Paul James: From Avocation to a Vocation

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

FREMONT — While Paul James initially regarded his interest in horticulture as a mere hobby, he later turned his avocation into a lifelong career. It all stemmed from his first job at a local plant nursery. “When I turned 16, I started working at a nursery down the street from my house,” he remembers. “At first, I was just loading plants into customers’ cars and that sort of thing. Then customers started asking me how to choose and care for plants, and over time, I learned a lot and became more interested in gardening and landscaping. I certainly thought of it more as a hobby than a career, Read more

Kao Saephanh: Adventures in HVAC

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

ELK GROVE — Following high school, Kao Saephanh decided to jump headfirst into a wholly unfamiliar industry. While it was a little scary at first, he soon learned to embrace the adventure. “After high school, I decided to skip community college and go to trade school,” he recounts. “Initially, I wanted to become an auto mechanic, but the sales rep talked me into HVAC. He told me that HVAC techs got to travel to different cities and work in all sorts of different places rather than being stuck inside a garage all day. What he didn’t tell me was they also worked in 120-degree attics and crawl spaces, Read more

Andres Serva: Trading His Badge for a Roofer’s License

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

SUNNYVALE — After trying out a career in law enforcement, Andres Serva decided to leave the Force and join the roofing industry. “I became a police officer in 2016, but after a few years I started to consider other career options,” he recounts. “Working in law enforcement was becoming more challenging due to all the politics and liability involved. Also, the job required a substantial time commitment. My father-in-law was a roofing contractor, so I became interested in the field and eventually decided to make the change. I started out in a minor role and worked my way up to management. Read more

Rick Telly: An Interlocking Opportunity

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

SAN JOSE — In the wake of the 2008 recession, Rick Telly found a job opportunity that, while technically outside of his expertise, nevertheless interlocked with his prior professional experience. “I started in the construction industry in 2001, when my brother-in-law got me an entry-level position as a prepping detailer,” he remembers. “I’ve always been handy and enjoyed building, so it was a good fit. I would go into the newly built homes and handle finishing details like drywall touch-ups and lighting—whatever was needed to get them ready for turnover. Following that, I worked as a backend quality assurance superintendent for a new home developer. Read more

Cory Lacey: A Fortunate Foundation

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

SANTA ROSA — Looking back on his 26-year career in the construction industry, Cory Lacey credits much of his success to a fortunate foundation. “When I got into construction in my early teens, I was fortunate enough to train with a group of seasoned industry veterans who worked in the high-end market,” he details. “I started out working on multimillion-dollar homes in areas like Belvedere, Tiburon and Sausalito, so I consider myself very lucky to have had that kind of introduction.”

Cory didn’t take his advantageous introduction for granted; rather, it motivated him to work even harder. Read more

Bianca Clark: A Mighty Opportunity

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

BENICIA — With a professional background in the wine and hospitality industries, one might wonder how Bianca Clark ended up working at a pest control company. It all stemmed from a family connection. “Growing up, I had family members in the pest control industry, so I’ve always been around it,” she explains. “I worked in the hospitality and wine industries in the Napa Valley for about 15 years. In 2018, my mom started Mighty Men Services. I was getting tired of working long hours and weekends, so it piqued my interest. A couple of years later, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and I was laid off from my job. Read more

Ana Maria Robles: A Beautified Career

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

HAYWARD — For Ana Maria Robles, a career in the skin care field began with an early opportunity. “When I was in junior high, I received a scholarship to attend a beauty school during the summer,” she recounts. “I continued to pursue that through high school and earned my cosmetology license at age 18. At that point, I wasn’t interested in doing hair or makeup, so I decided to attend college to become a surgical technologist. Through that, I got a job assisting a plastic surgeon. Many of his surgical patients were interested in skin care, so he suggested that I attend esthetician school so I could handle that aspect of his business. Read more

PLEASANTON — After 18 years working behind a desk for AT&T as an associate director of engineering, Pete French decided to leave the cubicle behind for a more “alfresco” career. Following a three-year stint with another fence construction company, he joined AMM Fencing as a senior project manager in 2020.

These days, Pete enjoys the outdoor work of providing construction estimates, working with crews and communicating with customers throughout the Tri-Valley area. He boasts of the “top-notch” job that AMM offers its customers and feels an immense sense of accomplishment when he, along with his team members, stands back and observes a finished job well done.

Pete attended junior college in San Diego. Read more

Alan Deaton: A Collaborative Disposition

PLEASANTON — The son of a carpenter, Alan Deaton has been involved in the construction industry his entire life. Beginning as a teenager, he became involved in construction planning, installation and oversight. He grew to enjoy working with fences and arbors in particular.

Born and raised in San Leandro, Alan attended the Academy of Art University in San Francisco. After stints working for JB Fence and Deaton Carpentry, Alan joined the team at AMM Fencing in 2018.

Today, as AMM Fencing’s senior project manager, Alan spends most of his time interacting with customers. After listening to their needs and wishes, he then proposes a design, Read more

Leland Char: Going for Greatness

PLEASANTON — Leland Char acquired AMM Fencing in May 2021 and has since served as the company’s owner and general manager. With a decade of experience working for such high-profile companies as Walmart, Facebook and McKinsey & Company (along with three degrees in business and engineering from the University of Southern California), Leland holds the knowledge and skills necessary to ensure his customers’ approval, his employees’ growth, and his company’s success.

Leland felt the first spark of interest in running a construction business while working as director of operations for BuildZoom in 2015. There, he managed a team of 40 global employees who were dedicated to the company’s mission of matching quality contractors to available projects. Read more