Rick Dubrow
President and First Hammer
Rick grew up in Baldwin, Long Island, about a half hour from New York City. In 1973 he received his Bachelors Degree in Management and a year later earned his Masters Degree in Aeronautics and Astronautics, both from M.I.T. Although he specialized in airport noise abatement, two events led him to abandon this career in search of a gentler path. Faced with the politics of airport noise, he came to accept the regulatory field as a façade driven to actually protect the industry as opposed to truly regulate it. Then, as an Assistant Operations Manager Intern at Boston’s Logan International Airport, he experienced the aftermath of a DC-9 crash that claimed 97 lives, confronting head on the realities of aviation technology.
Rick changed paths. Instead of continuing to pursue this aviation thread, he and his wife spent nearly a year traveling around the U.S. while exploring our magnificent national park system. Biology and human ecology lit him up. So he chose to pursue secondary education, hoping to teach high schoolers about the plight of humanity slamming into the constraints of our grow-or-die paradigm. In this pursuit he came to WWU for two quarters in order to add a biology endorsement to the teaching certificate he had earned in Massachusetts.
Completing WWU when local teaching jobs were non-existent, Rick began to do small remodeling jobs with some close friends while he hung on to his teaching dream by doing substitute teaching at Sehome and Bellingham High Schools. Instead, the opportunity arose to purchase A-1 Builders from its aging owner and in 1976 he purchased this tiny firm that specialized in foundations under existing homes.
Rick morphed A-1 Builders into a remodeling specialist, leaving this foundation work to others so that he could retain excellent employees who didn’t want to spend much time under existing structures. Who could blame them?
Success brought higher end work, sometimes at odds with his growing environmental ethic. Market pressure pressed A-1 in a direction divergent from his concerns for humanity, the environment and the built environment. Although he considered selling the company to extinguish his cognitive dissonance, he chose to follow a close friend’s advice to bring a strong environmental ethic into his company. The rest is history.
Here are the highlights of this history. We refer you back to our home page for the list of awards our company has earned over the years. Listed right here are some of his personal accomplishments:
Rick’s ultimate passion is sub-alpine and alpine travel above four thousand feet. While the Cascades served as the original pull to land him here at WWU in 1975, he has climbed most every major volcano in the Pacific Northwest. His favorite is St. Helens, having summited its rim some 15 times! “I return to this place, first hand, time-and-time again, to feel our living and evolving earth. And then, to top this off, I adore the descent: a sitting glissade that often lasts thousands of vertical feet….. non-stop! It simply doesn’t get much better than that.”
Cindi Landreth
A-1 Builders’ Vice President; Adaptations’ Manager and Designer
Cindi’s roots run deep within this place. Born and raised in Maple Falls, she is among her family’s fifth generation to live here in Whatcom County! The self-directed degree she earned from WWU's Fairhaven College in the spring of 1991 was entitled Architectural Home Design; Considering Mind, Body and Spirit, during which she focused upon architecture, anthropology, psychology, industrial design, drafting and education.
In 1990, just prior to graduation, Cindi launched Landreth Home Design (LHD). She worked part time for various general contractors - including a year at A-1 Builders - getting some invaluable on-the-job training. From 1992 to 2005 Cindi subcontracted to A-1 Builders and Adaptations, drawing many of our most significant projects during that era. This continuing, professional relationship eventually led to a romantic relationship between Cindi and Rick Dubrow, culminating in their marriage in 2003!
Soon thereafter this dynamic duo designed and built their own home, followed closely by the merging of Landreth Home Design and A-1 Builders in 2005! Cindi had earned the helm of Adaptations and the corporate vice-presidency of A-1 Builders!
Her experience includes drawing plans for spec homes, remodels and custom homes. The variety of building styles in her portfolio include: log homes, insulated concrete form (ICF) construction, straw bale construction, timber-frame, structural insulated panels (SIPs), balloon framed and platform framed homes, an emu barn, a Japanese-style Aikido dojo, and even a couple of bomb shelters! She won several contests for home design during her undergraduate work at WWU and more recently was selected to design the remodel for Bellingham’s Building Services Division. The very building department that gets to see the design work and drafting from all local design firms chose Cindi to create their new home!
