Principals

Michael Forry

Michael Forry is a CCS Principal with over 30 years experience in the construction industry. He has substantial experience in all phases of development and construction including project analysis, planning, design management, budget management, procurement, construction management, logistics, scheduling and project controls. He he has been the responsible manager for over $4 Billion worth of projects which include many of the major Los Angeles area skyscrapers, convention centers, and a substantial list of private and publicly funded projects throughout Southern California.

Mr. Forry’s ability to simplify, quantify, clarify, and document project issues during the development, conceptual, schematic, and construction phases have enabled the clean and timely closure of some very difficult and demanding projects.

His experience in claims avoidance and claims control has proven invaluable not only to public projects, but to the private sector as well. Mr. Forry received his B.S. degree in Construction Management from the California State University, Long Beach. He is a Principal in the firm and is a member of the Construction Management Association of America, the Long Beach Chamber of Commerce, the Rotary Club of Long Beach, and Board Member of the Long Beach Day Nursery.

Diana Cesenas

Ms. Ceseñas has over 17 years experience in construction management and general contracting. Her primary experience is in the area of project controls and development and implementation of policy and procedures with an emphasis on best practice policy. She has extensive experience in educating the project team and implementing proper management processes for tracking, analyzing, and reporting project costs in order to maintain the highest quality standards. She has been involved with several major, high profile projects in the Los Angeles area, such as the LA Metro Red Line – Segment 3 subway system, the controversial LAC+USC Medical Center Replacement Project pre-construction, and the LAUSD School Repair and Construction Project, each with project budgets in excess of $1 billion and involving multi agency coordination.

Ms. Ceseñas is a Principal in the firm and is a member of the Association for the Advancement of Cost Engineering, Board Member of the Long Beach Area Chamber of Commerce International Business Association & Government Affairs Council, and the National Association of Women Business Owners. She is committed to serving the community through organizations such as the Rotary Club of Long Beach – (Board of Directors 2006-2007), The Volunteer Center, and serving as a Board Member with the International City Theater.

Principals

Lynn Adkins

Lynn Adkins has more than forty years of extensive and unique business experience. Thirty-eight of those were with the Southern California Edison Company where he served in various capacities throughout many of the energy giant’s departments, ultimately rising to the position of Chief of Staff to the President of SCE.

Lynn’s service at the nation’s second largest private-owned utility gave him groundbreaking ways to balance the objectives of private industry with that of the public sector in controversial areas like land management, environmental affairs, land use planning and corporate real estate.  Lynn’s business management skills and experience proved invaluable in negotiating agreements in these areas, and especially concerning Edison’s extensive real estate holdings and their utility operations with municipal governments. In the 1990’s, Lynn served in Edison’s Public Affairs Department that deals with over 200 municipal entities where he was Director of the Metro Region and Manager of Edison’s Sacramento Office.

In his many diverse capacities at the Edison Company, Lynn has been able to forge many relationships in private industry and as well as in the public sector at the local, state, and national levels that continue on today.

Brian Bennett

For fourteen years, Brian Bennett was an executive with a Fortune 200 corporation in Los Angeles, California. Serving as Vice President of Public Affairs & Vice President of External Affairs for Edison International, Brian was called upon by the Chairman to lead all external and internal communications departments throughout the California Energy Crisis of 2001-2002. For fifteen months, Brian successfully managed Edison International’s communications departments helping see the company through SCE’s near bankruptcy and successful recovery.

Brian served for nearly twenty years on staff of several political figures including, a U.S. Senator from New York (James L. Buckley), Chief of Staff to Member of Congress from Southern California (Robert K. Dornan), and appointee of a Governor of California (George Deukmejian). He was the campaign manager for several major nationally prominent congressional campaigns, worked or advised on at least one or more presidential, gubernatorial, senate, congressional or local campaigns during every campaign cycle in the past (33) years. Most recently, in June 2006, as a senior advisor to the successful Democrat Long Beach mayoral candidate, Mayor Bob Foster. Brian over the years, has built a broad range of friends, colleagues and contacts in both major  political parties aiding in his ability to serve his clients in governmental and public affairs at the local, state and national levels.

Brian was born in Brooklyn, New York and received a B.A. in economics from The Geo. Washington University, Washington, D.C. and a Juris Doctor from Southwestern University School of Law, Los Angeles, California.

Gloria Cordero

Gloria began a 17-year career with Southern California Edison in 1983 as an Educational Representative developing and creating programs regarding energy efficiency and safety. Beginning in 1989 Gloria served as the local Edison representative to approximately 11 southeast Los Angeles and San Gabriel Valley cities, managing relationships with local and state-wide elected officials. She served as the liaison with community organizations and managed the company’s media relations and in 1994, Gloria represented Edison in the City of Long Beach, managing all phases of company business, political and civic activities. She was the designated spokesperson on local, state and regional issues affecting the company and the local community, as well as media contact for local and regional issues.

In 2001 Gloria was named Government Affairs Director for Long Beach City College. She was responsible for advocacy for community colleges until 2002, including local, state and federal legislative issues. She developed cooperative relationships and communication networks with federal, state and local legislators. Gloria led the college’s strategic relationships with state community college organizations.

In 2006, Gloria was appointed Deputy Director of Community Affairs by newly-elected Mayor Bob Foster to further the vision of the Mayor specifically in the areas of education, workforce development, nonprofits and business and community outreach. Among other things, she was responsible for the development and implementation of the Mayor’s Architecture Construction Engineering Academy (ACE), a small learning community at Long Beach Jordon High School – the first of its kind in Long Beach.

Gloria received her MA from the University of Southern California in Public Administration and a BA in Sociology in from California State University.