Passionate Builders. Process-Driven Projects.
For over 30 years, our leaders have worked together and developed many award-winning projects. Our reliability, reputation and enduring commitment to our clients is the foundation for our continued success.
KIND 
COURTEOUS RESPECTFUL
COURTEOUS Kinzie Builders is a construction company that specializes in the planning, designing and building of both residential and commercial real estate developments. Over the past five years, our business has grown three-fold. We now employ over 50 people across two Chicagoland locations and manage millions in construction activity throughout Illinois.
Our Story
We believe that the construction process should be one built on creativity and relationships. And when done right, the results should be stellar. At Kinzie Builders, our team strives to complete each project on time and on budget. This is the ultimate solution our clients are looking for. Delivering on this is our utmost priority.
This is the Kinzie way. We live by our mantra of Creative Strategies, Integrated Solutions, and Proven Results. Our team knows that our reliability, reputation, and enduring commitment to our clients is the foundation for our success and it’s what we have built our business around.
Meet Our Team
We are a passionate team of planners, builders, engineers, designers and industry leaders.
Steve Spinell
Principal
sspinell@kinziegroup.com
Debbie Hansen
Principal & CFO
dhansen@kinziegroup.com
John Lifka
Principal & General Manager
jlifka@kinziegroup.com
Matthew Shepard
Vice President of Preconstruction
mshepard@kinziegroup.com
Vlad Demskyy
Controller
vdemskyy@kinziegroup.com
Fernando Diaz
Senior Project Manager/Preconstruction
fdiaz@kinziegroup.com
Ted Flis
Senior Project Manager
tflis@kinziegroup.com
Jason Wilke
Project Manager
jwilke@kinziegroup.com
William Ashong-Katai
Assistant Project Manager
washong@kinziegroup.com
Bob Rupprecht
Senior Superintendent
brupprecht@kinziegroup.com
Kimberly Delimata
Senior Superintendent
kdelimata@kinziegroup.com
Shane Massey
Senior Superintendent
smassey@kinziegroup.com
Tim King
Senior Superintendent
tking@kinziegroup.com
Dan Callahan
Superintendent
dcallahan@kinziegroup.com
Steve Shulman
Business Development Director
sshulman@kinziegroup.com
Rosanna Pratt
Executive Communications Manager
rlaporta@kinziegroup.com
Mary Bak
Development Services Advisor
mbak@kinziegroup.com
Cheryl Thennisch
Contract Administrator
cthennisch@kinziegroup.com
Marissa Cox
Human Resources & Accounting
mcox@kinziegroup.com
Mirjana Aliaj
Property Management & Corporate Accountant
maliaj@kinziegroup.com
Steve Spinell
Principal
Steve Spinell oversees operations and strategic decision making. He spearheads business development and directs the planning and management of our company’s development services. Steve’s career spans from real estate development to general contracting totaling over $1 billion in value.
Education
B.S. Civil Engineering
Valparaiso University
Valparaiso, IN
Certifications
Real Estate Broker
Debbie Hansen
Principal & CFO
Debbie Hansen brings a plethora of knowledge to the leadership team at Kinzie. With a background in finance and asset performance management, Debbie oversees our accounting and HR department and is responsible for the preparation and monitoring of annual budgets, forecasts, and project pro-formas. In addition, she also executes strategic financial planning, risk management and tracking companywide financial goals.
Education
B.S. Accounting
University of Wyoming
Laramie, WY
John Lifka
Principal & General Manager
John Lifka oversees the management and execution of our general contracting and custom home business lines. John manages initial due diligence, staffing, and strategic planning. He works closely with staff, owners, consultants, and municipalities to implement award-winning development communities.
Education
B.S. Civil Engineering
Marquette University
Milwaukee, WI
Certifications
Professional Engineer, Illinois
Matthew Shepard
Vice President of Construction
With a background in industrial engineering, Matt brings an operations research approach to his role. His responsibilities include creating takeoffs, estimating, and compiling budgets for prospective projects, as well as consulting with professionals to determine the correct scope of work. Matt has taken a leadership role in the bidding process and working onsite to ensure projects are completed on time. He also analyzes soil reports, conducts Value Engineering practices, and creates cost benefit analyses.
Education
B.S. Industrial and Systems Engineering
Ohio University
Athens, OH
Certifications
LEED AP BD+C
Anthony Martorano
Senior Project Manager
Anthony Martorano has over 25 years of hands-on experience in the real estate and construction management industries. In his role, he provides valuable insight to clients by developing and executing strategies to prepare assets for optimal disposition. Anthony has managed over 600 assets, ranging from large scale apartment projects to custom single family homes. He performs reliable cost-to-complete and sworn statement analyses, helping clients make informed, strategic decisions in an effort to maximize asset values.
Education
A.A. Business Management
Oakton Community College
Des Plaines, IL
Apprentice Training Program
Chicago District Council of Carpenters
Elk Grove, IL
Certifications
Real Estate Broker, Illinois and Indiana
Ted Flis
Senior Project Manager
Ted manages several large projects in the Chicagoland area. He is responsible for both managing costs and keeping each project within budget. Other responsibilities include product development, construction coordination, and managing the construction team.
Education
Bachelor of Architecture
University of Kansas
Lawrence, KS
Certifications
Certified Architect, Illinois
Claims Service Adjuster
Fernando Diaz
Project Manager
With a strong background in civil engineering, Fernando plays a pivotal role in the bidding and buyout process. He performs takeoffs, requests and revises proposals per specs, and writes contracts. Fernando also manages the land development process and oversees erosion control inspections and reports.
Education
B.S. Civil Engineering
University of Illinois
Chicago, IL
M.S. Civil Engineering
University of Illinois
Chicago, IL
Certifications
Professional Engineer, Illinois
30 Years of Industry Experience
We are experienced…
We are passionate…
We are reliable…
We are Kinzie Builders.