The Ridgehouse Team
A vision requires a team to unite in purpose and create actionable strategies toward success. Each Ridgehouse Companies team member works to align our resources, collaborate with industry partners and manage projects from start to finish. We remain dynamic and forward-thinking in construction, development, investment and acquisition.
Michael J. Sansone
Co-Founder, Managing Principal
Michael J. Sansone is co-founder and managing principal of Ridgehouse Companies. He is a St. Louis native and grew up immersed in the real estate industry. Now, Sansone has over a decade of finance, asset management and real estate investment and development experience.
Sansone leads the expansion of Ridgehouse Companies, creating strategic plans and maintaining oversight over all aspects of the Ridgehouse Platform. He earned his BS/BA from the University of Missouri, Columbia and his MBA from Webster University in St. Louis.
Matthew E. Walla
Co-Founder, Principal
Matthew E. Walla is co-founder and principal of Ridgehouse Companies. Walla is a St. Louis native and has worked for over a decade in the finance and accounting sectors of property development. Walla oversees the day-to-day management of financial operations, asset management and capital and debt financing for the Ridgehouse Companies portfolio.
Prior to founding Ridgehouse, Walla was the Chief Investment Officer of Sangita Capital Partners. Walla earned his BSAcc/MAcc in Accountancy from the University of Missouri, Columbia and his MBA from Washington University in St. Louis.
Walter Olszewski
President of Ridgehouse Construction
Walter Olszewski has been developing, constructing and supervising projects in property development industries for over 20 years. He has been responsible for contractors’ daily operations, controlling budgets, negotiating subcontracts and working with local and state agencies. He provides day-to-day communication with the project team and owners to ensure jobs remain on schedule and within budget.
Throughout his multifamily development career, Olszewski has completed construction of 16 communities in seven states totaling more than 3,100 units and over $830,000,000 in projects. Olszewski attended both Saint Louis University and University of Missouri, St. Louis and holds a Journey Level certificate in Carpentry.
Thomas Bene
Chief Financial Officer
Tom Bene has extensive experience leading finance and accounting teams primarily focused in the multifamily real estate development, construction and property management fields. He actively works with lenders, investors, CPA firms and internal stakeholders to provide accurate financial reporting and analysis to ensure financial obligations are met.
He has specialties in financial planning, budget development and financial models. He graduated with a bachelor’s and master’s degree in Accountancy from the University of Missouri, Columbia and holds a Missouri CPA license.
TJ Redmond
Vice President of Development
TJ Redmond leads the development team at Ridgehouse in sourcing, securing, and entitling multifamily development sites across the United States. Over his career, Redmond has helped buy or sell over $1B in investment properties and development projects including roles as an investment sale broker at CBRE and Balke Brown Transwestern (BBT), where he served as Managing Broker. While at BBT, Redmond helped launch and direct Diamond Income Fund 2, a boutique real estate fund focused on the acquisition and operation of recently delivered core and core-plus multifamily assets in the Midwest.
He earned his BA from Miami (OH) University and a Masters in Urban Planning and Real Estate Development (MUPRD) from Saint Louis University.
Kris Skelton
Regional Vice President of Construction
Kris Skelton is a Regional Vice President for Ridgehouse Construction. As a Regional Vice President, Skelton oversees all aspects of each project in our east region. He is involved in planning and managing from the beginning stage, preconstruction, to the final stage, certificate of occupancy, of all projects in his region.
He has 25 years of experience ranging from hands-on field work to project management of commercial, multifamily, and single family constructions.
Matt Limpert
Regional Vice President of Construction
Matt Limpert is a Regional Vice President for Ridgehouse Construction. As a Regional Vice President, Limpert oversees all aspects of each project in our west region. He is involved in planning and managing from the beginning stage, preconstruction, to the final stage, certificate of occupancy, of all projects in his region.
Limpert earned his bachelor’s degree at the University of Missouri, St. Louis and has since acquired his NASCLA and ICC building certifications.
Dan Weller
Director of Asset Management
Dan Weller is the Director of Asset Management and is responsible for maximizing the value of our company’s assets. Weller is also responsible for the property managers’ performance of current sites, as well as choosing property management companies for projects under construction.
Julie Garcia
Director of Leasing and Marketing
Julie Garcia serves as the Leasing and Marketing Director at Ridgehouse Companies. With over 15 years of property management experience, she specializes in class-A new developments across diverse markets nationwide. From the outset of construction, Garcia conducts current market studies and devises pricing strategies for each new community. As projects transition from construction to management, Garcia plays a pivotal role in ensuring a seamless shift, directing management from initial lease-up through stabilization.
Cole Tarlas
Development Associate
Cole Tarlas is a Development Associate at Ridgehouse Companies, focusing primarily in the Southeast US. He is a St. Louis native who spent three years in the finance realm in New York prior to moving to Nashville with Ridgehouse to focus on development opportunities. Tarlas is responsible for sourcing new deals through market analysis, site selection, underwriting, contract negotiation and manages the due diligence and entitlement process.
Tarlas is an active member of ULI, CRE615, and NAIOP. He graduated with a finance degree from the University of Arkansas and has taken CRE finance courses over the past few years to enhance his commercial real estate and development knowledge and skills.”
Nicholas Van Sciever
Development Associate
Nicholas Van Sciever is a Development Associate for Ridgehouse Companies. Van Sciever has 8 years of experience in the real estate industry, specifically in the pursuit of multifamily developments. His role with Ridgehouse will focus on the Southwest and Midwest markets and include sourcing new development opportunities through market analysis, site selection, underwriting, contract negotiation, entitlement, and due diligence review.
Van Sciever graduated with a Business Administration Managerial Finance and Real Estate degree from the University of Mississippi.
Ethan Ortmann
Development Analyst
Ethan Ortmann is a Development Analyst who assists the development team with prospecting new land acquisition targets. Ortmann is responsible for project underwriting and gathering research and comps for potential development projects.
Anna Hazelwonder
Executive Assistant
Anna Hazelwonder is an Executive Assistant who provides support and structure to the company. Hazelwonder is responsible for administrative support for all departments, calendar management for executive level team members, and preparation for weekly team meetings.
Tanya Stewart
Project Accountant
Tanya Stewart is a Project Accountant tasked with the general accounting of Ridgehouse Companies’ operations. Stewart is responsible for processing A/P, A/R, tracking insurance and supporting the Ridgehouse Construction team on all accounting-related items. She monitors the progress of projects, investigates variances, approves expenses and ensures that project billings are issued and payments are collected.
Stewart earned her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Accounting from the University of Missouri, St. Louis.
Alexa Nickolick-Stahl
Project Manager
Alexa Nickolick-Stahl is a Project Manager who plans and supervises the building process of our multifamily project, Coda in Nashville, TN, from start to finish. Nickolick-Stahl organizes and oversees construction procedures, manages project budgets, and ensures the projects are completed in a timely and efficient manner.
Jeremy Axtetter
Project Manager
Jeremy Axtetter is a Project Manager who plans and supervises the building process of our multifamily projects in Huntsville, AL from start to finish. Axtetter organizes and oversees construction procedures, manages project budgets, and ensures the projects are completed in a timely and efficient manner.
John Murphy
Project Manager
John Murphy is a Project Manager who plans and supervises the building process of our multifamily project, Avery in Avondale, AZ from start to finish. Murphy organizes and oversees construction procedures, manages project budgets, and ensures the projects are completed in a timely and efficient manner.
Marsh Ragland
Project Manager
Marsh Ragland is a Project Manager who plans and supervises the building process of our multifamily project in Glendale, AZ from start to finish. Ragland organizes and oversees construction procedures, manages project budgets, and ensures the projects are completed in a timely and efficient manner.
Ryan Tune
Project Manager
Ryan Tune is a Project Manager who plans and supervises the building process of our multifamily project, in Surprise, AZ from start to finish. Tune organizes and oversees construction procedures, manages project budgets, and ensures the projects are completed in a timely and efficient manner.
Joey Parise
Superintendent
Joey Parise has over 30 years of construction experience with over 25 of them in a supervisory position. He has experience in a variety of projects, including but not limited to: medical facilities, churches, schools, retail spaces, multifamily communities, banks, federal facilities and custom homes.
Like his fellow superintendents, Parise ensures that quality standards are upheld in each construction site. He also manages communication between Ridgehouse Companies and external parties, such as vendors, lawyers and more.
Keith Townsend
Superintendent
Keith Townsend is a superintendent for Ridgehouse Construction. Townsend has extensive construction experience and is responsible for the daily operations on his assigned job site.
As a superintendent, Townsend oversees the construction process, from planning to completion. He surveys and supervises all of the workers who work on Ridgehouse Companies projects.
Steven Dodd
Superindendent
Steven Dodd is a superintendent who executes our multifamily project, Coda in Nashville, TN, by organizing, planning, and overseeing project tasks on site. Dodd completes quality inspections and supervises all project members- including subcontractors.
Phil Hedrick
Superintendent
Phil Hedrick is a superintendent who executes our multifamily project, in Glendale, AZ, by organizing, planning, and overseeing project tasks on site. Hedrick completes quality inspections and supervises all project members- including subcontractors.
Eric Janson
Assistant Superintendent
Eric Janson is an assistant superintendent who helps to oversee our multifamily project, Coda in Nashville, TN, by working closely with the superintendent on site. Janson is responsible for the daily operations of assigned construction tasks for the project.
Joey Beaver
Assistant Superintendent
Joey Beaver is an assistant superintendent who helps to oversee our multifamily project, in Surprise, AZ, by working closely with the superintendent on site. Beaver is responsible for the daily operations of assigned construction tasks for the project.
Kyle Parise
Assistant Superintendent
Kyle Parise is an assistant superintendent who helps to oversee our multifamily projects in Huntsville, AL by working closely with the superintendent on site. Parise is responsible for the daily operations of assigned construction tasks for our projects.
Christian Paolinetti
Assistant Superintendent
Christian Paolinetti is an assistant superintendent who helps to oversee our multifamily project, in Glendale, AZ, by working closely with the superintendent on site. Paolinetti is responsible for the daily operations of assigned construction tasks for the project.
