Our Team
Our team members are our biggest strength and most important asset. We believe in hiring and retaining the best talent through generous incentives, ongoing training, and opportunity for growth. Our team’s dedication to customer satisfaction is one of the major reasons we are the premier design and renovation company in the Brandywine Valley.
click on an image to learn more about our team
Joe Oakes
President
As President of First State Building & Design, Joe lives and breathes carpentry and construction. He started the company back in 2006 and has transformed it into the business it is today – a growing full-service home renovation company that designs and builds custom-crafted exterior and interior spaces. All with a customer-first approach. From meeting with clients to getting his hands dirty in the field, Joe continues to put his passion into what he loves.
Nancy
Vice President of Operations and Interior Design Divisional Manager
Nancy oversees all staffing and day-to-day office activities of the office, as well as key departments including marketing, sales, production, and customer service. As the team leader for the Interiors division, she manages all aspects of our interior design projects including initial consultations, proposals, production, and planning to ensure quality and customer satisfaction.
Ron
CAD
Ron initially joined our team as a lead carpenter, honing his master carpenter skills to perfection. Now he leverages that expertise as our Computer-Assisted Design (CAD) professional. In this role, he creates all the structural and technical drawings for our exterior projects.
Michelle
Accounts Payable Specialist
Michelle brings 20 years of accounting experience and a love of helping businesses succeed to FSBD’s accounting team. As the company continues its quick expansion, Michelle helps ensure it does so in an organized and strategic manner while keeping all accounts up-to-date.
Lacey
Phantom Screens Divisional Manager
Lacey brings 14 years of experience to our production team. A true team player, Lacey coordinates various elements of our production process as well as providing general oversight and management to the Phantom Screens division. With a focus on always exceeding client expectations, Lacey focuses on teamwork to make that happen.
Brian
Production Coordinator
Brian’s 30+ years in construction management and passion for helping to create peoples’ dream living spaces carry over to his work on all FSBD projects. As project coordinator, Brian’s role is key to a project’s success as he oversees many details and touches multiple points of our process.
Pete
Project Manager
Pete began his construction career after serving in the 82 nd Airborne division of the United States Army. Now, some 40 years later, his master carpentry skills and experience are leveraged in overseeing many of our residential renovation projects.
Matt
Project Manager
As Project Manager, Matt manages all production aspects of our home renovation projects including our daily working crews and subcontractors with an emphasis on maintaining our high standards of quality in both workmanship and customer satisfaction.
Julia
Production Assistant
Julia oversees the permit application process for the company, working with local townships and counties to ensure all our projects meet local standards and requirements. She also serves as the main liaison between our sales department and our project managers.
Chris
Exterior Designer
Chris may have spent the majority of his 30-year career as a graphic designer and web developer, but he has turned that passion into the role of our exterior designer. He is responsible for producing 3-D renderings of our exterior projects, including decks, pavilions, porches, patios, hardscapes, and landscaping.
Kalee
Interior Designer
A member of the National Kitchen and Bath Association, Kalee is FSBD’s lead interior designer. She serves as the point person for all kitchen and bath remodeling projects. She works with clients from initial consultation and proposal to the design stages and planning of the project, ensuring customer satisfaction every step of the way. In her spare time, she also oversees our line of Phantom Screen products.
Tony
Project Consultant & Sales Manager
Overseeing the FSBD sales team, Tony’s passion for helping homeowners achieve their dream homes and make educated decisions drives his management of our sales representatives. His 38 years of sales experience has served to refine and strengthen his knowledge and dedication to the client experience.
Mike
Project Consultant
Bringing 15 years of experience in the home improvement industry, Mike enjoys connecting directly with homeowners to provide the best solutions to their needs. As a former student of math and physics, he is detail-orientation and pragmatic in his approach and excited to gain further knowledge and skills in his experience at FSBD.
