Cook Remodeling Employee Bios
Cook Remodeling Management Team
Jeff Cook, Founder, C.E.O.
Certified Graduate Remodeler
B.S. Ed at ASU
39 years construction experience
What started as summer work, doing house framing while in college, Jeff resigned after two years teaching at a private Christian school to do what he loved, to be in construction full time. His passion is home improvement. Since becoming a general contractor, he has remodeled over 1000 homes, built many room additions, hundreds of casitas, including building a 2200 square foot custom home. He takes pride in any structure changes for interior home remodeling, a room addition, or patio enclosure looks original to the home.
Jeff’s strengths are flexibility, knowledge of construction, and is easy to talk to. He finds fulfillment in customizing client’s homes and seeing their satisfaction as the job progresses. He is working as general manager overseeing estimating, and field production.
Jeff is disciplined in exercise, eating healthy, and enjoys sports and doing pilgrimages. He hopes to go to the Holy Land.
Janet B. Cook, President
Certified Aging in Place Specialist
B.S. Ed. at Un. of NE
Full Business partner since 2000
From Speech Pathologist to Educational Director of a juvenile residential facility, from retail and hotel management to family service counselor/pre-need sales, Janet’s life experiences has been preparing her for the challenge of growing the business to meet the ever increasing demand for the Cook Remodeling experience.
Janet’s strengths are vision, problem solving, organizing, system development, and customer care. Her passion is for everyone to have a great remodeling experience and cultivating a family culture for team members and clients. She enjoys attending professional conferences and kitchen/bath design classes to be innovative in providing solutions for clients needs. She wants everyone to be excited and say, wow, when they walk into their new space, that with our experience, their home is beyond what they dreamed.
One area of expertise she sought to develop is how to plan to make an accessible home, visitable home for everyone. “”It just took one call from a woman saying her father had a stroke and had to come live with her. Her bathroom was too small for his wheelchair, and he was too heavy for her, so they needed remodeling for home modification right away. I knew I wanted to help others avoid such loss of dignity. I flew all over the country to get the training to be a Certified Aging in Place Specialist. It is less expensive to plan to make your home livable for all walks of life when you remodel, than trying to retrofit later.”
What does Janet have in common with Katherine Hepburn?
Spasmodic Dysphonia. What sounds like laryngitis is actually the involuntary spasming of her vocal folds during speech. Despite how she sounds, she feels fine! She sings in the choir, and is an on call lobbyist to promote the protection of the unborn and traditional family at the United Nations.
Cook Remodeling and Custom Construction Sales Designer Team
James Furzer, Project Designer
15 years of experience
Employee of the Year 2012
Team Member Since 2010
James’s experience ranges from renovation to new construction. He loves working with homeowners and listens carefully to design the project to fulfill their dreams. During his career he has been involved with construction of many luxury homes and extensive remodeling projects. He is very creative in proposing solutions to facilitate homeowners’ lifestyle, with an eye for detail in kitchen remodeling and bathroom remodeling.
James enjoys music, the outdoors, and spending time with friends and family.
Rick Daignault, Project Designer
15 years of experience
Cook Remodeling and Custom Construction Field Team
Jeff Gorszczyk, Certified Project Manager, Universal Design Certified Remodeler, Certified Aging in Place Specialist, Certified Lead Carpenter
20 years of experience
Employee of the Year 2009-2010
Team member since 2006
Jeff started in the construction industry with the desire to create something of beauty and value with his hands. He enrolled in classes, and with sufficient training, started his own remodeling company. In the interest of excelling in client services, he gained certification in energy efficient new home construction. He continually takes design courses in Kitchen Remodeling and Bathroom Remodeling as well as in Green Remodeling to keep current. Jeff is committed to continuing education and meeting the standards to gain national professional certification.
Jeff’s strengths are his dedication, imaginative problem solving, and hard work. He loves fixing things and making people happy, and fulfilling client’s dreams.
