WE SUPPORT YOUR PROJECT EVERY STEP OF THE WAY
NAME: MIKE GRIPPO, LEED AP
POSITION: Principal
HOMETOWN: Military brat... now Charlotte
ALMA MATER: Virginia Military Institute
FAVORITE SPORT: Any sport my son is playing
Mike is a 26-year veteran of the construction industry. After graduating with a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering degree from The Virginia Military Institute, he started his construction career in the greater Baltimore and Washington, D.C. area. Since 2000, Mike has called Charlotte home. He has completed over $500 million in base building and interior construction projects throughout the Carolinas.
Mike left the General Contracting industry in 2010 to work for a contract furniture dealer. After three and a half years of success in the furniture industry, Mike realized he missed construction and founded Playbook in 2014.
Mike is passionate about building teams and projects. He draws on his natural leadership skills and his diverse experiences in construction and contract furniture to build and lead teams and to ensure effective collaboration to achieve project success.
Mike also holds a Master of Business Administration from Wake Forest University's Babcock Graduate School of Management. When he isn't reading drawings or analyzing a schedule, he enjoys volunteering as a youth coach for his son's sports teams, playing golf, grilling out and reading. Mike serves on the board of Mecklenburg Area Catholic Schools and coaches YMCA youth sports.
NAME: LAURIE KORTH, NCIDQ, LEED ID+C
POSITION: Senior Project Manager
HOMETOWN: Jefferson, WI & Chattanooga, TN
ALMA MATER: University of Tennessee, Knoxville
FAVORITE SPORT: Football
Laurie has more than 28 years of management experience in the contract furniture industry and architectural, interior design and project management firms. She has built out more than $500 million in building and interior construction projects throughout the U.S. Her areas of expertise include commercial interior upfit, automotive, motorsports and banking. Laurie’s passion is listening to her client’s goals and turning them into reality. She builds successful teams, collaborating and organizing her projects to effectively deliver them on time, within budget.
Laurie is also an NC Real Estate Broker and a member of USGBC North Carolina. In her spare time, she likes to read, play with her dog and visit her three grown children in Alabama, Texas and Tennessee.
NAME: CHAD DAMERON
POSITION: Project Manager
HOMETOWN: Fairfax, VA
ALMA MATER: N.C. State University
FAVORITE SPORT: Soccer and Football
Chad has 10 years of project management experience in commercial office construction, having delivered more than $200 million of completed projects in North Carolina. His experience includes ground-up core and shell office buildings, as well as interior upfits.
Chad is passionate about problem-solving and “figuring-it-out” throughout the course of each project. He draws on his experience in general contracting and his ability to assemble cohesive teams in order to deliver solutions.
Chad has a Bachelor of Science degree from N.C. State in Biological and Agricultural Engineering.
When he’s not working, Chad enjoys spending quality time with his wife and two children, working on home improvement projects, participating in any activity around water and spending afternoons on the golf course in his never-ending battle to break 80.
NAME: BLAKE BRINKLEY
POSITION: Project Manager
HOMETOWN: Troutville, VA
ALMA MATER: Virginia Tech
FAVORITE SPORT: College Football
Blake has 10 years of commercial construction management experience, having helped deliver more than $125 million of successful projects in the Carolinas. He has a degree in Building Construction from Virginia Tech and spent time in the public safety sector prior to moving to Charlotte to start his construction career. He has successfully fulfilled multiple roles as a Superintendent and Project Manager, while working on all types of projects. His diverse experience has provided him with a solid foundation to solve problems and overcome challenges.
When his nose isn’t to the grindstone, Blake is an avid weekend warrior. You can find him, and his wife and daughter, participating in various runs, biking events and even a couple triathlons every season. Living by the Hokie motto, Ut Prosim, Blake volunteers and fundraises for multiple charitable events throughout the year.
NAME: JESSICA KNAVEL
POSITION: Executive Assistant / Office Manager
HOMETOWN: Kings Mountain, NC
ALMA MATER: Western Carolina University
FAVORITE SPORT: Football
Jessica has more than 18 years in the hospitality industry with a background in event planning. She graduated from Western Carolina University with a Hospitality & Communications degree and uses that in her detailing and customer service work. She has a passion for organizing and planning and has worked with corporate companies as well as country clubs in the Charlotte area.
When Jessica is not working she enjoys spending time with her husband and two children, volunteering and traveling. She also loves to plan and assist with weddings in her spare time.
NAME: KEVIN DAGENHART, LEED
POSITION: Project Executive
HOMETOWN: Statesville, NC
ALMA MATER: NC State University
FAVORITE SPORT: Football / College Basketball
During more than 23 years in commercial real estate, Kevin has been responsible for business development, client relationship management and project delivery for various firms, including more than 3.2 million square feet of ground-up development. He is a proud graduate of the College of Design (Architecture) at N.C. State, where he earned a Bachelor of Environmental Design and a Bachelor of Architecture, with a minor in Business Management. He is a licensed General Contractor and real estate broker in N.C., as well as a LEED Accredited Professional.
Kevin and his wife have lived in Charlotte for more than 20 years. When he’s not at work, Kevin enjoys spending time with his wife, two kids and the family’s pets, a French bulldog and a ferret. He’s a season ticket holder for N.C. State football games (since 1993!) and also enjoys skiing, pickleball, four-wheeling and hanging out on the lake with family and friends.