CJ
Sales Representative
CJ brings 22 years of project management experience to FSBD. Initially focused on major deck projects (he is Azek certified), he has expanded his passion and construction knowledge to all our exterior services. His commitment to customer communication and satisfaction helps to streamline the FSBD sales process.
Jen
Customer Service Representative and Administrative Assistant
Jen joined the FSBD team as administrative assistant and customer service representative. A direct point of contact for our customers, Jen’s 25 years of experience in business administration and management serve to provide a quality customer experience and unwavering administrative support and management.
Jeff
Sales Representative
Jeff brings 12 years of experience to the FSBD, specializing in roofing, siding, windows and doors. His work in the supply sector provides a unique advantage and in-depth
knowledge of the quality products FSBD carries. Jeff’s love for the industry and enthusiasm for helping homeowners with their renovations position him perfectly to provide an extraordinary customer experience.
Diana
Marketing Director
Diana joined the First State Building & Design team as Marketing Director after 13+ years of marketing experience in hospitality and tourism. Diana applies her multi-channel marketing expertise to highlight and promote the excellent experience, quality product, and outstanding workmanship that all FSBD clients encounter in their home building and design journey.
Kelly
Showroom Manager
Kelly is the first friendly face you see when you stop into our main showroom on Wilmington Pike. As showroom manager, she oversees the appearance and inventory of the showroom (among many other duties). And if you contact our office, it is Kelly’s voice you will traditionally hear first — reinforcing our philosophy of a personalized (human) experience.
Dave
Lead Carpenter
Dave knows a lot about home renovation. After all, he lives in a house that was built in 1722 (and has needed a lot of work over the years). He’s been a carpenter since he got out of college and with his personal and professional renovation experience has helped FSBD grow over the years.
Tom
Lead Carpenter
A resident of Reading, PA, Tom brings over 15 years’ experience in the carpentry business.
Todd
Lead Carpenter
Todd has been in the industry for many years and is truly a master carpenter. As a lead carpenter for FSBD, he utilizes his master level skills to build high quality exterior projects for us and overseas the execution of the overall quality workmanship for each project.
Edward
Carpenter
With 30+ years of carpentry experience, Edward, has been in and around construction since high school. He initially did interior finishing work, including drywall, painting, and finishing carpentry. This has expanded into general construction and home renovation, most recently with FSBD.
Miguel
Carpenter
Miguel has been working in the construction industry for 15+ years now. He likes this industry so much that he does home renovation for us full-time professionally and part-time personally. His ongoing passion for expert workmanship helps to maintain our high-quality standards here at FSBD.
Conor
Carpenter
Conor has 10 years of carpentry experience and enjoys the satisfaction of creating something beautiful where nothing stood before. He is a passionate learner and eager to become more familiar with the many products FSBD offers customers, especially its exclusive products.
Riley
Carpenter Apprentice
Riley began his apprenticeship carpentry education by attending Hodgson Vocational High School and has been honing his industry skills for the past 7+ years.
Matt
Carpenter Apprentice
A resident of Lancaster, PA, Matthew may be a newcomer to the industry but his work ethic and attention to detail makes him the perfect addition to our carpentry team.
Ervin
Carpenter
With over 18 years of experience in the construction industry, Ervin loves doing what he does. And his dedication to his craft helps keep our customer satisfaction levels very high.
Josiah
Carpenter
Josiah brings over 6 years of experience to the industry. His drive and dedication make him an invaluable member of our team.
Nick
Carpenter Apprentice
Residential remodeling is Nick’s passion, and he does it extremely well. When he’s not using his skills at FSBD, he’s doing his own DIY projects at home.
John
Assistant Project Manager
John brings over 30 years of construction experience to the job. As an experienced assistant project manager, he ensures the best quality and craftsmanship for our renovation projects.
Adam
Warehouse Manager
As our Warehouse Manager, Adam oversees a 4,500 square foot facility that was designed and built to house our construction equipment, along with our wide variety of exterior and interior products.