Jeff enjoys sports, golf, and was offered college scholarships to pitch baseball. He married Brenda in May of 2006, and they have 4 children from previous marriages. They like to motorcycle ride in their free time.
Scott Hardin, Assistant Project Manager
14 Years of experience
Even as a child, Scott liked taking things apart to see how they worked and putting them back together. He began working in construction in his late teens at a remodeling company in the wine country of Northern California in their custom cabinet shop. As he learned that trade, he worked in the field trying to learn as much as he can about all trade skills.
In 2003 his family moved to Arizona, where he continued in the field of remodeling from rehabbing large apartment complexes to fire & flood restoration, and everything in between.
In his spare time, he enjoys spending time with his wife Ana Maria, and their children Joshua and Kendra dong mountain biking, jet skiing, target shooting, camping, and ATV riding.
Kevin Shepler, Master Carpenter
39 years of experience
Employee of the Year 2004-2005
Team Member since 2001
Kevin started in high school taking construction classes to develop his carpentry skills in his vocation. He has had experience, building a home, 4-plexes, and many years of home remodeling. He took college classes to be certified a Rescue Squad Volunteer, where he served for seven years. Kevin worked for 15 years in his father’s home improvement and renovation business, Master Builders, until his father retired.
Kevin’s strengths include his ability to make additions look like they were originally built with the house. He is very dependable, responsible, and knowledgeable. He enjoys meeting new people, and doing custom remodeling projects fit for each individual.
Trey Rogers, Carpenter
14 Years of experience
Team Member since 2011
Trey first began his career out of high school working as a carpenters apprentice for 2 years, before taking on the job as lead foreman for a custom home builder in Northern Arizona. After 8 years of home building he decided to expand his renovation skill set, and has held jobs doing custom cabinetry as well as building custom staircases. Trey enjoys remodeling and likes working with homeowners to complete projects to their satisfaction.
In his spare time Trey enjoys hiking, camping, and living the life as an outdoors man. He also enjoys spending time with friends, family, and his 10 year old daughter.
Vern Quevli, Job Site Inspector
B.S. B.A. Un. of MN
Employee of the Year 2006-2007
Team Member since 2002
Vern has worked as a field auditor, setting up corporate offices, and supervising 100 employees. He has 13 years experience in property management.
Vern’s strengths are working with people. He is helpful, trustworthy, friendly, and reliable. He is on call to make sure when the project is done that it doesn’t look like we were even there. He monitors the order, cleanliness, safety and security of the job sites.
Vern enjoys doing volunteer work for “Neighbors Who Care,” and for the church they attend.
Cook Remodeling and Custom Construction Office Team
Dana Smith, Office & Production Operations Manager, IT Specialist
Employee of the Year 2007-2008
Team member since 2006
Dana’s career launched at Boeing, where in 13 years she advanced from automated drafting to team leader/trainer, from system administrator to lead systems analyst. She had the responsibility of analyzing processes for cost savings, a skill that we all benefit from! For the next 12 years she tested software and managed a technical support department. She worked for her church in administrative operations/computer support before joining the Cook Remodeling and Custom Construction team.
Dana’s strengths are utilizing technology, teaching & training, streamlining and organizing processes. She is a diligent, hard working, and very conscientious about best utilizing her time and talents.
Dana enjoys serving/helping others, and is quick to answer the phone when you call. Her goal is to go on at least one group mission trip a year with her husband to work on a construction project that helps a community in need.
Karen Anderson, Full Charge Bookkeeper
B.S. B.A. Un. of NE
Team member since 2003
Karen worked six years at a law firm before graduating from college and then worked for an insurance company as a claims adjuster, promoted to supervisor for several years. She then took time off to raise her children.
Karen’s strengths are accuracy, being detail orientated, and hard working. She enjoys working with everyone at Cook Remodeling and Custom Construction. She appreciates the flexible work week to enjoy her family. She’s hiked the Grand Canyon rim to rim three times!
Read Why People Chose Cook Remodeling and Custom Construction for their home improvement, remodeling, and renovation project.
AZ ROC# 178018