Jae Chang
IT Director
Well-versed in translating between technology and business needs, Jae helps GLY make smarter decisions through technology and data. He enjoys working with teams to simplify processes, uncover meaningful insights, and find practical solutions that help people work more efficiently. Outside of work, Jae enjoys fishing, golfing, and trying to keep up on the basketball court. He grew up helping his immigrant parents operate their family-owned Korean restaurant for more than 30 years and is always happy to share recommendations, cooking tips, or family recipes. At home, he and his wife stay busy with their three daughters and a tabby cat who was adopted to help balance the household.
Joaquin Aburto
General Foreman
Joaquin approaches each day on the jobsite with a people-first attitude, emphasizing the importance of a collaborative team culture in finding efficient solutions and creating a learning environment for everyone. One of his favorite aspects of construction is that he leaves each workday having learned something new from his teammates. When he’s not out in the field, you can find Joaquin adventuring in the PNW with his 5 kids.
Sarah Cunningham
General Foreman
As a General Foreman, Sarah is known for always thinking ahead and looking out for everyone’s best interest. She enjoys the camaraderie on the jobsite and the pride that comes from persevering and building something together. A recent project of Sarah's featured a major geothermal energy system, and she used that experience to teach others at GLY about geothermal energy and how different types of systems can be used. Her hobbies include hiking, cycling, gardening, and traveling the world every chance she gets. But her favorite thing? Golden Retrievers!
Elie Egan
Assistant Superintendent
Elie feels at home taking leadership on her jobsites, working with a team-first attitude, taking pride in the lasting relationships she builds with her colleagues, and ensuring everyone knows the great value of their contributions. Being a firm believer of “work smarter, not harder”—Elie addresses problems critically, always searching for ways to improved solutions and streamline processes through LEAN principles to reduce labor while simultaneously improving quality and minimizing errors. You can also find Elie feeling very much at home on skiis, her stand up paddleboard, and hiking and backpacking on the weekends.
Anita Phonexayphova
Senior Design Engineer
LEED AP
Anita began her career in architecture and has since migrated to the construction world where she enjoys collaborating with design teams and subcontractors to work through constructability issues while achieving design intent. She employs advanced technologies throughout a project’s lifecycle from early design estimates to virtual project handover and closeout. Anita also supports our project teams by coordinating MEP and running clash detection.
Rick Thompson
General Foreman
As a professional in the industry for more than 50 years, Rick shares advice that has served him well in life: “Love what you do and treat everyone the way you want to be treated.” As a General Foreman at GLY, he finds great satisfaction in working with clients and seeing what the team has accomplished at the end of each day. Building is Rick’s lifelong passion, and it extends into his hobbies as well. You can usually find him in his home shop, where he builds exotic furniture, restores old motorcycles, and crafts his own fishing lures and setups. He also spends time preparing his gear for his favorite seasons—spring and fall—when he takes his fishing boat out on the Puget Sound or heads into the outdoors to enjoy hunting.
Joe Sahlin
Superintendent
Joe embodies a team player, believing that “a successful project is not achieved by a sole individual.” He consistently acts as the glue that adheres the various entities coordinating a project to one another, supporting the successful delivery of a high-quality product. Joe’s perspective that client expectations are a baseline to surpass, is a product of his competitive spirit.