Barbara is Commodore’s new HR Administrator and Executive Assistant. She will be working part-time to support HR activities, including new hire orientations, benefits administration and time-off coordination. She will also be providing executive support for Paula Gerry.

Barbara is no stranger to construction. She comes to Commodore following 6 years at Legacy Builders and almost 30 years at Macomber Builders.

Barbara explains, “When I worked most recently with Dan Babine at Legacy, I wore all the hats, because I was the only admin support person on staff. I did whatever had to be done - managing people programs, contracts and providing executive assistance for Dan.” Barbara recalls meeting Dan for the first time, over 25 years ago, “when he came to Macomber as a young engineer.” Macomber is where Barbara also met and worked with Joe’s father, Charlie Albanese, Cliff Straw, Jim Loud, Joe Williams, Brendan Wall and Carolyn Murphy…just to name a few!

For 10 years, Barbara provided support for George Macomber, President and CEO of the firm. Back then, Barbara worked mother’s hours while she raised her three young children. When the kids got older she returned to full time work, supporting Macomber’s CFO, Cliff Straw. As Macomber grew, Barbara’s knowledge of benefits administration grew, and she embarked on the second half of her career - in HR Administration.

Barbara worked as Macomber’s benefits manager, developing a comprehensive benefits program, connecting people, conducting orientations, managing corporate and employee insurance companies. She describes herself back then as “the go-to person for Macomber’s people.”

Barbara grew up in Boston. She and her husband, Bob, raised their three children in Roslindale. Now, their twin sons and one daughter are grown and married, with children of their own. Barbara and Bob moved to Braintree 18 years ago, where the entire family now lives within 15 minutes of each other on the South Shore.

When Barbara isn’t working at Commodore, she plans to continue providing “Grammy & Pop’s” daycare for their 4 grandchildren, ranging in age from 4 – 6 years old. Barbara says, “Having grandchildren is a totally different experience than being a parent, because they treat us like rock stars…and they go home at the end of the day!! That still leaves Barbara time to pursue her hobbies, which include gardening, reading, cooking and entertaining.

Brendan comes to us most recently from Legacy Builders, where he worked with Dan Babine as the firm’s controller. Before that, Brendan spent 8 years at Macomber, working in project accounting. That experience will enable Brendan to create a strong connection between Accounting and Operations in the days ahead.

Brendan attended UMass Amherst and graduated with a degree in Journalism. That early academic background explains his voracious appetite for books of any kind – from fiction to History and everything in between.

Brendan was born and raised in Duxbury. He lives there still – but he’s almost done renovating an older home in Milton that he plans to move into later this month with his family. That family includes his wife, Brighid, their son Declan (almost 5) and daughter Fiona (3).

When Brendan isn’t working, he is most likely on the golf course perfecting a game he’s been playing for 25 years. If it’s winter, he’s probably snowboarding, which he’s been doing for almost as long. He’s also threatening that 2012 is the year he straps the skis back on.

When you ask Brendan why he chose to join Commodore, he explains, “I’ve known several people over the years who have worked at Commodore and I’ve always admired the environment they’ve described here – professional, but family oriented, on a fast track for growth and with a solid industry reputation. I think it’s the perfect place for me, at this stage in my career, where I can grow along with Commodore. Among my shorter term goals is building a bridge between Accounting and Operations that will foster a close and productive working relationship between the two.”

That bridge is still under construction, but it’s open for traffic!

Dan joins Commodore as a project executive, bringing with him 30 years of construction management experience.

Dan took the traditional route to the top of his field – beginning at Macomber as a field engineer and continuing on as an assistant super, superintendent, project manager and ultimately the executive at Macomber, in charge of the Housing sector.

In addition to his project executive responsibilities at Macomber, Dan served on the firm’s 401K Advisory Board, representing employee interests, and on the Rewards & Recognition Committee, where he helped develop Macomber’s bonus program.

It was during the last 6 years of his time at Macomber, that Dan focused on the Housing sector, comprised primarily of low income, HUD-funded projects. According to Dan, “Macomber wasn’t initially involved in this sector, but I had a special interest because of the sense of community I’ve always had. Succeeding in this sector was a good way to give back – and be profitable at the same time.” The sector flourished under Dan’s supervision, building over 3500 units of new and rehabbed housing.

During the first half of the 1990s, Dan worked with Jim Loud on a series of projects for State Street, including a 23-floor renovation at 225 Franklin Street, projects at International Place and exterior envelop and interior fit outs at State Street South, in Quincy.

During those Macomber years, Dan sat next to Joe Williams in the home office. He says he learned a lot hanging out with those “older guys” and describes Jim Loud and Joe Williams as being two of his earliest and greatest mentors.

