DBIA picks three for 2026 Distinguished Leadership Awards

The Design-Build Institute of America named Michele Basic, Ghada Gad and Stephen M. Reams as its 2026 Distinguished Leadership Award recipients. The honorees will be recognized Nov. 4-6 in Cleveland for leadership across owner, academic and industry roles that support design-build delivery.

Why it matters: - DBIA’s annual awards spotlight people shaping how design-build projects are delivered across the public, academic and private sectors. - The 2026 honorees span owner, faculty and industry roles, reflecting where DBIA sees collaboration and best practices taking hold.

What happened: - The Design-Build Institute of America named Michele Basic, Assoc. DBIA; Ghada Gad, Ph.D.; and Stephen M. Reams, Assoc. DBIA, as recipients of its 2026 Distinguished Leadership Awards. - Basic was selected in the Owner category. - Gad was selected in Faculty/Academia. - Reams was selected as an Industry Practitioner. - DBIA will recognize all three honorees during the 2026 Design-Build Conference & Expo, Nov. 4-6 in Cleveland, Ohio.

The details: - Michele Basic is vice president of the Comprehensive Modernization Department at the New York City Housing Authority. - Basic oversees more than $2 billion in capital investment across 12 developments in all five New York City boroughs. - Basic’s work centers on preserving and modernizing public housing through rehabilitation, infrastructure upgrades and resiliency improvements. - Resident engagement is central to Basic’s project delivery approach. - Basic previously managed NYCHA’s $3 billion FEMA-funded recovery program after Superstorm Sandy. - Ghada Gad is professor of construction engineering and management and graduate coordinator in the Department of Civil Engineering at California Polytechnic State University. - Gad’s work links research, education and industry practice, with a focus on procurement, project delivery, contracts, risk, cost and quality. - Gad has led or contributed to more than 20 national and state-funded research projects. - Gad has authored or contributed to more than 75 peer-reviewed publications. - Stephen M. Reams is a partner with Smith Currie Oles LLP. - Reams is a nationally recognized construction attorney who has spent decades advising Owners, design-build teams and other industry stakeholders. - Reams has taught nearly 500 courses over 20 years as a longtime DBIA instructor and advocate. - Reams also helped develop instructor and testing materials for DBIA’s updated Design-Build Done Right® Best Practices.

Between the lines: - DBIA is elevating leaders who connect delivery practice with training, research and owner-side execution. - The mix of honorees suggests DBIA wants to reinforce design-build as both a technical delivery method and a collaborative culture. - Basic’s and Reams’ roles point to the growing importance of owner education and legal guidance in complex delivery models. - Gad’s selection signals continued emphasis on preparing the next generation of design-build professionals through academia.

What's next: - The award presentations will take place at DBIA’s conference in Cleveland in November. - The honorees are likely to be featured as examples of leadership in design-build delivery during the event.

The bottom line: - DBIA is using its 2026 leadership awards to honor three professionals whose work connects public investment, education and industry practice around design-build.