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Golden Sands General Contractors
Senior Project
Key Contacts
Owners, Principals & Senior Executives
John Fedele's Bio
John Fedele, Chief Executive Officer of Golden Sands General Contractors, is responsible for developing leadership within the company and directing the successful implementation of corporate objectives and maintaining the core family values of Golden Sands. He also directs joint venture and strategic alliance partnerships, finance, as well as the company’s real estate portfolio.
John first joined Golden Sands in 1996 when he started as a Project Supervisor and Safety Officer. He later held the positions of Project Manager, Operations Manager, and Chief Operating Officer. Under John’s stewardship as COO he began developing the scalable infrastructure that led to the company’s expansion into 14 states and double-digit growth. He also directed the positioning of Golden Sands for its next generation, while preserving a long-standing client base of Fortune 500s. In 2013 he was entrusted with the role of Chief Executive Officer.
John, who is LEED AP certified, is a graduate of Florida State University and holds a BS in International Business. He is a member of the Young Presidents’ Organization (YPO), the U.S. Green Building Council and the Florida State University Alumni Association.
He is also active in charitable organizations including Doctors Without Borders, St. Jude, American Heart Association, the Golden Sands Charitable Foundation, One.Org and Belen ACES. John, a triathlete, resides in South Florida.
Ken Fedele's Bio
Ken Fedele is the Chief Operating Officer of Golden Sands, responsible for the successful development and consistent delivery of high quality projects throughout the company’s expanding geographic footprint. He plays a strategic role in the overall management and growth of the company, particularly in new market initiatives.
Ken also mentors senior leadership in eight operating offices and directs company-wide sustainability innovations, resulting in Golden Sands’ carbon neutral status. He manages the company’s real estate portfolio and leads the company’s design-build department, working with nationally ranked, high-end design teams.
Having joined the company in early 2001, Ken initially held the position of project manager and by the time he was 21, had been instrumental in the successful completion and delivery of 4 financial facilities that he built from the ground up. He rose through the ranks, having held a central role in building the business, particularly the sports and entertainment department.
Ken is a member of the Golden Sands Charitable Foundation and serves on several charitable committees in Miami.
Mary F. Maguire's Bio
Mary F. Maguire, one of the co-founders of Golden Sands, has held a leadership role from the beginning, and has been instrumental in structuring the company and guiding its expansion for twenty-seven years.
Her position has evolved, having encompassed the development of operational systems and managing select construction projects in the early years to spearheading diversification initiatives and setting strategic agendas currently. She continues to be involved in client relationships at the executive level.
Prior to joining Golden Sands, Mary was with the Cayman Islands Government for 7 years as Director of Training. Before that, she was an international systems analyst for Cable & Wireless PLC, based in London. In this position, Mary established financial systems throughout the Middle East and the Caribbean and was the first in Cable & Wireless to work in the Middle East.
Mary Maguire, an active member of the Women's National Council, received her BS degree from University College in Dublin, Ireland. She is also actively involved in the Golden Sands Charitable Foundation, which builds and operates schools and helps to fund clinics in Jamaica
Peter Fedele's Bio
Peter Fedele is one of the founders of Golden Sands and the President of the company. He has, quite literally, grown the company from the ground up.
Peter began in the as a developer, initially in the Cayman Islands and then in Miami, with a focus on warehouses and offices. He also bought inner city property and developed housing facilities.
Always the innovator, he saw the company's role evolving and seized emerging opportunities for a general contracting company that would raise the industry standard entirely. The success of the early years of Golden Sands is measured by its entrance to the banking industry and a specialization that is the backbone of Golden Sands today.
In addition to leading the company with Mary Maguire, Peter has been
instrumental in building a team that is highly respected in the , and
in maintaining Golden Sands' expansion plans even in the down economy.
He attributes this success to the company's diversification
(specifically, the creation of the disaster recovery/ continuity
division), oversizing their real estate acquisition, owning their
property and, continually reinvesting in the .
Peter Fedele, who
attended Loyola University, Montreal, Canada, holds general
contracting s in 20 states. He is also a member of the National Storm
Shelter Association (NSSA) Education and Outreach Foundation Board, a
founder of the Golden Sands Charitable Foundation, and a member of
InfraGard, a partnership between the FBI and members of the sector.
