Description

The Inside Track is a live, in-person event series that brings together leaders from key public and private sectors to share critical updates on upcoming construction projects across Hawaii. More than a rundown of bid opportunities, each session offers in-depth insights into priorities, funding outlooks, and long-term planning.

The Inside Track: Federal 

The General Contractors Association of Hawaii invites you to The Inside Track: Federal, a must-attend event highlighting major investments in military construction throughout the Pacific. With geopolitical strains intensifying and threats from China growing more complex, facility and infrastructure repairs and replacements, network and fuel system hardening, and establishing front-line logistics bases play a crucial role in U.S. Pacific deterrence, rapid response, and coalition operations. With billions of dollars of work planned across the region, this session offers a rare opportunity to hear directly from the agencies driving military readiness, facilities modernization, port and harbor improvements.

Attendees will gain first-hand insight from:

• U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) – Honolulu District
• Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Hawai‘i
• NAVFAC Pacific

This exclusive briefing will cover:

• Existing and planned multiple award construction contracts (MACCs), multiple award task order contracts (MATOCs), and pre-qualified sources lists (PQSLs)
• MACC/MATOC/PQSL task orders and unrestricted and small business standalone construction contracts planned for FY26 and beyond in Hawaii, Guam, Kwajalein, Wake Island, and the rest of the Pacific
• Updates to federal procurement processes, policies, and timelines

A live Q&A will follow the presentations, giving participants the chance to engage directly with federal decision-makers.

Whether you’re an established federal contractor or looking to enter this critical market, The Inside Track: Federal delivers the knowledge and connections you need to stay informed, competitive, and ready to win upcoming opportunities.

Presenters:

Commander Jason Christensen
Operations Officer
Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Hawaii

Commander Jason Christensen currently serves as Operations Officer for NAVFAC Hawaii. He is registered professional engineer in the State of Virginia, a member of the Defense Acquisition Corps, and qualified as a Seabee Combat Warfare officer. His personal decorations include the Meritorious Service Medal (three awards), Navy Commendation Medal (four awards), Army Commendation Medal, Navy Achievement Medal (three awards), and other unit and service awards.

In 2004, he served as an Assistant Resident Officer in Charge of Construction for NAVFAC Marianas and as the Deputy Assistant Regional Engineer for Commander, Navy Region Marianas in 2006. In July 2007 he joined Naval Mobile Construction Battalion SEVENTY-FOUR where he served as a Company Commander and Detail Officer in Charge before transferring to the TWENTY-SECOND Naval Construction Regiment and serving as the Assistant Operations Officer and U.S. AFRICOM Action Officer.

After completing his master’s degree in urban planning from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, CDR Christensen served as the Assistant Regional Engineer for Commander, Navy Region Midwest; the Facilities, Engineering and Acquisition Division Director for Public Works Department, Great Lakes under NAVFAC Mid Atlantic; and as Military Aide for the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Energy, Installations and Environment from April 2016 to May 2018. He was the Executive Officer for Naval Mobile Construction Battalion ONE-THIRTY-THREE before serving as the Public Works Officer for Naval Air Station Sigonella from July 2020 to June of 2023.

Anton R. Klein, PE
Chief of Engineering Support Branch
Acting Chief of Construction Branch (Detailed)
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Honolulu District

Anton Klein brings over 18 years of experience with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to his role as Chief of the Engineering Support Branch at USACE Honolulu District. Prior to joining Honolulu District five years ago, he worked as an electrical engineering designer at USACE’s Europe and Seattle Districts. Klein also gained construction experience as resident engineer for Army Civil Works Resident Office and the Afghanistan Engineer District.

With expertise spanning electrical engineering, construction management, and engineering design, Anton is currently detailed as the Acting Chief of the Construction Branch, overseeing Honolulu District's portfolio of projects within the Honolulu District area of responsibility (AOR)OR. Having led numerous high-profile military and civil works projects, Anton understands that strong partnerships are essential to a successful construction project. His passion for collaboration drives his commitment to building strong relationships with contractors and other stakeholders.

Captain Stephen Padhi
Deputy Commander for Operations
Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Pacific

Captain Stephen Padhi is currently the Deputy Commander for Operations Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command (NAVFAC) Pacific, having recently completed a command tour as Officer in Charge of Construction at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard (OICC PHNSY), where he led the field office that NAVFAC established to execute a multi-billion-dollar project portfolio under the Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP), beginning with the $4.4B Dry Dock 3 Replacement, the Navy's largest value single construction project to date.

As a Seabee Officer, Captain Padhi’s career spans over 25 years and has included deployments to Djibouti, Iraq, Micronesia, and Spain, supporting an array of general engineering missions in peacetime and war. A licensed professional engineer, he has directed major infrastructure operations for the Navy and Marine Corps on both coasts and overseas, as well as private sector experience as an engineer-diver.

Captain Padhi is a native of East Brunswick, NJ, with engineering degrees from the United States Naval Academy and Rutgers University. He is a qualified Seabee Combat Warfare Officer, a Defense Contracting Professional, and a Certified Energy Manager. He served as the Society of Military Engineers (SAME) Honolulu Post President, 2024-2025.

Ms. Tristin N. Suetsugu
Chief of Contracting
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers - Honolulu District

Tristin Suetsugu has served as the Chief of Contracting for USACE’s Honolulu District since 2021. She leads a team of acquisitional professions providing acquisition support to the District’s missions, including the military, civil works, environmental, regulatory, and emergency management programs.

Suetsugu began her federal career as an Engineer Tech in the Engineering and Construction Division at the Honolulu District in 2003. She later became a contract hire supporting the District’s Geospatial Information System before being selected to participate in the acquisition contracting intern program.

In 2015, Suetsugu transferred to the Japan District where she served as a Warranted Contracting Officer and Branch Chief within the Construction Execution Branch of the Contracting Division, responsible for the execution of the Navy, Marines, DoDEA, DLA construction program. She is Defense Acquisition Workforce Improvement Act (DAWIA) Level III certified and a member of the Army Acquisition Corps (AAC).