Meet The Team

For Jeff Metke, woodworking and remodeling homes is more than just an occupation. It’s a way of life. Ever since his grandmother handed him a hammer at the tender age of three, carpentry became Metke’s passion. “In high school, I invested in tools while everyone else was out buying cars,” he remembers. “I put myself through college building furniture and cabinets.” After graduating from Washington State University with a degree in Construction Management, he launched Metke Remodeling. Since then, the company has grown from a small outfit that concentrated on doors and interior finish carpentry into a full-service Design Build firm with 15 skilled employees. “I honestly love to dream up something and then create it,” he says. “My staff and I are truly passionate about our work. When a client walks in to see the finished job and their jaw drops to the floor, that’s what we live for.”

Teresa has been in the design industry for over 20 years; however, she also has a background in business. Teresa graduated from Washington State University with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business. After spending several years in the restaurant management field working for a successful commercial chain, she decided to combine her management experience with her creative talents. Teresa went back to school to study interior design at Marylhurst University. From there she designed and managed the opening of several restaurants.

During this time Metke Remodeling & Woodworking was beginning to grow rapidly. Teresa made the decision to leave the commercial design field to help her husband Jeff further develop the Metke brand. Together they created and implemented processes, hired more designers, project managers, and opened a design showroom.

Nick began working for Metke Remodeling in 2017 as a Project manager. After graduating from the University of Oregon in 2011 with a BS in Business, Nick obtained a management position for a large construction supply warehouse where he worked for 7 years. Nick has always had an interest in the construction industry. Growing up he was constantly working on little projects around the house, and his favorite class in high school was shop!

Nick’s favorite part about being in a project management role is being able to see the project progress and transform into something beautiful. He enjoys managing teams because he loves helping people succeed and watching them grow. He also enjoys overseeing the details of the project to ensure the success of both the project and the team. Nick has recently transitioned into a production management role which excites him because he loves looking at all the parts and pieces of a project and studying how they will fit seamlessly together. He is very organized and has been very successful at implementing processes and procedures to enhance our overall production operations.

Gillian left Washington in order to join Metke as Accounting Manager in 2020 and has a BS in Accounting and an MBA from Western Governors University. She developed a passion for construction accounting while working for a property development company in Buckley, WA, but left to pursue education goals when the market took a downturn. While studying she worked in a number of industries, but always felt drawn back to construction.

Being able to work with a team full of craftsmen and artists is a dream come true for Gillian, and hopes that their creativity will rub off on her. In turn, she plans to use her technical skills to develop systems that enable them to be focused on designing and building dreams instead of paperwork.

Gillian strongly believes in the power of providing excellent service to both customers and co-workers, and she is passionate about streamlining processes and lifelong learning. She is thrilled to be joining the Metke team and exploring Oregon.

Jenny joined the Metke Remodeling Accounting team in November 2021.  Jenny comes to Metke with many years of experience in the Accounting and HR field in a wide range of industries the last one being the Wine Industry.  Jenny enjoys having a fresh eye and helping make her co-worker’s job a little easier by trying to find ways to streamline processes and sharing the workload in this time of company growth.  Jenny is excited to make the transition into the design and construction industry and has always enjoyed home design in every aspect.

Crystal started at Metke in 2008 as a Project Coordinator. She graduated from Oregon State University with a BS in Interior Design in 2002. From there she went on to work alongside a local designer doing residential interiors. Crystal has always been fascinated with homes. Not only does she love the pretty stuff, but she also loves to play around with the layout and space planning. When Crystal was a little girl, she loved to see the new homes being built around her neighborhood and longed to go inside to see them as they were being framed. “To me, it is like a game of Tetris. You have to figure out how you can make each space fit perfectly into your overall footprint”.

Karen joined the Metke Remodeling Design team in January of 2020. She brought with her 16 years of design build experience that she acquired by working with another local design build firm. She first became interested in the design industry when she bought her first house. She found herself daydreaming about all the updates and changes she wanted to make, which sparked the desire for a career change. It was shortly after she graduated from the University of Portland with a Finance degree that she decided to go back to school at Portland Community College to pursue Interior Design. From there she worked alongside local interior designers until she branched out into the design build sector. “I wanted to get a better understanding of how the homes were built, and increase my knowledge of rough-ins and framing”.

Jenny graduated from Oregon State University with a BS in Interior Design. After that, she worked for two years as a Real Estate Broker, until joining the Metke Design Team in 2016. Jenny grew up in a very creative household. She enjoyed refurbishing furniture, painting, and helping out with remodel projects around the house. Jenny was first introduced to the design industry in High School when her teacher noticed her unique skill set. When she discovered OSU’s design program, it was a match made in heaven.