In 2004, Dan established his own firm, Legacy Builders. The new firm focused on filling a void by building smaller, HUD-funded, low income housing projects. Over the last 7 years, Dan has worked with many of the most prominent non-profit advocates in the city of Boston. By joining Commodore, Dan will be able to better serve the needs of his portfolio of existing clients, at the same time that he’ll be adding valuable experience to our Commodore team.

Dan describes himself as an organized, detailed, high energy leader. He’s got a thing about punctuality – and thinks the biggest risk in this business is disappointing a client, by not meeting their expectations. He says, “I define success by going home at night knowing I gave 100% - knowing I did the right thing – and knowing I made the margins.” (Dan confesses to being a penny-pincher at heart.)

When he’s not working, Dan describes himself as “deep into youth hockey and baseball programs, golf and vacations with my family.” He and his wife Karen have been married for 21 years. They have two sons, Cameron 18, a freshman at Johnson & Wales, and Drew who’s 16 and a junior in high school.

Jodie Chicco is Commodore’s new receptionist. Jodie comes to us from the travel and auto insurance industries. She worked as the travel agent for the Boston College and Boston University athletic teams. She also arranged travel for corporate and individual clients. Those two careers developed Jodie’s ability to multi-task, and her love for multi-cultural interactions. Keeping her diverse customers happy taught Jodie to be very focused on client service.

And then there’s Jodie’s firsthand experience with the construction industry. She handled accounting for a plumbing business and in the process gained an appreciation for the construction trades. The sum of Jodie’s career experiences is what makes her ideal for the position of receptionist.

Born and raised in Newton, Jodie now lives in Waltham. She’s a New England Patriots season ticket holder. Jodie says, “The only way I get from summer to winter is knowing that I’m going to the Patriots games.” Jodie also loves to spend time with her extended family members – who live mostly in Natick.

Jodie hung up her travelling shoes some years ago, but she still has some advice for vacationers. Her top picks include:

Best beaches: Punta Cana

Best food: Jamaica

Friendliest people: Barbados

Sue comes to us from Roseland, Virginia, where she co-owned an animal hospital and also worked as an outreach coordinator at The Monroe Institute, a nonprofit organization that studies higher states of consciousness. In both positions, Sue’s focus was on running business operations and taking care of clients.

Sue was born in the village of Sagamore Beach, near the Cape Cod Canal. Her professional travels have taken her to California, Texas, Virginia and now back home to Massachusetts, where she lives in West Newton. Sue says, “Nelson County, Virginia is beautiful country, but I love being back in the city, with restaurants, bars, more people than cows and things to do after 7PM! It’s hard to believe that I went without Dunkin’ Donuts for 9 years.”

Details and client service characterize Sue’s career experience. Sue says, “Confidentiality and liability have always been priorities. Wearing many hats - changing gears on a dime - have always been essential. When you run your own business, you have to be ready to do whatever it takes – and I have. I’ve answered phones, collected receivables, done the payroll and even bathed the dogs, when needed.”

Sue is an avid reader. She says, “I eat books alive. One of my recent favorites is The Last Child. And my boyfriend Tim is a musician. He has a band called TT Powertrip, so we listen to a lot of music.”

Sue has a 17 year old son, Anthony who’s attending his third year of high school in Virginia.

Chris comes to Commodore from Shawmut, where he worked as a project manager on the campus of Brown University for 7 years. At Brown, Chris built everything from laboratory renovations to major exterior and interior historic restorations. His work at Lyman Hall, a summer barn burner and iconic building on the Brown campus, was one of his most challenging and fulfilling projects there. While he was at Shawmut, Chris worked with Derek Manier on fire code upgrades at Brown’s bio-med facility and he later became friends with Jason Smith, when Jason joined the Rhode Island office to work on a Brown pool project.

Chris was born and raised in Smithfield, RI. He attended The Catholic University of America and graduated with a degree in Civil Engineering. He moved back to New England with the birth of his first daughter. Today, there are three daughters, Abbie, Molly and Sophie, ages 7, 4 and 2. There’s also a Mommy – that’s Jennie. The family lives in Rehoboth – with no pets. (Three young girls are enough for now.)

When Chris isn’t working, he’s being a Dad and trying to train for a 5K he hopes to run on St. Patrick’s Day, 2012.

Growing up, Chris was always into Math and Science. His Dad designed submarines for Electric Boat, so there was a lot of technical talk around the dinner table. When Chris got to college, his advisor happened to be running the University’s construction management program, which turned out to be a major influence on Chris’ trajectory.

Now, as a project manager, Chris thrives on the interaction he has with clients and on a learning curve that never ends. Chris says, “You never stop learning in construction – you keep growing and finding new ways to do and see things.”