Cindi’s vision is to create plans that reflect and support who and what her clients are all about. This design process is not about Cindi and her style of living. It’s her client’s home and their living style. Cindi’s hope is that her clients will spend very little time working on and fussing about their home and more time doing the things they love to do “…like kayaking, sewing, traveling, art, hiking. You know…the fun parts of living!”
Her mission “….is to create a home that supports my client’s life; to welcome them when they’ve been away; to help them connect their values with their actions; to be flexible when their life changes; to encourage the health of their land, their family, and their community.” Cindi works with her clients to create the structure that supports their goals and values by taking the time to think about how they want to live and what keeps them from living that way. “In order to achieve a sense of self in their home, it is important to incorporate their lifestyle.”
Cindi believes that an environmentally-conscious, well-designed home will last longer, have less need for remodeling, encourage community (since residents stay longer in one place), and provide a more simple living style than most of us have been practicing.
Cindi was a founding board member and board secretary of Sustainable Connections, an organization made up of locally owned and independently operated businesses, non-profit organizations, and supportive individuals. Sustainable Connections is a local Chapter of the national Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE). Members create goals to help improve specific business practices to benefit our community, economy, environment and workplace.
Some of the interesting activities in Cindi’s life have been: taking flight lessons toward becoming a helicopter pilot; building and maintaining trails in the National Parks, Wilderness Areas and National Forests of Washington and Oregon; raising her 3 children while attending college; practicing Aikido with her children and then continuing the practice for 10 years; studying and practicing Process Oriented Psychology; bird watching; and traveling in England, Wales, South Africa, and Madagascar. Cindi has a special interest in anthropology with a focus on indigenous housing and culture. “One of the beauties of growing older is looking back, remembering and reflecting on some of the things we have done that have helped build our character, and how our character has influenced what we have done.”
In 2009 Cindi joined Rick in spearheading the birth of Transition Whatcom, as well as becoming certified in permaculture. Permaculture is an approach to designing human settlements and perennial agricultural systems that mimic the relationships found in the natural world. Cindi can now help our clients design their outdoor environments to, among other goals, optimiize food production on site.
Local, indeed.
Paula Wlaznak
Designer
Paula has been with Adaptations since 1995, adding to the 20 years of experience in the building and home trades she had prior to joining us. She has qualified for her AKBD -- a national accreditation for kitchen and bath design. A number of her kitchen designs have been selected for review and publication in local papers and trade journals.
Paula is a strong proponent of universal design, that is, design that not only addresses particular accessibility needs but also long-term use of one's dwelling. Her goal is to incorporate design features that allow functional use for her clients’ present needs as well as for many years to come.
Paula's strong sense of design strives to be aesthetically pleasing to her clients, functional, and sensitive to her client’s budget target….. real design for real people.
When not working, Paula and her husband Myron can be found either in their gardens or creating new recipes from their gardening efforts. Yes, that means finding a lot of ways to use zucchini. They also spend many enjoyable hours with the younger families in their neighborhood, encouraging a strong sense of community involvement.“Thank you, everyone at Adaptations. The support that we have received from the staff there is just marvelous. Paula – you are an inspiration and I really appreciate all your help. You have given me courage to try new things and came up with great ideas and help when I needed it. Rob is such a craftsman and we really like his work. He is so conscientious and tidy. I really like that. A-1 Builders is to be commended for hiring him, as he is the best. We love our living room, kitchen, dining, hallways and bathroom. Everything has turned out just the way I wanted and my home is a joy and a fun place to have people over for the different events that we like to celebrate.” – Carol and Elmer Ebergson (March, ‘00)
Maggie Bates
Designer 
Maggie’s ability to visualize details and stick with a project from beginning to end developed during her years as a freelance artist. She thoroughly enjoys tackling the wide variety of questions and concerns that arise in a construction project, especially amidst the complexity of a typical remodel. She feels it is similar to solving a puzzle that requires her to think on her feet. This is her definition of fun!