Kate graduated from the New York School of Interior Design with a BFA in Interior Design in 2017. She started her career working on residential projects in the New York City area before moving home to California, working for a residential firm in Walnut Creek. In 2019 she moved to Portland and joined a design team that specialized in multifamily housing and hospitality projects before joining Metke in March 2021.

She is always drawn to the history and process of design and making unique and custom spaces that fit the homeowners’ taste and lifestyle. While she enjoys building palettes and finding unique pieces, Kate’s favorite part of the design process is space planning. “You can have the best and most beautiful furnishings, but if the space cannot function to its purpose, it’s not a successful design.” While she is often drawn to more clean lines and modern aesthetics, she loves to venture into historic styles and traditional elements that can infuse instant, unique character and charm into the home.

Meet Kate Grove

Claire started working for Metke Remodeling in 2019 shortly after graduating from Oregon State University with a BS in Interior Design. Claire has always loved interior design and was constantly rearranging and redecorating her childhood home. Her interest in the design field continued to grow through high school and when she learned of OSU’s Interiors program she knew she was meant to be an Interior Designer. In addition to her design background, Claire also has several years of experience working in the retail environment which has equipped her with a very high level of patience and customer service skills. Claire’s favorite part of the design process is the “Idealization phase. I love sourcing materials, space planning, and drafting”! Her favorite design styles are “Modern, Scandinavian, contemporary, and mid-century modern”.

Projects Claire Has Worked On:
Westlake Award Winner

Meet Claire

Zoe joined the Metke team in July 2021 as a Junior Designer after a 6-month internship. She was born and raised in Santa Cruz County on the Central California Coast. She has loved interior design since she was little. Her grandpa had been an art director and set designer for movies in Hollywood and as a kid, she spent hours drafting with him in his studio. As much as she loved interior design, she never realized it could be a career option. She graduated from the University of California Santa Cruz in 2014 with a BA in European history. While she doesn’t use that degree officially, the education she received and the skills she learned are invaluable. After moving to Portland, OR in 2017 she found Portland Community College’s interior design program. She completed her Associate of Applied Sciences in Interior Design from Portland Community College in June 2021. Prior to her job at Metke Remodeling, she was a nanny for 9 years where she learned the value of consistency, empathy, and clear communication, and also the importance of having fun.

Zoe loves the quirky details of old homes and enjoys working on projects that focus on preserving the historical integrity of homes and neighborhoods. She also likes to create connections between interior spaces and their exterior landscape to bring the outside in. Green and warm earthy tones are her favorites, especially when layered with organic materials and fun textures. Her favorite aspect of interior design, though, is creating warm and welcoming spaces that are unique to each clients’ individual needs.

Ryan started in the construction industry when he was 19. He started off in masonry, but quickly realized it was not his calling, made the transition to carpentry, and never looked back. He worked his way up to project manager for a home remodeler in Santa Cruz, CA before moving up to Portland and joining the Metke team.

Ryan initially started in the construction industry because he liked working with his hands and building things, as well as demolishing things! He moved into project management by the time he was 23, and really enjoys getting to manage all aspects of a project, as well as still getting to do some of the carpentry work. His favorite part of the process is the punch list phase, dialing in all the small details to make the job perfect.

Jacob comes from a family legacy of craftsmen and skilled tradesmen in the residential construction industry. As a young man, when not in school, he was often working for the family HVAC company crawling around under houses pulling ducts. Many summers as a teenager were spent roofing houses and building skateboard ramps with his buddies using his grandfather’s old carpentry tools. As a young arborist, one could find Jacob climbing dizzying heights, cutting trees, and milling them; he would later use these slabs and lumber as a rustic furniture maker, creating family heirlooms for generations to enjoy. These early years became the foundation of hard work and integrity that he has used to further his career, working his way up through the ranks as an apprentice, framer, remodeling tech, cabinet and fixture installer, journeyman, and now project manager.

Working for the last ten years in the remodeling industry, Jacob found his diverse skills and experience has proven to be a winning combination. Finding a home with the Metke team was a natural fit.

Chris started as a Project Manager for Metke in 2017, after running a successful framing business with his brother for many years. Chris entered the construction industry because he wasn’t satisfied working in an office environment. “I need to be outside, I feel trapped when I’m behind a desk”. Chris’s father was an engineer, so he was taught the elements of building at a young age. Chris built his own three-story treehouse when he was 8 years old! “The neighbor kid liked my treehouse so much, his mother hired a contractor to build him one just like it!” Chris’s favorite projects are whole-house remodels. He loves to see the complete transformation.

