GF Rhode Construction


		GF Rhode Construction organizes its staff into project teams. Depending on the requirements of the project, the team may include a project manager, a project supervisor, and a range of tradespeople and suppliers selected to best execute project specifications. Our construction field staff is supported by our experienced office personnel.

Back to Top	Grant Rhode, Principal Grant's vision of high performance project delivery and dedication to craft and client service shapes our company. He began contracting construction services during his high school years in southern New Hampshire and Maine. After settling in the Boston area in 1982, he founded Boston Woodworks (BW), an architectural millwork firm, with his brother Brian. In 1993, Grant and Brian purchased "The Hangar", a triple-vaulted Quonset building in Hyde Park, to house the expanding millwork production facility and construction business. Grant founded GF Rhode Construction (GFRC) in November 1994, in order to dedicate his time entirely to the general contracting part of the business. GFRC's primary focus has been the construction of architect-designed residential work in the Boston area. In developing his model for managing residential construction, Grant draws upon earlier experience as a high performance commercial contractor. Equally important, however, are the relationships that he has created with the many fine architects and design professionals with whom he has worked. Through these relationships, he has developed sensitivity to the aesthetics of design and construction, and shares these concerns with the GFRC staff. He works together with the GFRC staff to bring a balance of art, craft, and commerce to every project that we undertake. Grant is a recognized leader in the residential construction industry in Massachusetts. In 2005, Grant was awarded a Custom Home Pacesetter Award for Innovation, recognizing his long-standing commitment to developing teams in our industry. He was also invited to participate as a juror in Custom Home magazine's annual Design Awards, which recognize outstanding custom home projects nationally. In addition, Grant served as a juror for the Boston Society of Architect's 2005 and 2006 Harleston Parker Medal, given by a panel of jurors annually to the building, monument, or structure that represents the most beautiful architecture in the Greater Boston area. Grant received a Ph.D. in East Asian Affairs from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University, and a graduate degree in the Social Anthropology of China from Oxford University. He taught East Asian studies at Tufts and at UMass Boston until 1982, before he resumed his career in construction. Grant is a licensed Home Improvement Contractor and Construction Supervisor in Massachusetts.
	George Dow, Senior Project Manager George contributes a finely developed sense of aesthetics and a strong organizational focus to the work he does for GFRC. George came to work for GFRC in 1997, with over ten years of experience in residential and commercial construction. He is skilled in frame to finish carpentry, historic restoration, cost estimating, and project administration and supervision. George worked as a commercial and residential construction project manager in South Carolina, with both hands-on experience in the field as well as office-based estimation and management. After supervising a number of complex whole house renovations for us, George received successive promotions to Senior Project Manager. George is a licensed Construction Supervisor in Massachusetts, and received a B.A. in Fine Arts from Illinois College. George also studied at Drew University, and as an oil painter has shown his work in Boston and New York.
Back to Top	Project Supervisors Our outstanding Project Supervisors are dedicated both to their craft and to the people they serve.
	David Walsh, Senior Project Supervisor Dave has spent more than twenty-five years in the construction industry, developing an expertise in fine carpentry and woodwork. Dave joined the GFRC staff in 2001, to bring increased focus on the craft of carpentry, and to provide increased depth in all aspects of construction supervision. He founded his own carpentry company in the Boston area in 1988, and as Walsh Builders and Interior Finish, built projects of increasing sophistication as a carpentry subcontractor for GFRC. These projects received recognition in such publications as Architectural Digest, Fine Homebuilding, and This Old House magazine. Dave did liberal arts coursework at the University of Massachusetts and the University of Northern Colorado. He is a licensed Construction Supervisor in Massachusetts, and is an Associate of the American Woodworking Institute.
	Todd Kneeland brings to GF Rhode Construction over twenty years of experience in the construction industry in a variety of progressive positions. For GFRC, Todd has supervised a multi-year renovation of a 1905 brick residence in Brookline, with additions, a glass enclosed pool house, and a tennis court. He began his career as a laborer for a slate roofer, and then moved to Colorado, where he worked as a carpenter and construction manager on a number of historic renovation projects. Back in Boston, Todd worked for a commercial general contractor and for another high-end residential builder before joining GFRC. Todd received a B.S. in physical geography from Plymouth State College, and is a licensed Construction Supervisor in Massachusetts.
	Rick Murdock joined GFRC in 2001 after working for Walsh Builders and Interior Finish for several years. Rick has supervised a range of projects for us, including a large residential renovation in Newton, the construction of a LEED-certified five unit condominium development, and other similarly complex projects. Rick began his career as a Navy Seal, and he brings that rigorous training in teamwork, organization, loyalty, and sense of mission to his Project Supervisor position. After his Navy tour of duty, Rick had 15 years of progressive experience as a mechanic and carpenter, with a focus on steelwork, welding, machinery operations and maintenance, and frame and finish carpentry.
	Tom Saraf became our first GFRC Project Supervisor and had twenty years of construction industry experience before coming on board with us. Clients, architects, and subcontractors alike appreciate his high energy, can-do approach on a wide range of new home and renovation projects. Before joining GFRC, Tom worked for several general contractors as a carpenter and construction supervisor on both residential and commercial projects, and was a hardware specialist in the retail construction products industry. Tom received post-secondary training as an electrician, and is a licensed Construction Supervisor in Massachusetts.
	Jim Supple joined GFRC as Project Supervisor in 2001, after working for Walsh Builders and Interior Finish since 1995. Jim has worked on several projects for GFRC, bringing his exceptional capacity for finish work to bear on a variety of demanding and beautiful projects. He has twenty years experience doing frame and finish carpentry, heading a 16-person framing crew in the late 1980s and working for many years as carpentry foreman for a high-end residential kitchen contractor. Jim is a licensed Construction Supervisor in Massachusetts.



Back to Top	Office Personnel
	Judith Katz, Marketing Director Judy joined GFRC in 1994, with the dual mission of developing a marketing program and establishing corporate policies and procedures. Her adjunct roles include human resources, and corporate communications and information systems. Prior to her work in the construction industry, Judy had a successful career in banking. As Vice President with the Bank of New England, she was responsible for assessing foreign country risk as a support to international lending. Subsequent to that, she managed a department that developed and communicated credit policy and procedures throughout the corporation, with a focus on real estate issues. Judy received a B.A. from the University of Pittsburgh in Anthropology, an M.A. in Near Eastern Languages from Indiana University, and an M.A.L.D. from the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University.
	Eileen Keller, Financial Administrator, manages financial and accounting functions at GFRC, including accounts payable, client billing, and financial reporting and analysis. She came to GFRC after an extensive career as a financial administrator in a variety of office environments, having had responsibility for bookkeeping, contract coordination, billing management and analysis, and materials management. Eileen had two and a half years of liberal arts coursework at Beloit College in Wisconsin and additional studies in accounting at Framingham State College and Mass Bay Community College.
	Karyn Flynn, Office Manager, joined GFRC with over thirteen years in early childhood education, five of which were managerial in nature. Karyn coordinates field/office communications, manages information flows, provides project administration support to field personnel, and assists in marketing and financial operations. Karyn received a B.S. in Elementary Education from Bridgewater State College, as well as a Certificate in Travel Agency Operations and Procedures.