LCI Recognizes Bernita Beikmann with Chairman's Award

(Arlington, Virginia) — Lean Construction Institute (LCI) today announced that its board of directors has voted unanimously to award Bernita Beikmann of HKS Architects with the Chairman’s Award, LCI’s premier annual recognition for an individual who has served the Institute with extraordinary distinction and has furthered its mission of transforming design and construction through Lean tools and techniques.

“Bernita stands out as leader in the adoption and practice of Lean tools and techniques within HKS, one of the most successful and committed practitioner organizations in the Design industry,” said Dan Heinemeier, executive director. As HKS Director of Lean Strategy, she has taken on the challenge of extending the understanding and use of Lean principles beyond the healthcare practice and into other market segment serving groups within HKS.

“Her contributions to the financial and programmatic success of LCI are incredibly significant,” said Will Lichtig, LCI Chairman. Beikmann is a frequent speaker on Lean practices, with her presentations at LCI events generating significant revenue for the organization in addition to encouraging others to become active in Community of Practice events. Bernita is a past Chair of the Dallas-Fort Worth Community of Practice and has served on and contributed significantly to the success of the planning teams for multiple LCI annual Congress programs.

Among her lasting contributions to the Lean community is her key role in hosting two successive rounds of the LCI Knowledge Transfer initiative in 2014-15. The intensive set of three-day sessions brought over fifteen knowledgeable Lean practitioners to Dallas, Texas, resulting in dozens of published papers on key topics in Lean. “This body of knowledge has provided the LCI community with a major and lasting benefit in support of their Lean journeys,” said Heinemeier.

LCI will present Beikmann with the Chairman’s Award at its 17th Annual Congress, to be held October 12-16, 2015 in Boston, Massachusetts. The event, LCI’s largest of the year, brings together the Lean construction and design community for learning and networking.