Mike comes to Commodore from Murray Brothers Construction, in Leominster, MA, where he worked as the firm’s Preconstruction Manager and Estimator. Murray Brothers is a 10-person firm that specializes in historical renovations. During his time there, Mike worked on historic renovation projects that included the First Parish Church in Lancaster, designed by Bullfinch, the Louisa May Alcott House in Concord and the Spencer Peirce Little Farm in Newbury.

Before joining Murray Brothers, Mike worked at Shawmut as an Estimator. That’s where he met both Mark Nelson and Jared Crowley. Mike says, “The thing I like about Estimating is getting to know the job before everybody else does - being able to break it down. I like the fast pace – you work on a job for a few weeks - pass it on and then start all over again – like hitting the reset button.”

Mike was born and raised in Fitchburg, MA. He lives in Leominster now with his wife, Melissa who is a therapist at UMass, in Worcester. In addition to this being Mike’s 1st day as an Estimator at Commodore, it’s his 3rd wedding anniversary, so it’s going to be a particularly memorable day!

When Mike isn’t breaking down projects, he’s probably hiking up mountains, especially Mt. Monadnock, Wachusett Mountain and more recently some of the bigger mountains in the Presidential Range in New Hampshire. Mike and his wife are also snow boarders. Mike says he taught Melissa how to snow board over 8 years ago and now she’s better at it than he is, but he’s still better at watching football.

Vivian joins Commodore today as our newest Assistant Project Manager. She comes to us most recently from Delphi Construction, Inc, where she worked as a project manager on projects that included hotel renovations, office build outs and exterior curtain wall renovations. Prior to Delphi, Vivian worked at Walsh Brothers, on the MIT Sloan School of Management project, where she was located on site for the three years it took to complete the $142M project. Walsh Brothers is where Vivian met fellow Commodore colleagues Mario DiCesare, Kristin Pelletier and Daniel Bien-Aime. She’s also acquainted with Heather Seymour, who recommended Vivian to Commodore.

Vivian was raised in Los Angeles, California and moved to the East Coast over 4 years ago. She now lives in Arlington. Vivian graduated from UCLA with a degree in Political Science and History and then went on to the University of San Francisco and California State University for a graduate degree in European History.

So, exactly where did construction enter the picture? Vivian explains that it was the rich history of Boston that drew her to this particular city, but, she’s always worked in construction, from Day One. “While I was still going to school, I worked for a Mall developer and then a general contractor. When I got to Massachusetts, I earned a certificate in Construction Project Management from Northeastern and was hired out of the class by Walsh Brothers, to begin my career in New England. I love Boston. I’m a big foodie. The diversity of cuisines - along with the history of the area - and the opportunities to build - are a perfect combination for me.”

When Vivian isn’t working, it’s likely you’ll find her in a spinning class or on the golf course. There’s also a good chance you’ll run into her at Russo’s Market, acquiring the ingredients for a new recipe from one of her many cooking magazines. Rack of lamb with black cherry sauce is her signature dish.

Say hello to Bob Haynes, Commodore’s newest superintendent.

Bob comes to us from Turner, where he worked for 8 years, on projects that ranged from high-end tenant interiors to computer labs. He’s as comfortable working Downtown as he is in the suburbs.

Bob grew up in Massachusetts and went to high school in Medfield. He moved to the North End and attended the Carpentry Program at the North Bennet Street School, one of the oldest trade schools in the country. That’s where he acquired a deep appreciation for the quality of a finished product. For many years he worked as a carpenter.

Eventually, Bob went back to school, graduating from Wentworth with a major in Civil Engineering and a Minor in Building Construction. Today, he lives in Boxford, MA with his wife Linda, along with 2 horses, 2 dogs and a cat. There’s also a grown daughter, Jessica in that menagerie. She lives and works in the Boston Area.

Bob enjoys skiing, golfing, softball, and spending time with his extended family in Orleans, on the Cape. He says, “I find it very peaceful down the cape ,even during the winter, It is a place that I feel very much at home, and at rest when I visit.”

He finds satisfaction working in the field, dealing with the subcontractors and tackling the daily problems that need solving.

Say hello to Kristin Pelletier.

Kristin joins Commodore as our newest Assistant Project Manager. She comes to us from Walsh Brothers, where she worked with Mario DiCesare, who calls her “one tenacious APM!”

Kristin has collaborated on a wide range of projects. She’s comfortable in the college campus environment, in hospitals and on tenant interior projects. Her portfolio includes projects for Stonehill College, Newton Wellesley Hospital, Mount Auburn Hospital and Proctor & Gamble/Gillette.

Kristin attended Wentworth where she graduated with a degree in Architectural Engineering Technology. It’s there that she made the acquaintance of fellow student Stacy Roman, with whom she is still friends…and now colleagues. (Stacy returns from maternity leave on September 19.)

