Our founder, Michael Diamond has 20-plus years in the home building industry. He holds both Florida Contractor and Florida Real Estate Broker licenses as well as a B.A. from Colgate University. To ensure the highest quality outcomes for every client, he personally maintains strong connections to top architects, designers and subcontractors. At home, Mike spends his private time with his wife Nina and their three children.

Jeffrey Benham is co-owner of Diamond Custom Homes as well as its head of financial operations. With over 10 years of experience in the luxury custom home market, Jeff holds a B.A. in Economics from the University of Massachusetts and a Florida Real Estate License. Formerly, he served as both a CFO and senior financial advisor to several prominent companies and met Mike while working as the director of sales and as a former CFO for another luxury home builder. When he’s not focused on Diamond’s trade partners, clients and project objectives, Jeff spends time with his wife and daughter.

Danielle Gunther began her career in Connecticut with a large commercial construction management firm and has 30 years of experience in construction project management and operations. Her experience also includes 10 years with Yale University as associate director of project management and project manager, while also managing large capital construction projects with architects and designers throughout the world. As Vice President of Operations, Danielle oversees all construction operations for Diamond Custom Homes including new construction, remodeling, warranty service and estate management. She will also lead the development and enforcement of business policies and procedures for the company and its teams.

As Director of Architectural Services, Karen Velasco-Carter plays a vital role in the Diamond Custom Homes process, working closely with clients to articulate their ideas. She is responsible for the coordination between architectural drawings and the interior design drawings for all new construction, as well as the permitting and design drawings for remodels. Karen also manages the remodeling division. She has been in the industry for 20 years, with her previous experience as an architectural designer for two prominent design studios. She holds a bachelor’s degree in architecture from San Buenaventura University, is an AIA associate and a certified general contractor. In her free time, Karen enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, tennis and dancing.

Originally from New York City, Francisco Morales moved to Florida in 2002 and brings over 15 years of remodeling industry experience to Diamond. As Director of Estate Management, he is responsible for taking care of all customer service needs when a new home is in its final stages. This includes meeting with the homeowner and coordinating customizations or corrections of any issues, as well as managing partners and vendors. When he’s not working on home sites, he likes to go fishing, play sports and spend time with his family.

Ben Corace joins our team with decades of sales experience and market insights. His knowledge spans across the board from general contractor to developer and sales, personally building more than 150 homes. In his role as VP of Sales, Ben is responsible for sales and market penetration, finding growth opportunities by developing new and existing client relationships, expanding our services into new markets and increasing our remodel and new construction project portfolio.

As Director of Marketing, Sydney ensures our marketing goals are met through budget oversight, developing marketing strategies and implementing marketing plans. Her experience includes serving as marketing manager for a full-service residential and commercial real estate developer, and as an account executive with a Fort Myers-based advertising agency. In her free time, Sydney enjoys being on the water with her husband and two Great Danes.

George Cavada is a homebuilding industry veteran and has called Southwest Florida home for over 10 years. In his role as Director of Project Management, George manages project managers, coordinators and procurement, ensuring projects run smoothly and expectations are exceeded.

Kasey learned of the strong culture at Diamond Custom Homes and was eager to be part of the company’s bright future. He joined us as an Assistant Superintendent and with his quick learning and leadership mentality, Kasey was soon promoted to Assistant Project Manager. As an Assistant Project Manager Kasey manage the bidding and buying process, coordinate and conduct pre-construction meetings and maintains control of all plans including specifications and revisions to ensure the construction team is in possession of all current documents. He holds a bachelor’s degree in communications with a minor in sports management from McDaniel College. Kasey loves his Goldendoodle Kona, fishing and spending the day at the beach.

A New Hampshire native, Deborah earned an interior design certification from the University of New Hampshire, and a real estate sales associate license from the State of Florida. Involved in the construction and interior design industries for 30 years, she was the owner of Interior Reflections, a business that sold custom window treatments, upholstered furniture and interior accessories for residential clients.

Alina Brezai holds a Bachelor’s degree in supply chain management and has experience in purchasing, customer service and overall project management. As Assistant Project Manager, Alina is responsible for permitting and bidding. As well as collaborating directly with project managers, facilitating budgets, scheduling, customer selections and overall job updates. In her free time, you will find Alina doing yoga and meditating.

