The Leff Team
The LEFF Team
Dave Leff
Founder, President and CEO, Leff Construction Design Build
Dave was born in London, where he lived until moving to San Francisco at the age of nine years old. He attended Sonoma State University, graduating with degrees in Psychology and English. Dave was on his way to law school when he decided to stay a little longer in Sebastopol, CA to improve his carpentry skills. Read More
In 1978 Dave formed Leff Construction as a sole proprietor, and was joined by his father in 1987 when they incorporated the company.
Dave is a Certified Green Builder, and over the decades has become an expert in solar and sustainable building, historical renovation and infill real estate development. He’s dedicated to alternative building approaches, and his passion for building and remodeling homes that are beautiful and functional – and which integrate sustainable principals with new technologies – has informed his company vision and the development of his Design Build approach to all projects.
Dave has been an instructor of the remodeling process to homeowners and contractors (Santa Rosa Junior College), and frequently contributes Design Build and construction articles to industry publications. Dave and the LEFF team hold remodeling workshops for homeowners at the new LEFF Design Center several times a year. He serves on the Board of Directors and heads up the Green Building Committee of the North Coast Builders Exchange and participates as a speaker or panelist in conferences and events about sustainable building practices.
Lisa Newbold
Director of Operations
Lisa was born in Southern California and has been working her way up the coast. She’s spent the most recent half of her life in Sonoma County. As Director of Operations, Lisa coordinates across departments to ensure the company’s smooth operation. As Chief Financial Officer, she manages finance and administration including LEFF’s financial statements and the company’s annual budget. Read More
Lisa has a bachelor’s degree in Business Management with an emphasis in Accounting from Sonoma State University. She started for LEFF as part-time controller in 2001, Lisa has over 25 years of experience in management, accounting and construction. She started in management at her first job in a record company and has experience in a wide variety of industries including independent software consultant and accountant and in the general engineering, entertainment, and medical fields. Most weekends and evenings Lisa spends time with her husband, their carefree smooth collie and some amusing cats. You’ll also catch her attending music events, reading and playing electric bass.
John Gordon
Production Department Manager
John was born and raised here in Sonoma County. He has been working in all phases of the construction field for over 35 years. John served as Vice-President and then President of Codding Construction, one of the leading commercial and residential general contractors in Northern California. John studied construction management, green building and asbestos remediation from the University of California, Berkeley and Sonoma State University. Read More
John’s extensive knowledge and expertise in estimating, project management and all field coordination gives him a unique insight into successful leadership of LEFF Construction’s building team. In his role as Production Department Manager, he is responsible for all project management and field operations.
John enjoys being part of a collaborative process…working together for a common goal. Bringing together a design concept with quality craftsmanship to produce a successful project and happy clients.
Outside of work, his life revolves around his wife Debbie and the family. John is an avid golfer and enjoys cycling, music and traveling.
John enjoys being part of a collaborative process…working together for a common goal. Bringing together a design concept with quality craftsmanship to produce a successful project and happy clients.
Outside of work, his life revolves around his wife Debbie and the family. John is an avid golfer and enjoys cycling, music and traveling.
Candice Rania
Design Department Manager / Senior Designer
Candice is a Sonoma County native. As a Senior Designer, she helps to lead the LEFF Design Team. Candice focuses on all aspects of the Design Build process to keep a strong emphasis on space planning relative to interior design and architecture. Read More
She has over eighteen years as an interior designer and a project manager, starting her career as an architectural intern. This experience built a foundation for a design aesthetic that encompasses sound structure and functionality. Cancide always strives to deliver superior design with a classic approach. At LEFF, her experience and skills guide her expertise in taking preliminary design concepts from plan creation to construction – on time and on budget.
Most weekends you will find Candice spending time with her family, hiking, racing at OCR events, and shopping for anything beautifully designed.
John McCoy
Senior Designer / Architect
John brings the unique approach of seeing each structure from the view of the builder while designing with architectural vision. John grew up internationally and throughout the United States before landing in Monterey, California. This is where he began his 30+ years of experience in the architectural and construction industry. Working with a high-end residential building company in the Monterey/Carmel area, he spent more than a decade learning the anatomy of a residential construction from the foundation to the finish work; before directing his attention to architecture. Read More
While pursuing his architects’ license John had the opportunity to work with and study under award winning architects in both Santa Barbara and Sausalito prior to establishing his own firm. After earning his Architect’s license in 2008 John led a small, dynamic architecture practice for ten years before relocating Sebastopol and joining LEFF Construction.
John is an avid rock climber and escapes home to the mountains at every opportunity!
Tim Reader
Architectural Coordinator
As the Architectural Coordinator at Leff, Tim is the liaison between our in-house design team and project consultants. He reconciles all design input to ensure construction documents are complete and ready for our production team to build the project.Tim was born and raised in the Midwest then spent several years in the State of Washington before landing in Arizona, where he studied Architecture, design and drafting.Read More
He went on to hone his skills in high-end, custom home design, while developing his drafting techniques for the next 34 years. During that time, Tim worked with Architectural firms, Designers, Structural Engineers and Design-Build companies, and later became a successful custom home designer in his own right. He learned the fine art of value engineering as an integral part of the design process, providing clients with quality plans that incorporate the best use of the site, materials and costs in the process of design and construction.
In 2015, Tim and his wife relocated to the Bay Area to be near their children and grandchildren. In his spare time Tim enjoys hiking and exploring California with his wife, photography, expanding his 3D modeling and computer graphics skills and spending time with friends and family.
In 2015, Tim and his wife relocated to the Bay Area to be near their children and grandchildren. In his spare time Tim enjoys hiking and exploring California with his wife, photography, expanding his 3D modeling and computer graphics skills and spending time with friends and family.
Heather McKay
Project Coordinator
Heather hails from the San Francisco Peninsula. She holds degrees in Psychology from USC and Interior Design from Canada College. She worked in residential design and project management on the Peninsula for 10 years before moving to Sonoma County in 2013. As an Interior Designer with Leff Construction, Heather coordinates the design process—guiding and keeping track of all the details as clients’ designs are refined and their finishes selected. Read More
Heather’s love of houses and organization make her ideally suited for her position. In her free time, she manages her busy family and enjoys tending her garden and chickens.
Ray Petenes
Project Coordinator
Raised in the Pacific Northwest, Rae Patenes recently rejoined the LEFF Design Team. Rae is a graduate of the Academy of Art University in San Francisco with a Masters in Fine Art (MFA) and an emphasis in interior architecture and design. Prior to joining Leff, Rae was an environmental compliance coordinator overseeing state and federal regulations for more than 500 farms located in a five-state region. Her commitment to the environment and sustainable design fits in well with her role on the Design Team. Read More
In her spare time, Rae enjoys camping, hiking and traveling with her family.
Denise Edgerton
Assistant Controller
Denise joined the Leff team in December of 2013 as Bookkeeper and Contract Administrator and in 2016 was promoted to Assistant Controller with a wide range of duties in the accounting and production departments.
Denise grew up in Sebastopol, graduating from Analy High School and then Santa Rosa Junior College. After earning her degree in Bookkeeping, she went to work for her family’s construction company, quickly working her way up to office manager and beyond. Denise oversaw all company accounting, and handled special project management and estimating. Read More
When her dad got sick in 2008 the family business closed, and she went to work for a trench and traffic manufacturing business as a dispatcher and account specialist.
In her nonworking hours Denise enjoys camping, spending time with her family and friends and hanging out with her chocolate lab Callie.
Carol Grogan
Human Resources Manager
Carol worked for Leff Construction in 2002 as the office administrator and returned in 2016 in the role of Human Resources Manager. She previously worked as an HR Manger for the Heinz Corporation and Norwalk Hospital, both located in Connecticut, as well as Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts in New York City. Read More
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cultural Anthropology and a Masters degree in American Studies from Trinity College in Hartford, CT. Carol is thrilled to return to Sonoma County to be closer to her daughters and her grandchild.
Janessa Stephens
Accounting & Project Coordinator
Janessa was born and raised in Sonoma County (Sebastopol). She attended Santa Rosa Jr. College after high school and not long after, met her husband and started a family. Janessa has dedicated the last 18 years to raising two amazing kids! After junior college Janessa began her career in the accounting department for a local bank. Prior to joining LEFF, she worked for an electrical contractor for a little over 11 years. Janessa supports the LEFF accounting team and the production department. Read More
In her free time she enjoys spending time with her family, photography, hiking, jogging and fitness.
Pam Israelson
Front Desk Coordinator
Pam has been active in many facets of the communication arts throughout her career. With a background in graphic design, she is a big fan of great design in all its forms – from print and decorative design to home and fashion design. Along with the visual arts, she also has a deep appreciation for skillful human to human communication.
Growing up on the coast of Southern California Pam fell in love with Northern California when she moved to the Bay Area in the ‘70s to attend the California College of the Arts. Read More
After that it was back south to begin a design career in the Venice/Santa Monica area. Eventually, Pam and family moved to Sedona Arizona and lived there for 28 years. Living in Sedona planted the seeds of a deep love of the beauty of natural surroundings.
Throughout the years in Sedona, the coast kept calling until she found her way back in 2011 to settle in Sebastopol… where she is now very happily planted! When she’s not spending time with either her daughter – the designer, or the other daughter – the marine biologist, you can find Pam wandering the Sonoma County coastline, hiking a local trail or enjoying some of the excellent art and music that surrounds us here in the Bay Area.
Throughout the years in Sedona, the coast kept calling until she found her way back in 2011 to settle in Sebastopol… where she is now very happily planted! When she’s not spending time with either her daughter – the designer, or the other daughter – the marine biologist, you can find Pam wandering the Sonoma County coastline, hiking a local trail or enjoying some of the excellent art and music that surrounds us here in the Bay Area.
Elaine Lucia
Marketing Director
Elaine began her marketing career designing graphics, layout and copy for newspaper advertising and print publications, sales teams and small business entrepreneurs. Read More
With the advent of online marketing tools, Elaine evolved into digital media and ran her own WordPress website design company for eight years. She has worked for companies in the wine, restaurant, tourism and consumer product industries. Raised in the beautiful but freezing cold of upstate New York, Elaine studied music and voice at S.U.N.Y. Binghamton and Eastman School of Music. Having decided at the age of ten years old that she was going to move to California, she sold her flute after music school and bought a one-way ticket to the Bay Area. Elaine lives in Sebastopol, CA, and in her free time, she writes, performs and records music, and spends every minute she can with her grown daughter.