Don has loved building since childhood and as a result, has been involved in construction for over 25 years. He grew up on horse stables on the Georgia coast. He spent much of his time repairing barns and building fences, as well as racing at high speeds among the live oaks and palmettos on his blue-eyed cream, Connemara pony, Missy. And of course, more time mending said, newly built fences. Horses love to break things. He also worked as a carpenter building homes during this time. He attended college in Boston, then moved to Montana. Missy would later join him and his family there for retirement and later, as time takes its toll, interment.

Arlo has been around construction his entire life. As a young boy, he remembers sitting on his father’s lap while he dug footings for the house his dad was building. Arlo’s dad was always doing additions to the house during his grade school years. Out of high school, he got his first construction job, and it was off to the races for Arlo. He worked for the same company for 8 years. In 2009 Arlo got his general contractors license. He successfully ran a business for 12 years before coming to work for Metke Remodeling. Arlo specializes in finish carpentry and has a very sharp eye for finish details. He also enjoys interacting with clients and subs. When he is not working, he enjoys surfing, golfing, snowboarding, camping, and boating. Arlo recently moved from Santa Cruz, CA, where he was born and raised. He loves the ocean!

JP (John Patrick) got started in the construction industry when he was 12 years old. His love for carpentry and woodworking started when he took his first shop class in middle school. With a teacher for a mother and an attorney for a father, JP had to obtain his skills through hands-on experiences. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin with a BS in Construction Management, JP worked as a carpenter for several years until he relocated to the Portland area in 1998. JP began working at Metke Remodeling in 2000 as a carpenter and quickly transitioned into a Project Management role. As the company expanded and transformed over the years, JP transitioned into the Production Management role to train and oversee all production and provide construction expertise to the Metke Design Team.

Today JP is back in a carpenter roll as that is his true passion. His favorite part of a remodel project is, “Seeing something finished. I love the tangible aspects of the project. You don’t get to see that as much when you are in a management position”. His greatest strength is “I am flexible. Being able to be flexible in a production role is very important as you never know when you will get thrown a curveball and have to adjust and keep moving forward”.

Hilarion comes to Metke as part of a family with a long history of working in the trades – you could say being a tradesman is in his blood. When he turned 21, he began his career as an apprentice carpenter and never looked back. Hilarion’s favorite part of any project is at the end when he can see the customer’s reaction to the beautiful, completed project. He also really appreciates the art of finish work, the precision and creativity that goes into the last few details that make a house a home.

When not at work, he’s out cheering for the Timbers and Trail Blazers (like any good Oregonian should) and going to concerts to help feed his love of music. But he is happiest spending time with his family. “My daughter has been the biggest motivation in my life to make something of myself, be someone she can be proud of. If not for her, I can’t say I’d be as good of a carpenter as I am today.”

Aaron is a New Yorker through and through.  He grew up living in the country, helping his dad with his RV repair business and chopping firewood on the weekends. After graduating from High School he moved to Buffalo. After 5 years working for the NHL, the Buffalo Sabres, and acquiring his 2nd Class Steam Engineering degree, he made the decision to move to the West Coast, more sun, less snow. He learned about the solar energy industry and the sales side of construction while in California. He eventually made his way to Oregon and started with a small family-owned company building ADU’s. Unfortunately, they weren’t able to make it through the pandemic. Aaron joined Metke remodeling in March of 2021.

In his free time, he enjoys his love as an adrenaline junkie. Big hills and excessive speeds of 40+ on a piece of wood and 4 wheels are addictive. He is an avid action sports photographer and an active member of the social justice community.

Derek was born and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, and loved woodworking from a young age. After graduating from the University of Utah with a degree in Psychology, he realized that he was happiest when building things out of wood, so he decided to change course and pursue a career in carpentry. The focus and precision required for fine finish carpentry is his favorite aspect of the building process, and he was drawn to Metke because of their reputation for high-quality woodworking in their projects.

When he’s not on-site, Derek can usually be found digging in his garden, cooking, turning wood on his lathe, or hiking and camping with his dog Mars.

Diane began working at Metke Remodeling in 2011 in an administrative support role. Before that, she owned and operated her own consignment store in Sherwood where she expanded her knowledge of business and customer service. Diane is now the office manager and carries with her 30 years of administrative and customer services. Diane was drawn to Metke Remodeling because of her passion for the construction and design industry. Although she did not carry out her degree in interior design, the design industry will always remain a passion in her heart. Diane loves building relationships with clients and subcontractors and enjoys providing the best support and customer service she can. She also loves being part of a team!

• 2016 to Present – Director of Moral : paw-sitively affecting his peers and clients
• 25 years Management/ Interior Design
• Bachelor of Fun – University of Goldens