Kristin was born and raised in New Hampshire and now lives with her husband in Marlboro, MA. When she’s not working, Kristin likes to sew, make jewelry and travel. She’s visited some of Europe’s most beautiful countries, including Italy, France and Switzerland.

Kristin says, “I like the business of construction because there’s something different every day. You never know everything - you’re always learning – and I like to be busy.”

Jared is Commodore’s newest Assistant Project Manager. He comes to us from Griffin Electric where he’s been working as a project engineer on projects ranging from the New Haven Rail Yard, to elementary schools and a TI project for Biogen, in Weston.

Before joining Griffin, Jared was in the CMST program at Shawmut, working in the Restaurant niche.

Jared is a 2008 graduate of Wentworth, with a degree in Construction Management. He was raised in Rindge, New Hampshire and now lives in Brighton.

Jared has been interested in construction since he was a kid. In high school, Jared started doing landscaping – and then expanded his resume to include residential carpentry. He got a job building a beach house in RI with a family friend and it was then that he decided to make his career in construction.

When Jared isn’t working, he’s likely to be playing golf, which he did for his varsity team in high school. He likes to bike and work out. Jared enjoys the outdoors, camping, fishing and spending time with friends and family.

Julian is Commodore’s new, on-the-ground-IT Support Specialist.

Julian comes to us from the energy management firm EnerNOC, where he provided IT support for the 800-person organization at 75 and 101 Federal Street.

Julian is a native technology guy. He’s been tinkering with computers since he was 7 years old. He was competing in national programming contests in Chicago and Dallas by the time he was 15 and he was A+ certified to repair PCs by the time he turned 17.

Julian’s been casually aiding his Dad with BayPoint computer issues for as long as he can remember – so we’re just making the assignment official now. Julian is comfortable in the world of construction and it won’t be long before he’s fluent in Timberline and familiar with Commodore’s IT infrastructure.

Julian is a skateboarder and a musician. When he’s not manning the IT help desk, he’ll probably be in his home studio, producing bands from around New England.

James is Commodore’s newest Superintendent. James comes to us from Whiting Turner, where he worked for over 10 years. In that time, James has built projects that range from laboratories for IBM to 150,000 sf tenant interiors for Oracle and Sun MicroSystems.

Born and raised in Weston, James now lives in Sharon with his wife Marisa and their two sons, aged 8 and 4. He coaches the Hockomoch Summer baseball league for the Sharon team. That team includes his 8 year old son, Michael who is following in his father’s baseball playing footsteps.

James was raised in a construction family. By the time he was twelve, he was a mason tender for his uncle’s masonry business and a tile tender for his grandparents. According to James, that’s what all the Italian families did in those days – except for his dad, who was the Director of the Deaconess Hospital in Boston and a retired colonel in the United States Army.

James left New England to attend Arizona State University but returned to Boston soon after. He jumped right back into the construction industry, even though his father wanted him to become a lawyer. The gravitational pull of construction was just too strong to resist.

“I love construction,” says James. “The variety of projects - being able to take concepts on paper and bring them to life – putting on the boots – getting out in the field with the crews – building camaraderie – I’m at home in the field. I can’t imagine being anywhere else.”

“From the people I’ve met and the things I’ve read, I know that my mission to satisfy clients is the same as Commodore’s mission,” James explains. “Quality work, with an emphasis on the process, is hard to find these days. It feels different here at Commodore. There’s more of a connection with people. The interactions are more intimate and immediate than in a big firm, where good ideas can be too easily lost. I’m looking forward to meeting and working with everyone.”

Derek is Commodore’s newest Senior Project Manager. He brings almost three decades of construction experience to our team. Derek has worked with notable industry firms, including Dimeo, Shawmut, Skanska and Walsh Brothers. He’s worked on an impressive range of projects from $100K to $30M, mostly in the non-profit, healthcare and institutional sectors.

Derek grew up surrounded by tools. His father made a business of buying decrepit houses the family would live in while renovating. He paid for college by working in the maintenance department of Mass General Hospital and would return there some years later to continue his career.

After college he had a brief stint as a restaurateur – but left that to join The Brigham Hospital as a unit manager. He then returned to Mass General, this time in a senior position as liaison for a large in-patient renovation. His familiarity with the facility - that dated back to his college days - helped lead to13 more projects for the hospital and a lifetime engagement in construction.

Derek lives in Providence. He’s an avid reader and a gym rat (his description). He plays the guitar, has a studio in his apartment and composes music of all kinds – jazz, rock, blues and classical.

Derek says that team work - the sharing of insights and experience - are as vital to him as the process of building. He says, “My cube is always open – collaboration is very important to me at this stage of my career.”

“I was attracted to Commodore because it hasn’t been pulled into all the typical construction company routines. There’s still an opportunity to define this company as it wants to be – not corporatized – but with a unique culture of its own. That’s what attracts me most.