Leadership Breakfast: Introduction to the Opioid Business Toolkit Project

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER VIA CFMA WEBSITE

Sep 9, 2026 – 7:30 AM (MT) – Evie’s Pavilion (located at the Papago Golf Club) 5595 E Karsten Way, Phoenix, AZ 85008.

Breakfast included with registration
7:30 AM – Breakfast Available and Networking
7:50 AM – 8:00 AM – Announcements
8:00 AM – 8:50 AM – Program Event
8:50 AM – 9:30 AM – Networking

The construction industry faces one of the highest rates of substance use disorder of any profession, including opioid-related overdose and deaths, yet many leaders feel unprepared to respond.

This candid panel brings together three perspectives: a professional in long-term recovery, an HR leader specializing in recovery-friendly workplaces, and a construction executive who has implemented practical solutions within her company. Attendees will explore how to reduce stigma, support recovery, strengthen retention, and manage risk while maintaining accountability.

Attendees will also be introduced to the free Opioid Business Toolkit (developed by Valley Leadership and supported by the Maricopa County Department of Public Health), offering policy templates, supervisor training, employee education, and Narcan awareness at absolutely no cost.

Whether you’re responsible for finance, operations, HR, or executive leadership, you’ll leave with practical ideas and free resources to build a healthier, more resilient workforce.

Learning Objectives – After attending this session, participants will be able to:

1. Recognize how opioid use disorder and substance use challenges affect the construction workforce, organizational performance, employee retention, safety, and business costs — including the staggering $58 billion annual impact on Arizona’s economy alone.

2. Identify practical strategies for developing recovery-friendly workplace policies that balance accountability, compliance, and employee support, and learn how the free Toolkit makes implementation straightforward.

3. Evaluate the financial and operational benefits of investing in recovery-supportive workplace practices, including impacts on productivity, turnover, absenteeism, and workforce stability.

4. Apply lessons learned from a construction company that successfully implemented recovery-friendly practices to strengthen organizational culture and support employees while maintaining business performance.

Free Resource Available to All Attendees
The Opioid Business Toolkit is available at no cost to any organization. Get started at oudbiztoolkit.org or connect with the Valley Leadership team at the event to begin your onboarding.

The Construction Financial Management Association (CFMA) is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors. State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website: https://www.nasbaregistry.org/   

Price

Members: $50.00
Non-members: $50.00

Panelists:

Paige Soucie is a marketing and communications leader with more than 15 years of experience supporting startups, small businesses, and mission-driven organizations through strategic marketing and growth consulting. For the past five years, she has served as Director of Marketing at Valley Leadership, leading brand strategy and communications. She also leads Valley Leadership’s Opioid Stigma Reduction Impact Team, helping organizations adopt recovery-friendly workplace practices and reduce stigma around substance use disorder.

Kate Kucharski is a human resources professional with more than 15 years of executive leadership experience in the roofing and hospitality sectors, bringing deep expertise in workforce strategy, compliance, and organizational culture. She currently serves as Director of Business Engagement & Wellbeing at Valley Leadership, where she partners with Arizona employers to strengthen workplace practices that support employee wellbeing. In this role, Kate leads employer outreach and partnerships for Valley Leadership’s Opioid Business Toolkit, a grant-funded initiative designed to help organizations reduce stigma around substance use disorders, implement supportive policies, and connect employees and their families to critical resources. She works closely with business leaders, HR teams, and industry associations across Arizona to expand awareness, provide practical HR guidance, and promote recovery-friendly workplace practices. 

David Perez is an Industrial Broker with Colliers specializing in tenant representation throughout the Phoenix market. In addition to his work in commercial real estate, David is deeply involved in community leadership and recovery advocacy through Valley Leadership, where he serves on the Impact Team for the Opioid Use Disorder (OUD) Toolkit initiative. Drawing from his own lived experience and over six years in recovery, David is passionate about helping organizations better understand substance use disorder, recovery-friendly workplaces, and the importance of support systems that create second chances. Prior to commercial real estate, he spent years working in construction, behavioral health, nonprofit partnerships, and community outreach focused on recovery and workforce development.

Michelle Walker, CCIFP, SPHR is the Vice President of Operations at SSC Underground, based in Phoenix, AZ.  In her role, she is responsible for the accounting/finance, risk management, and human resource/employee benefit functions of the company with a primary focus in workforce planning and development.  She works closely with the ownership as a member of the executive team on strategic planning, succession, compliance, safety and IT matters. 

Michelle’s combination of business acumen and passion for people have merged together as a founder and past chairman of the Construction Industry Alliance for Suicide Prevention where she works to build awareness in the industry of the suicide risk to the workforce, and creates resources to help implement suicide prevention in the construction workplace.   She has presented at dozens of events to address the topic of suicide prevention in construction.  Michelle has been an active member of CFMA since 2009 and is past-president of the Valley of the Sun Chapter and is a frequent presenter at the national conference.