Maggie has a Bachelor of Fine Art and is melding her design abilities with her growing knowledge of construction.
When she is not at work Maggie truly enjoys being with her family, both far and near. When possible she likes to spend free time hiking, running or working on a quilt.
Patrick Martin
Salesperson, Estimator, and Designer
Patrick's construction, design and management experience began in 1990, ranging from custom furniture to timber framing to general construction. This diversity of experience provides a solid understanding of the design/build process. Along the way he also mastered the computer and his expertise in hardware and software, as they relate to construction, has furthered his breadth and depth within our company. He’s our go-to guy for information technology.
Prior to joining the trades, Patrick spent 10 years in the field of wilderness-based experiential education, teaching for Outward Bound, WWU's Huxley College, and the American Alpine Institute.
His gentle style, confidence and solid understanding help our clients through an otherwise complex and anxious process. Patrick’s very nature brings peace and tranquility to the entire team --- clients, staff, subcontractors and vendors alike --- and he's been a critical part of our team since the summer of 2004.
Joe Gillmer
A-1 Builders' Production Manager
A native of Whatcom County, Joe brings forth carpentry experience dating back to 1972. Prior to joining us in 1996, he was an EMT and fire chief at Gooseberry Point, as well as having owned his own licensed remodeling business for about 3 years.
The guy is rock solid, living now on the same property he grew up on; property his family has owned since 1904. A graduate of Bellingham High, Joe developed some core northwest passions……. motorcycle riding, camping, fishing and hunting.
Joe joined us as a Project Manager, a position he retained for 8 years. He then became our Field Superintendent for 2 years prior to his latest promotion to Production Manager!
Got a home problem? Joe solves it. As a fire chief he put out fires. Now, in a more gentle role, he puts out our fires. Once clients get to know this man and understand his involvement, they tend to express their confidence in our orchestration of their project.
Asked to define the passion he brings to his work, Joe describes it as ‘….creating the very home our client can imagine for themselves!’
Chris Pasquini
Project Manager
Chris joined A-1 Builders in 2006 with 3 years of carpentry under his belt.
Asked what drives him, he said that “….I am passionate about the deeper meaning of life. The importance of relationships. I am seeking a path that allows me a livelihood that doesn't compromise my spirit. With the increasing threats we are imposing on ourselves through global warming, pollution, etc., I was inspired to become involved in green building. Green building is one way we can acknowledge our relationship with the natural world. Utilizing the wide variety of tools we have in designing and building energy efficient and aesthetically pleasing homes, we can do our small part to protect the earth and ourselves.”
This passion has already led Chris to the following accomplishments:
In his spare time, you’ll find Chris spending time with his wife, Daylen, as well as playing guitar, woodworking, carving soapstone, and listening to music.
Chris and Daylen are imports from Bellwood, IL, 12 miles west of Chicago. They lived in the San Francisco Bay Area for 16 years before moving to Bellingham in Aug of '06. “I like Bellingham because you have the best of both worlds…. the amenities of a city but the feel of a smaller community. People seem to be active in the community and that inspires me to be more active. The natural beauty of the region is awe-inspiring...that helps too.”
Chris adds that “….I love A-1 Builders for what they talk and what they walk. It is rare to find a company that lives up to its ideals. Rick and Cindi's commitment to green building, the health of our natural environment and the community of Bellingham is commendable.”
Shawn Serdahl
Project Manager
Shawn moved to Bellingham in 1999 from the Seattle suburbs and was instantly infatuated by its beauty and strong feeling of community.
After sitting in an office chair for a few years prior, he found himself drawn to finding work that allowed him to use both his body and his mind. So Shawn went to Bellingham Technical College and attended the Building and Construction Technology Program. After working for a few contractors, he went into business for himself. While self-employed, Shawn was able to work on a variety of remodels, additions and new construction projects before he and his stepfather purchased two homes that they completely remodeled with the help of a few others.
“While working on these projects, I became aware of how important it is to be more environmentally conscious while building and remodeling. I joined A-1 Builders in the summer of 2007 to expand my knowledge of green and sustainable building.”
