About Us: Bios

Don Shaifer, President and Founder

Over the past 27 years Don Shaifer has innovated, designed, developed, built, and tested new building systems, including break-throughs in building components and structures. He has focused on total system design and systems integration to create holistic building solutions.

This work has resulted in higher quality better performing houses, with significantly lower costs. Licensed Architect. Inventor with 7 patents. Technical Contractor to FEMA servicing multiple overlapping projects totaling more than $17M.

Consultant to large national insurance company in which he identified, acquired, and implemented an automated parameter recording program for a large computer server array.

Technical contractor to various companies including Sony, Sun Microsystems, Silicon Graphics, and Apple Computers.

Former Assistant Dean of Students, U.C. Berkeley, former Assistant Director of Financial Aids, U.C. Berkeley. Masters Degree in Architecture from the University of Oregon. Bachelors of Arts (Honors) from U.C. Berkeley.

Lee Sutton, Engineer, Crystal Team Member
Engineering and Manufacturing Coordinator

Over 40 years experience in construction, including contract management, supervision, engineering, design, and estimating.

Contracts Manager, staff recruiter and trainer for multi-billion oil sands project managed by a joint venture between major engineering firms and several smaller engineering firms.

Project Contracts Manager on a $1.1 billion Argentina project lasting over two years, included copper and gold mine with concentrate slurry pipeline, high tension power lines, railroad facilities, airport, seaport facilities, as well as the mine site development. Hired and trained local staff of 25 to manage 280 contracts, including engineering and construction related contracts, many in Spanish. Provided all services contracts such as transportation, security, personnel, food, laundry, and housing for 3000 workers.

Contracts Manager for an Oil Sands Project, a joint venture between 2 major oil companies to develop a grass roots oil sands mine and refinery in Alberta Canada.

Project Procurement Manager for U.S. Department of Commerce, NOAA Next Generation Radar (NEXRAD) Project. Included were 115 weather forecasting offices and 175 radar facilities in forty-five states and eleven countries, which totally re-built the National Weather Service Facilities. This six year long assignment included managing a staff of twenty-five people.

Field Contracts Manager for a major oil company with projects in Washington and Alaska. Projects included fast track construction, sealift, and installation of thirty-six pre-fabricated modules (buildings) weighing up to 1500 tons. Project set industry record of twenty-two months from approval to first oil and was completed under budget.

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George Gager, Crystal Team Member
Housing and Community Development Specialist

Mr Gager is a real estate development and construction consultant for large urban developments and affordable housing. He serves as a Subject Matter Expert in the real estate development field for clients like HUD, Bearing Point and IBM Consulting. He was part of the team working at the Housing Authority of New Orleans focused on rebuilding public housing before Katrina. He also performs work in the private sector related to urban infill development and public utility issues.

Prior to joining Griffon Group, LLC as the Managing Director for the western region, Mr. Gager spent two years as a Community Renaissance Fellow at the Yale School of Management. During that time he provided private sector development expertise to the Detroit Housing Commission for its management of three HOPE VI development sites with an overall budget in excess of $250 million. Mr. Gager is a specialist in coordinating and managing every aspect of real estate development and construction from market and proforma analysis, through design, estimating, demolition, construction, leasing and property management.

Prior to his work in Detroit, Mr. Gager worked for three years as a legislative liaison in a U.S. Congressional office with responsibilities that included HOPE VI grants and other HUD initiatives. Mr. Gager has also served as CEO of real estate related companies. He has managed hostile construction contracts, completed award winning historic rehabs and arranged the syndication of historic tax credits.

As COO of The E&F Development Company and the related Trefoil Development Company he created and led two divisions of a building and development company with $145 million in combined 1986 sales. This was the largest company in its market and had a legendary commitment to quality construction and corporate integrity. Projects included hospitals, apartments, subsidized housing, large-scale urban renewal projects, industrial parks, small-business incubators, shopping centers and office buildings.

Mr. Gager began his career with the nation��s seventh largest apartment builder. Eventually, he had responsibility for all new development from market analysis through feasibility studies, land acquisition, design, financing and syndication, on projects as large as 3,300 units. This company managed over 5,000 market rate and subsidized units and built over 200 market-rate and 150 FHA subsidized homes per year.

Mr. Gager received his Bachelor of Arts at Connecticut College and attended the University of Oregon, Graduate School of Architecture. He is also a member of the Homebuilders Association of Northern California, California Building Industry Association, the National Association of Home Builders, and the Non-Profit Housing Association of Northern California, as well as a past member of the Connecticut Developers Council and the Hartford Homebuilders Association.

Seasoned Executive with more than two decades of experience building, rescuing, and selling organizations. Record of delivering results even in difficult circumstances. Adept at recruiting, retaining, and mentoring top-notch employees. On going interest in promoting environmentally sound business practices. Currently working on financial models for MenloGreen initiatives. Hands-on experience in a broad range of managerial and financial areas, including: