People

As founder Sam Kitchell wisely noted throughout his life, Kitchell is only where it is today because of the quality of our people. We are fortunate to employ the best, brightest, proud yet humble individuals within the building industry, and are pleased to have them all carry the title “employee owner” through our enviable profit-sharing plan. This benefit is based on an annual vesting schedule that requires no individual financial investment, and has historically performed very well with low volatility. Our employees possess a wide range of skills and talents that, when combined, present a formidable team that brings projects to life. Kitchell employee owners take tremendous pride in their work, their relationships, and the legacy that the Kitchell name evokes.

Executive Team

Wendy Cohen

President and CEO

Kitchell Corporation

As the CEO of Kitchell Corporation, Wendy Cohen works closely with each of the companies that are part of the Kitchell family, and leads the corporate team that oversees all Kitchell financial, legal, technical and human resources functions.
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Chris Kirch

President

Kitchell Contractors

Kirch has been with Kitchell Contractors since 2003, working his way from an intern to executive working on complex higher education and healthcare projects across four states. He is an accessible, supportive leader who is unwavering in his dedication to Kitchell’s projects, clients and employees.
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Don Haase

President

Kitchell CEM

Don Haase leads our Sacramento-based construction/program management practice. With more than 35 years of experience on the client and consulting side, Don is known for his proactive and collaborative leadership style, ability to facilitate consensus and deliver budget-constrained solutions.
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Rob Schramm

President

Kitchell Development Company

Rob Schramm oversees acquisitions, entitlements, leasing, construction management and property management of Kitchell-owned assets encompassing raw land, retail, office and industrial properties.
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John T. White

President

American Refrigeration Supplies

John T. White leads ARS, a Phoenix-based HVAC wholesaler with a national footprint providing quality products and service to the heating, ventilating and air-conditioning industry. ARS sells primarily to licensed contractors in the repair and replacement market.
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Meet some of our Employee-Owners

Bill Johal

Regional Vice President

Bill’s participation with public safety and essential service facilities includes extensive time connecting with all the stakeholders. A mammoth task to some, Bill knows diligence paid early in a project’s life benefits all.
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Julie Garcia

Vice President of Preconstruction

Julie's expertise encompasses all preconstruction activities, specializing in healthcare construction costing and design team integration.
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Phil Glenn

Vice President of Operations

Phil is a healthcare construction expert and has managed some of Kitchell's most significant projects. He is a champion of Lean and offsite prefabrication.
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B.A. Golston

Senior Project Manager

B.A.'s expertise encompasses construction administration, construction management and project management of public and private entities, including transportation, corrections, student housing, education and more.
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Kaley Simon

Market Sector Executive

A Texas native, Kaley has over 17 years of experience, with 8 years leading Kitchell's Texas preconstruction efforts. She has been a driver of local growth with unmatched budgeting skills and strong relationships with Austin trade partners. Kaley is a trusted advisor to many local clients.
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Naveed Saboonchi

Director of IT

Naveed oversees Kitchell's communications and computer technology. His expertise spans research, planning, testing and deployment of complex, networked systems enabling Kitchell's offices to communicate seamlessly.
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Joyce Oishi

Senior Project Manager

Joyce has worked on various project types including education and civic/municipal, managing contracts of varying size and complexity. She is adept at working with government agencies of many types for consultation, engineering, approvals, legislation and/or required permits, including DSA.
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Justin Carr

Senior Project Superintendent

With Kitchell since 2008, Justin’s adaptability and field leadership is instrumental on key large and complex projects. His commitment to learning and a hands-on approach makes him an asset to clients and project teams.
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Rick Barton

Operations Manager

Rick has worked on a wide range of public and private projects including educational and municipal facilities, parking structures, office buildings and warehouses.
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Marie Otaya

Project Manager II

Marie strives to provide clients and project teams with integrity and innovation in order to meet goals and provide exceptional value.
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David Lee

General Superintendent

Starting as a carpenter with Kitchell in 1994, David has made his mark on multiple landmark projects as a leader in the field. With a genuine and humorous leadership style, David is known as a mentor to younger staff in the field.
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Gabrielle Robinson

Project Manager

With a background in architecture, Gabi approaches each project with meticulous attention to detail. She has worked with Kitchell’s vicon team as well as in the field, where she oversees some of Kitchell's most significant projects spanning healthcare to higher education.
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Veronica Delgado