Chris Schneider brings 25 years of construction industry experience to Diamond. As Field Operations Manager, he is responsible for mentoring and developing field team members, managing all superintendents, laborers and quality standards in the field. Chris executes on-site coordination for all phases of building projects, and materials and equipment. He is DOT (Department of Transportation) and OSHA safety certified. A third generation construction industry veteran, Chris began his homebuilding career in Cleveland as a carpenter focusing on remodeling homes. In 2000, he relocated to Southwest Florida and built homes for actress Sharon Stone and AC/DC singer Cliff Williams. Today, Chris and his family live in Estero.

Paul Michos has many years of general contractor experience making him perfect fit for the Job Superintendent role. In his role he is responsible for reviewing all project documents for constructability including drawings. He ensures job site safety, quality and schedules assigned projects from pre-construction to closeout.

Anthony Marzella has been in the construction industry since he was 14 and brings almost 30 years of experience to Diamond. As Job Superintendent, he is responsible for closing out all custom homes, focusing on the finish schedule, creating punch lists and driving home close out within a scheduled time frame. He is OSHA safety certified and has taken a wide array of construction courses. Anthony also has extensive historical home restoration experience, previously working for celebrities like Garth Brooks, Mary Chapin Carpenter and Allen Jackson. In his spare time, he renovates his own home with his wife, fishes and does craft-oriented activities with his three children.

Sean Rhodes grew up in the construction industry with his father also working in construction. Sean graduated with an associate in drafting and design and started his professional career as a tradesman in remodeling. His range of industry experience including new home construction, remodeling, roofing and cabinetry design makes him a perfect fit for his role. As a Job Superintendent, Sean oversees job sites, works closely with trade partners and ensures the construction schedule stays on track. In his free time, Sean enjoys spending time with his two children.

Michael Fagan, Job Superintendent, brings over 20 years of construction management experience in Lee and Collier County to the DCH team. Michael has lived in Florida since 1991, having resided in Marco Island and now Naples. His connection to the area, and years of experience make him a perfect fit for his role, where he monitors job sites from planning to completion, manages subcontractors and ensures Diamond quality standards are followed.

Jose brings a variety of experience to Diamond Custom Homes making him perfect for this role. As Warranty Manager, Jose is responsible for taking care of all customer service needs including meeting with the homeowner and coordinating customizations or corrections of any issues.

Tiffany Phillips has over 25 years of experience in the construction industry. Her experience expands across every area of the construction process which makes her a great asset to Diamond Custom Homes. In her role as Bid Coordinator and Assistant Project Manager, Tiffany assists all departments as needed; implements, trains, and maintains all software used by the construction team including Procore, DocuSign, MS Projects, etc. She also assists with coordinating bid campaigns and bridging the gap between accounting and construction. In her free time, Tiffany enjoys reading and hanging out with her dogs Kree and Luna.

Luis Ruelas assists the warranty team and job superintendents during all phases of construction. He manages small jobs, performs final punch list items and other tasks necessary for job closeout.

As a Construction Laborer, Thomas provides a hands-on approach to his responsibilities, managing on-site coordination of all phases of building projects, as well as subcontractors, materials, and equipment. He ensures projects are completed on time and within budget. When Thomas is not on a Diamond Custom Homes jobsite, you will find him fishing with friends and family.

Stephanie Kenney has lived in the Naples area for most of her life and has been in the accounting world for over 20 years! She received her bachelor’s degree in accounting at Hodges University, graduating with the honor of Cum Laude. Throughout her professional career, she has worked in the construction and property management industries, specializing in analyzing data and providing clear advice and financial recommendations for companies. Her passion lies in problem-solving business issues, recommending money-saving solutions and presenting top-notch financial data. In her free time, Stephanie enjoys volunteering in various kids’ programs with her church, traveling with her husband and swimming with dolphins!

Alma Cueva joins the Diamond Custom Homes team as our Accounting Assistant. In her role she performs invoice and general-leger data entry, credit card and bank reconciliation, generate purchase orders and assist the senior financial officers as needed.  In her free time, you can find Alma enjoying Mexican folklore ballet dance with her daughter and spending time with her family going to museums and watching movies.

María Perez brings over 15 years of experience in business administration and human resource management to Diamond Custom Homes. As our Administrative Assistant, María is responsible for supporting the daily operations of the office; ordering supplies and project items; telephone service; meeting scheduling, coordination and preparation; mail and delivery; coordinating supplies and more. In her free time, María loves to travel, discover new cuisines with her husband and go to the beach.