Employee: Mark
McDonald
Position: President
/ Owner
Mark is a native of the Traverse
City area, where he was raised on Green Lake in Interlochen. Upon graduation from Traverse City Central he
entered the construction industry as a laborer for a small construction company. He quickly learned all facets of the trade
and was offered a position at Brown Lumber to start their new installed sales
program. Gaining more knowledge from a supplier’s point of view he headed back
into the construction side as a partner for three years. Mark felt the call to
start his own company in 2002 gaining more experience that ownership brings. In
2005 he joined the team at Whiteford Associates Incorporated. Since onboard with Whiteford Associates Mark
has completed over 75 projects leaving happy clients along the way. Mark prides himself on coordinating
subcontractors, keeping on schedule and attention to detail.
In 2019 Mark became President of
Whiteford Associates Inc. He is firmly committed to continuing the quality of
work and ethics that made the Whiteford name what it is today.
Mark has been married for over 32 years to his lovely wife Kristen and they have 3 children. On his personal time he enjoys golfing,
boating, playing the drums in his band Mac Daddy and serving in the worship
team in church.
Employee: Dave
Whiteford
Position: Licensed
Architect
A native of Traverse City, Dave
was raised on the family cherry farm south of town and graduated from Traverse
City Central. Dave went on to study
architecture at The University of Michigan.
While at UM, he lettered in football playing under Bo Schembechler and
played in the 1976 Orange Bowl. After
college, he returned to his home town, bringing his love of architecture and
sports to his everyday life. He worked
at GBKB Architects while coaching football and track at Traverse City Central
until he started in his own company in 1978 (Dave Whiteford Design). Dave developed his company (incorporated as
Whiteford Associates, Inc. in 1988) into one of the most successful
design/build firms in Northern Michigan and has completed well over 700
projects. He has maintained his ties to
the community and to athletics through his support of various community
organizations, service clubs, and donation of his architectural services in the
rebuilding of the Thirlby Field complex.
His ability to interpret and design unique homes as the client
envisions, sometimes on precarious lots, identifies Whiteford
Associates as the successful
company it is today. Many jobs are
return clients, and many clients become friends.
Dave turned the business over to
Mark McDonald in 2019, remaining on board as the architect until he decides to
fully retire.
In addition to the satisfaction
derived from designing projects, Dave enjoys golfing locally and in Arizona,
fishing, and spending time with his endearing wife Meg, daughter Chelsea and
extended family and friends.
Employee: Nancy
Oien
Position:
Office Manger
A native of Traverse City, Nancy
(Whiteford) grew up on the family cherry farm.
Nancy has numerous years of accounting and managerial experience
obtained through college and positions held in the Oil and Gas industry. Timing worked well as when the opportunities
in that industry “dried up” an office position opened at Whiteford Associates
and Nancy came onboard in early 2014.
She was promoted into an office manager opening in 2018. Nancy handles all aspects of the office
including A/P, A/R, H/R, financial reporting and sworn statements.
When not working, Nancy enjoys
movies, adventures with friends, and spending time with her children and
grandchildren playing games and watching their sporting events
Employee: Ben
Fischer
Position: Tech
- CAD
Ben grew up in Traverse City,
graduated from Central High School and went on to get his Bachelor's Degree
in Packaging Science at Michigan State University. He enjoys working on homes
due to the blend of material science and aesthetics and considers houses the
ultimate package. Ben has been working
at Whiteford Associates Inc. since 2017.
Ben’s strong suites are communicating well with clients, subcontractors,
and engineers, attention to detail, and efficiency in turning out plans, making
him a vital part of the organization.
In his free time, Ben loves
spending time outdoors with his charming wife Marissa, his daughter Emeline and their two
dogs. He also coaches the Varsity basketball team at Central High School.
Employee: Sean
Patrick Flaherty
Position: Project
Manager/Designer
Sean is a native
of Traverse City, graduated from Traverse City Central High School and went on
to study civil engineering and architecture at Lawrence Technological
University. After graduating, he joined
Gensler of Detroit and quickly became a project manager within their retail
branding department. Sean obtained his
Masters in Architecture at Norwich University in Vermont. He worked through school and post-graduation
at William Maclay Architects & Planners focusing on residential and
sustainable design.
Upon the birth
of his first child, Sean feels he was blessed to be able to move his family
back to Traverse City. In 2012, Sean
joined Whiteford Associates and has continued his focus on both commercial and
residential design. He was lead designer
and project manager of Fox Grand Traverse, Fox Charlevoix and BMW of Traverse
City, Bill Marsh Buick GMC, M22 of Traverse City and Honor Bank in downtown
Traverse City. His residential projects
include Uptown Residential Development and over a dozen homes here in Northern
Michigan.
On his personal time, Sean enjoys time with his beautiful wife Julie,
chasing after their four teenage
children, playing hockey and kite boarding on the clear waters around Northern Michigan
Employee: Dave Sobiech
Position: Project Manager
Employee: Roger
Wares
Position: Project
Manager
In addition to his tie to the
community as previous owner of Wares Bares Ice Cream store, Roger has 15+ years
of experience in the construction industry.
A native of Traverse City, he joined Whiteford Associates as a Project
Manager early 2020 after being self-employed for numerous years. Roger is an asset as he has an abundance of
knowledge of the construction business, well established relationships with
subcontractors and suppliers, and maintains a great rapport with the clients.
In his spare time, Roger enjoys
boating with his sweet wife Michelle and visiting his parents for an intense
game of cards.