On a more personal note, Shawn says that “…. in 2001, I married my high school sweetheart. Two years later we had our first daughter, Amyiah. And now we have an 18 month old daughter named Ruby June.”
Shawn’s outside interests include “….but are not limited to, hanging with my girls, making furniture, and all sports (but mostly golf and disc golf )”.
Arthur Johnson
Project Manager
Arthur, a native of Bellingham, joined our ranks during the summer of 2009. After attending Sehome High and Whatcom Community College, he began his carpentry career in 2001.
“In 2004 I married my high school sweetheart, Hayley. We have 2 exuberant young boys -- Milo and Felix -- and a dog named Forest. I can’t think of anything that puts life into perspective like raising a family.
“I’m passionate about putting my mind and hands to good use in a creative way. One of the most satisfying ways that I’ve found to do that is through my work as a remodeler -- lucky me! It lets me think through complex projects, problem solve, and yield strong, trusting relationships with clients and coworkers.”
Arthur enjoys riding bikes with his family, playing with his kids, playing guitar, making furniture; he loves being creative, collecting and using tools.
“I’m very impressed with A-1’s integrity and commitment to the environment....... as well as to humanity. It’s refreshing to work with a company that employs top quality, extremely competent workers that have great attitudes.”
Justin Deane
Carpenter (Project Manager, at times, as well)
Justin was born and raised in Michigan….. GO BLUE! He attended the University of Montana earning a Bachelor's Degree in Biology with an emphasis in education. After college he spent two years in Jackson, Wyoming riding around on lawn mowers and living the life of a ski bum. Justin and his girlfriend were ready for a change and a friend suggested Bellingham; they moved here in June of ‘06.
“I had worked construction in high school and decided to start a career in the industry. My interest in A-1 began shortly after I moved here. I was researching building companies involved in green building, as that is the path I would like to pursue, and A-1 kept coming up. I began to ask around and word of mouth always spoke highly of A-1. I always had one eye looking at A-1 and finally in Sept. of ‘08 everything fell in to place. I can honestly say it feels great working for a company with great people. It feels good to tell people that I work for A-1 Builders!
“Oh, yeah, when I’m not working I play a lot. On the water, sailing and surfing; in the mountains, snowboarding and hiking; on the ground, enjoying a good game of soccer.”
Adam Yost
Carpenter (Project Manager, at times, as well) 
Adam moved to Bellingham in 1999 from Anacortes to attend Western Washington University, where he earned a bachelor’s degree in English Literature. After graduation, Adam stuck around Bellingham because of its beauty and proximity to the Cascades which he loves so much.
After graduation, Adam began working road construction, but quickly found out that seventy hour work weeks, long commutes, and the brutal nature of road construction was not to his liking. He was looking for a more creative outlet to his passion for building.
Adam began working for a small construction company in Anacortes which specialized in building custom homes. It was here that his excitement for building grew. He loved the quality work that he was doing, but began to think about all the waste that comes with the building industry and how it related to his life. Adam began researching green building, and A-1 Builders was a natural step. He is able to work on exciting projects with people who feel as connected to their surroundings as he does.
As a builder, Adam wants to create a beautiful space for our clients. He wants them to feel a strong bond with their homes, but wants to do that in an environmentally responsible way. “It is our responsibility as people to be conscience of how we treat our surroundings…this includes ourselves, the people around us, as well as the environment.”
When he is not working, Adam can be found outside with his wife and dog hiking through the Cascades, camping, and at the dog park. He also enjoys snowboarding, reading, writing, cooking, and discovering new hobbies. He has recently taken to photography, learning the guitar, and chess.
Mike Robert
Carpenter (Project Manager, at times, as well)
Mike has lived and worked as a carpenter in Whatcom County since 1979, joining our team in the summer of 2009. And you’ll quickly see the experience he brings to A-1 Builders. His conscientious attitude and unique sense of humor provide a focused, yet fun, approach to the remodeling process. He gets the job done, done well, with a smile on his face.
“I have been blessed with wonderful boys.”
