Sustainable Structures Quality Construction Honest Reliability Sound Building Practices and Smart Solutions
Dana, Owner & Builder
Born and raised in Vermont, Dana learned early on skills & techniques of the building trade. After his move to Oregon in 2000, he started his own construction business, Gnome Woodworks. Dana managed commercial & residential projects throughout Southern Oregon including: a unique affordable housing community of platinum rated Earth Advantage homes; a one of a kind 90-panel solar array; LEED certified luxury home builds & community kitchen for local food cooperative. While developing his own business, he gave back to the community mentoring at-risk students with Rogue Valley Youth Build Program. He was asked to join Portland's reputable Green Hammer team in 2012, and managed projects centered on LEED, Passive House, Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) & Living Building Challenge (LBC) certifications. He is dedicated to sound building practices and he is mindful of the impacts different construction techniques have on the efficiency of a project. In his spare time, you’ll find Dana spending time outdoors, throwing disc (he's a card carrying Professional Disc Golf Association member); traveling around on his motorcycle through scenic byways of Oregon, putting unique touches on his tiny homes on wheels, spending quality time with his three dogs,birding & enjoying outdoor music festivals with his wife of sixteen years.
Credentials and Accomplishments Construction Manager for Earth Advantage and LEED Platinum multi-million dollar projects, Versed in Oregon Structural Building Code & Residential Building Code; Previously Certified Passive House Builder; Past presentor to RCC’s Cooperative Work Experience Students; Awarded Recognition from Siskiyou School for work completed; Prior Mentor for Rogue Valley Youth Build members; Excellent Safety Record.
Jessica, Design Build Assistant
Resettling in Oregon from Savannah Georgia, Jessica has a unique set of skills to offer Gnome Construction. Her experiences range from home building and renovations, material procurement, entrepreneurship, psychology-centered design and optimizing interior spaces. Her training and experience in various renovation and construction projects make her a well rounded fit to our team. Jessica's background includes work as a Wilderness Therapy Field Instructor. She is a Wilderness First Responder and holds two Bachelor degrees; one Bachelor of Arts and the other, Bachelor of Sciences. Jessica fills a couple needs for Gnome Construction including office documentation & organization, scheduling and when needed, she's an ambitious site assistant. When not in the office or on the job site, Jessica enjoys the outdoors, live music, climbing and backpacking.
Lori, Co-owner
Lori handles our small business development. She's our go-to for licensing, renewals, accounting and office suite system set-ups (email, intake forms, file sharing, etc.). She manages website development and other behind the scenes functions that help us operate so well. She has a strong attention to detail. She also works full time in a municipality, so you may see her wearing other "hats" in the community, but no matter what position she's in she's pretty much always wearing a smile. When not working in an office, you'll catch Lori at the local farmers markets (where she previously held position as General Manager), or run into her on the trails, birding, throwing disc or seeking out friends to play card games with and enjoying one of the many music venues/festivals here on the West Coast.