Building Tomorrow: Advancing Leadership Through Innovation & Learning

Wednesday, February 18 | 8:00 a.m. – 9:00 a.m.

This panel will focus on how one partnership developed a comprehensive leadership education program designed to elevate experienced foremen and women and emerging leaders into strategic roles by strengthening their leadership capabilities and collaborative mindset.  Participants will learn about how leadership training programs effectively bridge the gap between the field and executive leadership. 

Speakers:

Julie Muller
SMACNA Western Washington

Julie Muller is the Executive Vice President and Legal Counsel for SMACNA Western Washington, where she oversees chapter operations and leads the organization’s labor relations strategy. She serves as a key advisor to contractors, trustees, and industry partners and is responsible for negotiating collective bargaining agreements while ensuring the organization’s strategic, operational, and legal alignment.

In addition to her executive role, Julie serves as a trustee on several Taft-Hartley Trust Funds, including the Sheet Metal Workers Apprenticeship Training Fund and the Northwest Sheet Metal Workers Health and Pension Funds. In these capacities, she is actively engaged in workforce development, benefit sustainability, and long-term industry stewardship.

Driven by a deep commitment to innovation and education in the construction industry, Julie has spearheaded numerous professional development and best-practices initiatives. She co-founded the Western Washington Executive Education Institute to advance the next generation of leaders through high-level training, development, and mentorship. As the daughter of a veteran and a demolition tradesman and contractor, she also helped create the inaugural SMART Heroes program, supporting veterans transitioning into careers in the sheet metal industry. Furthermore, in partnership with the SMACNA/Local 66 Women’s Committee, she co-created the MomPod, an innovative mobile, weatherproof, self-sustaining lactation support pod designed specifically for working mothers in the field.

Julie currently serves on the Board of Directors of the Heavy Metal Summer Experience (HMSE) and as Treasurer and recently completed a ten-year term as Co-Chair of Construction for Change, a nonprofit construction management organization focused on delivering healthcare and educational facilities to underserved communities worldwide.

Julie holds an MBA from Yale University, a Juris Doctorate, and a bachelor’s degree from Loyola Marymount University. She is active in her local Catholic parish and school community and is a devoted single mother to twelve-year-old twins. Outside of work, she enjoys cheering on her son at select baseball games, supporting her daughter at dance competitions, and spending time on the water and in the sun.

BJ Giri
Holaday Parks

BJ Giri is a respected leader in the mechanical contracting industry with more than 35 years of experience spanning engineering, operations, executive management, and industry governance. Known for his integrity, collaborative leadership style, and long-term vision, BJ exemplifies the professionalism and values that define the SMACNA community.

BJ’s career began while earning his Mechanical Engineering degree and MBA from Seattle University, when a part-time job at Holaday-Parks led to an opportunity in the Engineering Department. Over the next three decades, he advanced through every major leadership role within the firm—Design Engineer, Project Manager, Account Executive, Division Vice President—and now serves as Managing Principal.

Under BJ’s leadership, Holaday-Parks employs more than 400 professionals across its Seattle and Tukwila operations and continues to expand nationally. He leads the company’s New Markets Division, supporting growth in regions including Virginia and Ohio, and founded the firm’s Service Department, now a cornerstone of its long-term success.

BJ is deeply committed to advancing the industry through service and leadership. He has served on the SMACNA Western Washington Board of Directors since 2015, including terms as President in 2023 and 2024, and as a long-standing member of the Executive Committee. He has participated on the Negotiating Labor Committee since 2005 and currently chairs both the Negotiating Labor Committee and the Service Subcommittee, where his steady, solutions-oriented approach has strengthened labor-management relationships.

In addition, BJ serves as a Trustee for the Northwest Sheet Metal Workers Pension Trust and the SMACNA Western Washington Organizational Trust. He co-founded the Western Washington Executive Education Institute and continues to support leadership development through mentorship and education. Nationally, he represents Western Washington on the National Best Practices Committee.

BJ’s leadership extends beyond business. He helped organize the nation’s first construction-focused COVID-19 vaccine clinic and is the founder of the Nepal Seattle Society. In memory of his late wife, Mala Giri, he has led industry efforts to raise awareness and funding for women’s cancer research, helping raise more than $40,000 through community and industry events.

Widely respected for his character and resilience, BJ Giri is known as a trusted mentor, colleague, and advocate. Whether leading negotiations, expanding markets, or supporting the next generation, he brings humility, purpose, and heart to everything he does.

Devin Leingang
SMART Local Union 66

Devin began his sheet metal apprenticeship on May 18, 1987, with the Hermanson Company after graduating from the Welding Program at Lake Washington Technical College. He spent the first two and a half years of his apprenticeship in the field before transitioning into the shop, where he went on to serve 10 years as a shop foreman. Devin then launched the Specialty Metals Division at Hermanson, where he spent 12 years managing and selling specialty metals projects. In total, he dedicated 31 years of his career to Hermanson.

In 2018, Devin was elected to serve the membership of Local 66 as a Business Representative, a role he held for five and a half years. On July 1, 2023, he was appointed Regional Manager of Local 66, where he served for two years. On September 1, 2025, Devin was appointed SMART Northwest Regional Council President, a position he continues to hold today.

In addition to his leadership roles within SMART, Devin serves as Secretary/Trustee of the Northwest Pension Trust, Trustee of the Northwest Healthcare Trust, Vice President of the Washinton State Building and Construction Trades Council and is a member of the Board of Directors for Qualstar Credit Union, where he also chairs the Audit Committee. He additionally serves on the Board of the Local 16 Healthcare & Pension Trusts.