COAA Announces Changes to 2022 Board of Directors

The Construction Owners Association of America announces the reelection of two Board members to three-year terms:  John V. Zahor, University of Maryland, Baltimore County, and Shawn Kelly, General Services Administration. 

COAA also announces the departure of two long-time members of the Board of Directors: Terry Cook, University of Maryland, Baltimore County and Marvin Woodward, formerly with the Georgia State Financing and Investment Commission (GSFIC).

Cook served on the Board in the past and was then invited by the president of the Board to fill a vacancy created by the departure of a previous board member. Her two-year term ended December 31, 2021.  

Woodward departs the Board following his recent retirement from GSFIC. 

In addition, Keith Douglas with The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company stepped down as Director-at-Large effective December 31. Douglas was appointed by the president of COAA’s Board in January 2016.   

Changes to COAA’s Bylaws in March 2020 allow the President to appoint more than one Director-at-Large. Beginning in January 2022, Jessica Bonin with Holder Construction and John Giovannone with The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company will each serve in that capacity.

About the 2022 Board

John Zahor is the Director of Operations and Maintenance within the Facilities Management Department at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC).  He is responsible for managing the periodic maintenance, repair, and replacement and the day-to-day operations of the campus facilities, including all mechanical, electrical, plumbing, central plant, elevators, building envelopes, interior finishes & furnishings, campus landscaping, roads, and public works, and the facility vehicle fleet.  He is also responsible for providing small project upgrades.

Zahor has been an active COAA volunteer and leader for more than a decade, serving on the Conference Committee, as an Owner Training Institute^® instructor, on the Board of Directors, and as Vice President of the Maryland/D.C. chapter.

Shawn Kelly recently accepted a Project Manager position in the Public Buildings Service Department of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA). Kelly was previously employed with the University of North Carolina - Charlotte. His experience in facilities operations, project management, business development, people management, and communications skills served him well over the past three years as a director on the COAA Board of Directors. He is the past chair of COAA’s Emerging Professionals (EP) Committee and continues to ensure the EP perspective is factored into strategic decisions.  Beginning in 2022, he will chair COAA’s Education Committee.

Jessica Bonin is a Manager of Business Development and Marketing for Holder Construction, a national construction services firm with experience all over the country and offices in Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, Denver, Phoenix, San Jose and Washington, D.C. Holder is consistently ranked by ENR (Engineering News-Record) as one of the nation's leading contractors in construction management.

Bonin started her career at Holder in 2010, in the Mid-Atlantic region, and quickly became involved in the Maryland/DC Chapter of COAA. Beginning in 2010, she has served on the Leadership Committee of the Maryland/DC Chapter helping to organize workshops, send marketing emails and increase membership. In 2015, Bonin relocated to Holder’s Dallas, Texas office and became involved in the Texas Chapter of COAA. Having a passion for emerging professionals, teaching them about the benefits of COAA and bringing awareness to COAA’s succession plan, she served as Chair of the Young Professionals Task Force (now Emerging Professionals Committee) for COAA in 2017.

John Giovannone is a Senior Vice President with The Whiting-Turner Contracting Company.  John has been with Whiting-Turner for 38 years, starting as a Project Engineer and continuing in construction operations with a heavy emphasis on Higher Education, Science & Technology and Pharma construction projects.  Most recently, John has been overseeing corporate support groups for Marketing, Quality, Scheduling, Cost, BIM/VDC, and Innovation.  John resides in Shelton, CT with his wife Colleen, and their 2 daughters - Emily and Lindsay.

The members of the 2022 COAA Board of Directors are

President
Allison Muth
Medxcel

Vice-President
John Zahor
University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Secretary/Treasurer
Andrew Reilly
Carnegie Mellon University

Past President
Joe Sprys, retired - National Heritage Academies 

Directors:
Fran Ahern
Wayne State University

Shawn Kelly
General Services Administration

Bill Martin
University of Central Florida

Directors-at-Large
Jessica Bonin
Holder Construction

John Giovannone
The Whiting-Turner Contracting Co.

Founded in 1994, the Construction Owners Association of America (COAA) promotes facility Owner leadership and continuous improvement in the planning, design, and construction process through education, collaboration, and information exchange. For more information, visit www.coaa.org.