Executive Director Marketing and Communications

An outstanding leader and communicator, Veronica successfully creates cohesive A/E/C marketing and communications campaigns for public and private sector clients. She has over 15 years of experience in developing and implementing comprehensive multi-platform marketing initiatives.
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Arturo Taboada

Regional Executive

Arturo has progressive experience in the planning, design, construction and development of private and public buildings and programs, including more than 15 years of management experience leading teams and organizations of various scales both domestically and internationally.
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Patricia Nguyen

Project Director

Patricia draws on her large skillset and extensive experience to manage large and complex programs. She excels at developing diverse high-performance teams with shared vision and purpose.
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Eric Vogt

Director of Safety

Eric manages multiple safety and health programs across Kitchell and has excellent knowledge of industry regulations, including Cal OSHA, FED OSHA, NFPA, and EM856.1.1. He coordinates with site safety leadership in managing safety on all Kitchell projects.
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Mike Hancock

Chief Estimator

Mike’s knowledge of market costs is unmatched. He has proven himself an invaluable leader of our preconstruction services, navigating complicated projects through design while maintaining strict budget commitments.
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Ron Garrett

Regional Executive

Leveraging four decades of experience in guiding projects in Texas, Ron skillfully applies his expertise to ensure success in the region. Ron's dual role as an architect and builder reflects his passion, bringing forth an approach focused on constructability and effective problem-solving.
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Maria Davila

Finance Director

Maria works closely with project teams and management to create and monitor our company’s financial goals. She started her career in public accounting and is now a proud employee-owner at Kitchell CEM.
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Heather Brown

Engineering and Architectural Services Department Director

Heather has worked on a wide variety of public, higher education and commercial facilities. She is responsible for managing the multi-disciplinary and multi-talented EAS Department.
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Ranjit Sinha

Operations Manager

Ranjit has specialized in civic/municipal, office, laboratory and industrial facilities for both public and private clients. He is a skilled facilitator of communication and collaboration amongst the project team.
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Sean Greenwald

Director of Facilities Management

Sean has a natural ability to communicate and relate with people, while providing valuable technical knowledge to clients. Passionate about Facilities Management, he believes it touches all phases of stewardship of operating a facility in order to achieve the purpose or mission of the businesses.
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Luz Gonzalez

Program Director

Luz has progressed through the Kitchell ranks, beginning as an Intern. She is building on a legacy of performing with excellence in her jobsite leadership roles and our clients recognize her capabilities to lead with success.
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David Bruner

Program Manager

David has multifaceted experience in the construction industry on a variety of tenant improvement, new construction and renovation projects for public and private sector clients.
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Jennifer Baker

Program Director

Jennifer is a dynamic and team-oriented leader with a proven track record delivering projects on time and within budget while exceeding client expectations in the public and private sectors of healthcare, institutional, governmental and high-rise residential.
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Jace Pitre

Project Manager

Never one to shy away from a challenge, Jace handles some of Kitchell’s most complex healthcare projects in Texas. Jace's commitment to efficiently managing project information ensures streamlined construction, leading to optimal cost, top-notch quality, and timely completion of his projects.
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Ken Ottinger

Director of Quality

Ken's wealth of building assembly knowledge make him an indispensable resource for Kitchell project teams, who rely heavily on him for constructability input and field verifications. He spearheads Kitchell's quality initiatives and is a seasoned leader in building envelopes and forensic reviews.
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Farshid Samsami

Senior Project Manager

Farshid has a diversified background in the program management, project/construction management and general construction of educational facilities. He brings a solid understanding of a project’s needs and requirements, allowing our team to be productive from day one.
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Jorge Mendoza

Senior Project Manager

Jorge’s exceptional leadership and organizational skills have enabled him to successfully lead multiple projects and gain client respect for keeping projects on track. He has the ability to take large complicated projects and break them down into individual tasks, executing all efforts.
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Damian Glaze

Regional Executive

Damian's extensive experience includes education, civic/municipal, justice/corrections, transportation and commercial projects and programs ranging in size from $1 million to $660 million. He truly sees projects through from conception to completion, skillfully leading and building effective teams.
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Eric Rogers

Project Director

Having completed projects ranging from office to higher-education, Eric is a calm and confident leader and problem solver who champions his client’s vision. Eric understands and knows how to manage projects under various delivery methods, ensuring best value for all stakeholders.
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