Estimating, Purchasing & Preconstruction
Keith Eckermann's Bio
Keith Eckermann joined Golden Sands in 2015 as Estimating Manager, responsible for building pre-construction processes and a team in the West region. As Director of Estimating, Keith now manages the operations of the company’s national estimating and pre-construction department. Among his innovations are the implementation of BuildingConnected, OnScreen Take-Off, and Qualification Manager, moving pre-construction into a paperless electronic format and developing standard operating procedures for the estimating department. These tools to ensure the accuracy and efficiency of the pre-construction process on projects typically ranging from $250k to $20MM. In addition to hiring and managing the estimating department staff, Keith has developed an extensive, pre-qualified subcontractor base. He also analyzes and executes value engineering strategies to ensure cost savings for clients Working closely with the projects team and regional directors, Keith and his teammates are an essential part of Golden Sands success and client relations.
Prior to Golden Sands, Keith held positions including Senior Project Manager and Chief Estimator for 3V Company, Inc. and Architecture Manager for both Kimball Hill Homes and KB Home, in their respective Houston divisions. Earlier in his career, Keith began his commercial construction career as a draftsman, working to take on the roles of Project Manager and Estimator for Panoramic Window and Door Systems, Inc., located in New Jersey.
During his career, Keith’s accomplishments include estimating and subsequent award of multiple projects up to $20MM, estimating & project management for an architectural mill-work scope valued at $4MM for Exxon-Mobil World Headquarters in The Woodlands, TX as well as several design build residential projects. Keith is passionate about architecture and music, as well as being an audiophile and lifelong automotive enthusiast.
Keith Eckermann is OSHA 30 Hour certified, Auto-CAD user for decades, LEED and FSC experienced, and AWI certified.
Operations
Brian Allen's Bio
Brian Allen, Golden Sands’ Regional Director for the Central U.S. and West, is a seasoned construction professional with extensive and diverse experience in commercial and retail construction and spanning the multiple disciplines of project management and development. His recent promotion to Regional Director has expanded his regional responsibilities to include all territories west of the Mississippi. Under his direction, the regional growth in the past four years has surpassed 650%.
He is highly skilled in managing all phases of construction projects and in providing value engineering and effective budget management. In the past two years alone, Brian has led regional project teams to the successful on time and on budget completion of eight Bank of America New Store ground up projects, 17 BB&T New Store IFOs, and hundreds of ATMs, ATAs and ADA projects.
Prior to joining Golden Sands, Brian was General Manager at STS Engineering & Construction, LLC, and was a Senior Project Manager with U.S. BUILDERS, L.P., both in Houston. Brian, who studied construction management and finance at West Texas A&M University, was also an Operation Manager for AT&T, where he managed design build and facility construction upgrades for over 130 building locations throughout the Dallas/Ft. Worth Metro Plex
Other
Rachel Mendoza's Bio
Rachel Mendoza joined Golden Sands in 2011 and is now our Director of Organizational Development. Rachel ensures that proper training is in place for all departments and roles. She also streamlines processes, makes recommendations for gaps in positions, and plans all of our internal conferences. Prior to Rachel’s current role, she was the Executive Director for the Office of the CEO. In this position, she played an integral role in successfully implementing the company’s strategic plans, resulting in significant growth of Golden Sands’ client base, geographic footprint and staff.
Rachel’s recent and versatile accomplishments include creating a leadership development program for senior management, including an ongoing educational series and annual off-site conference. She also worked with Human Resources to streamline all policies and procedures for the growing company, and is actively involved in the company’s charitable giving program.
Prior to joining Golden Sands, Rachel held positions including Senior Executive Assistant to the Chairman at Terranova Corporation, and Administrative Assistant to the Principal at World Real Estate Exchange, both in South Florida.
Rachel earned her MBA from the University of Miami and her BA from Florida International University.
Robert Pedraza's Bio
Robert Pedraza has been an integral part of the IT Department since 2012, with successes that led to his promotion to IT Director. He directs a team that supports both Golden Sands' and ABC Domes' corporate structure in addition to an expanding staff in regional offices throughout the country. He is responsible for the maintenance of all virtual infrastructures as well as the network.
Robert also spearheads the research and development of systems as well as vendor and client portals. He directs the development of IT innovations as well as the management of multiple voice and data vendors.
Prior to Golden Sands, Robert launched and managed several IT related companies, holding the positions of infrastructure and network architect and engineer.