Mike recently moved into his new home which is on 5 wooded acres in the county. He lives there with his girlfriend of 19 years, his dog and 2 goats.
“I love the outdoors. I am an avid bicyclist and spend many hours a week in the saddle -- rain or shine.”
Go ahead and ask him about cycling and you’ll hear some amazing feats he’s achieved on 2 wheels!
Chris Frerichs
Operations Manager
Chris joined us in 2003 and has taken his position to a new level. He supports all of our projects and Project Managers with the materials and equipment needed by our carpenters so that they can remain on site, focused upon production. “I have a great overview of all of our projects, through every stage, getting the guys just what they need to finish the next step. I keep moving so our field crews don’t have to, helping to avoid or solve any tool or material problem that may arise.”
Asked to describe his passion here and his response was “….. working with quality people, making sound products, giving people the highest quality lumber and other materials available………. quickly.”
Born and raised in Washington, Chris finished his education at WWU with a photography degree and decided to stay here after he got married. Today you’ll find him living with “….beautiful Malia, my wife, Kalai and Ella, my daughters, and Brice, my dog.”
He sticks around here because “….western Washington is in my blood and it the best spot in the country to live and raise a family.” You’ll often find Chris taking pictures and long beach hikes with his family.
Chris’ passion for photography can be seen throughout our website and other company documents, operating his own company, True Photography, when he’s not supporting our crews.
Bobbi Plata
Office Manager 
In 2006, Bobbi had already logged 20+ years in the field of accounting, specializing for 16 of these years within the construction trades! When asked to describe her passion here at work she replied that “…..she strives to make a difference in people’s lives by using her talents and resources.”
Bobbi comes from a long line of musicians. Her husband, children and extended family are all musicians, sharing their gifts of music with many churches, retirement communities, hospices and hospital facilities. They even sing Christmas carols throughout many neighborhoods in their town. “Music is the core of the family I grew up with and it continues to be the core in my own family.”
Besides Bobbi’s instrumental and vocal talents, her hands-on activities are just that … hands on. She enjoys creating/building things which include landscaping, gardening, carpentry (in construction and woodworking), costume design and fabrication. “…. the list goes on! I am considered the Martha Stewart/Tim Allen of my family. Whenever there is a project to be done … call Bobbi.” She’s also a Recommended Black Belt in Taekwondo.
Bobbi shares her life with her spouse of 20+ years, her three children, one cat, and a dog. And she’s a local, having been born and raised in Bellingham. She moved away for 3 years during her husband’s schooling and then moved back to Whatcom County “….to where I belong!” Asked why she stays put and her response is solid and quick “…it is so green, near the ocean and mountains; quiet, relaxed, with less pressure; a small town feel in this growing region.”
Here at A-1 Builders since ’04, Bobbi “….enjoys the quaintness of the atmosphere that is created by the strong leadership within the company. My colleagues are sincere and very supportive of me with such a vital position that is at the heart of a small company that relies on everything I do.”
She’s absolutely right!
Nancy Sabiston
Administrative Assistant 
Nancy has deep roots in Whatcom County..... born and raised in Bellingham, then graduating from Mount Baker High School. All of her family lives locally. “I have 3 brothers, 3 children (soon to be 5) and 3 grand babies (all girls - hormones rule!). My middle daughter is a Marine and is currently stationed in Okinawa Japan. We are all so very proud of her!”
Prior to joining us in the winter of 2008, Nancy spent 27+ years in an office environment from Deputy Clerk at the Superior Court to Data Manager for the State of Montana. In 2000, she relocated back to Bellingham “….because the seafood is really bad in Montana! I missed the rain and the beauty only the Pacific Northwest has.”
In Nancy’s spare time she’s “….. addicted to scrapbooking and numerous crafts and, of course, spoiling the grand babies. I do wedding cakes on the side, just for some added stress when there isn't enough around! My fiancé and I love to fish, camp and hunt. Last year we built a new aluminum river sled and hope to get out more this summer and enjoy it.
“I also have a wicked sense of humor and love to laugh! And I’m excited to be a part of A-1 Builders and Adaptations!”
