Meeting/Event Information

Our expert speakers on Mass Timber will explain what Mass Timber construction is and how it differs from conventional steel-and-concrete building construction.

Carl Baldassarra is a Principal and Manager of the Fire Protection practice at Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates in Northbrook, Illinois.  He is nationally-recognized expert in fire protection engineering, including fire/life safety analysis, egress design, fire protection system design and analysis, code consultation; loss investigations, and related services for a wide range of facilities and systems.  He has a degree in fire protection engineering and is a licensed engineer in several states. Over his forty-year career, Mr. Baldassarra has served on many NFPA and ICC technical committees, including NFPA 1, Fire Code; NFPA 13, Standard for the installation of Sprinkler Systems; and, NFPA 101, Life Safety Code.

He is a past President of the Society of Fire Protection Engineers (SFPE), and former member of its board of directors. Mr. Baldassarra was a member of the NFPA Fire Protection Research Foundation Technical Advisory Panel for Tall Wood Buildings, and a member of the ICC Ad Hoc Committee on Tall Wood Buildings that developed the criteria for mass timber buildings included in the 2021 edition of the IBC.

Mark Panzica- As Executive Vice President of Panzica Construction, Mark Panzica has successfully managed his team of over 50 employees to continue on a path of growth and leadership of some of the region’s most transformative projects. Under his direction the company has completed the Flats East Bank Apartments, One University Circle, Centric and the ongoing expansion and renovation of the Cleveland Museum of Natural History. Panzica is currently managing Cleveland’s Intro project in Ohio City, which will be the tallest mass timber residential building in the country.