currently employees 20 painters and it's clientele includes Giant Stadium, Retail stores and Office buildings throughout New Jersey and New York.

In addition, Brian started Yourcostcenter.com a software company that helps Service Companies, understand and develop their company's pricing. His software company is a PDCA Passport provider.

Doug Duncan

Doug Duncan of Your HR Solutions, Inc. has 30 years of experience in business planning and human resources working for small, medium and large companies and organizations. Doug has also consulted for large best-in-class companies such as a $6 billion dollar supermarket organization as well as a large mid-west insurance company in helping to build their strategic and human resource systems.

Over the last 5 years he has worked specifically with a number of commercial and residential painting companies in creating an operational and human resource process tailored to the needs and requirements of the painting industry. He brings the learning's from these wide varieties of companies in the painting industry in a straightforward and easy to understand manner.

Audrey Godwin, CPA

Audrey is the principal and founder of The Godwin Group, PLLC, a Certified Public Accounting and Business Advisory Services firm. She has worked in private industry at every level of accounting responsibility to include Controller and Chief Financial Officer. 

Her passion is assisting clients to reach their individual definition of success through client-centered personal service, education and practical applications. As Chief Financial Officer and Strategist for small to mid-size businesses, she assist in building business profits and value through planning to minimize taxes and innovative business development solutions. 

Her services range from business development, strategic planning, cash flow planning, job costing analysis and benchmarking strategies, to retirement, estate and personal financial planning as well as tax compliance and planning. She works with start up businesses as well as existing enterprises as partner and coach to enable them to successfully implement their financial strategies and reach their goals.

The firm is a member of the Principal Alliance, a global alliance of consulting accountants.

Karyn Greenstreet

Karyn is the President of Passion For Business, LLC. She is an internationally-known speaker, author, and self-employment expert who has taught business and personal development topics to over 250,000 people worldwide. She is extraordinarily passionate about helping self-employed people to create the life and business they want. 

Karyn has been offering coaching since 1994. With 25 years of corporate and computer experience, Karyn was most recently the Director of International Education for a software company, managing four education centers worldwide. She has significant experience in starting and running home-based and self-employed businesses since 1981. She has had successful businesses as a professional wedding & portrait photographer, owner of a recording studio, personal growth instructor, and owner of Passion for Business.

Ronald A. McKenzie

Ronald A. McKenzie is president of McKenzie Marketing Group, Inc., a national strategic planning/marketing consulting company that helps contractors and subcontractors develop a positioning advantage, and CEO of Construction Peer Group Corporation (CPGC), a construction peer group management company that puts non-competing contractors together and facilitates their meetings with a focus on company growth. CPGC is the approved management company for PDCA peer groups.