Cahill Contractors, Inc.

Bachelor of Science, Construction Management - Texas A&M University

LEED Accredited Professional

Blair has nearly 30 years of experience in the construction industry and has been with Cahill since 1996.  Blair opened Cahill's Oakland office in 2008, which has since more than doubled in size with the completion of such projects as Lion Creek Crossing, Ed Roberts Campus, California Hotel, and projects in both the Oakland and Piedmont Unified School Districts. Blair was appointed to the President role in 2018. Blair is a licensed general contractor in the state of California.

Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering (specialization in Construction Management) - University of Illinois

Licensed Professional Engineer in the State of California

LEED Accredited Professional

Chuck Palley has almost 30 years of experience within the building construction industry, over 25 of which have been at Cahill. Chuck has served as President of Cahill Contractors, Inc. since 2005. Chuck has overseen such projects as the Argonaut Hotel, Oxford Plaza / David Brower Center, The Cecil Williams Glide Community House, and Hilton San Francisco Union Square.  

Chuck has been a leader in the Bay Area construction industry, serving as a past president and current Board Member of the Contractor’s Employers Association (CEA). Chuck also spearheaded the founding of the Construction Industry and Workforce Initiative (CIWI), a young adult workforce initiative intended to provide construction industry internship positions and access to development opportunities for students from under-resourced families and neighborhoods.

Master of Science, Civil Engineering - University of California, Berkeley

Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering - Cornell University

LEED Accredited Professional

Guy joined Cahill in 1992 as a Project Engineer and has served as Executive Vice President since 2018. Guy leads preconstruction efforts and oversees numerous projects in construction across multiple market sectors. Some of his completed projects include Transbay Block 6, San Mateo Union High School - Performing Arts Center, and 10th & Mission Family Housing. He is a major contributor to the development of the Pueblo Structural System, a new pre-fabricated structural system.

Master of Business Administration - Harvard Business School

Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering - Stanford University

Jay Cahill is the third generation of the Cahill family in the construction business. He joined Cahill Contractors’ predecessor company in 1969 and co-founded Cahill Contractors, Inc. in 1974. Jay served as Cahill's President for many years, during which time he grew the company substantially while still managing details of such large projects as St. Mary’s Cathedral and the Hilton San Francisco Union Square Tower II & Plaza. 

Jay currently serves on the San Francisco Committee on Jobs and is an Emeritus board member of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, for which he served as Chair in 1995.  He also serves on the Board of Directors of the California Casualty Group, and previously was a member of the Board of Directors of the DiGiorgio Corporation.  He has served on the Board of Trustees of San Francisco University High School and the Board of Directors for Catholic Charities (Marin chapter President 1980-1981), the Marin Council of the Boy Scouts of America, and Parnow House, a residence sponsored by the Jewish/Catholic community to house low-income seniors and disabled persons.  Jay has also served as Vice-Chair of Stanford University's National Major Gifts Campaign and the United Way Campaign. 

Master of Business Administration - Stanford University Graduate School of Business

Bachelor of Arts, Economics/Geography; Engineering Sciences minor - Dartmouth College

LEED AP

Kathryn joined Cahill Contractors in 2007, becoming the fourth generation of the Cahill family to work in the construction business. While at Cahill, Kathryn has worked in project management and estimating for projects spanning affordable housing, market rate condominiums, senior housing, and religious facilities. She is also involved with company operations including marketing, recruiting, and technology.

Prior to Cahill, Kathryn worked in management consulting at Mercer Management Consulting (now Oliver Wyman) and in nonprofit management/strategy for the Bridgespan Group and Oakland Unified School District. She previously served on the Board of Directors of the Bay Area Youth Sports Foundation (BAYS), and is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce.

Master of Science, Civil Engineering (Construction Management) - UC Berkeley 

Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering (emphasis in structural) - UC Irvine

EIT from California, Tau Beta Pi Engineering Honor Society

LEED Accredited Professional

Mark has 30 years of experience in the construction industry, with the last 24 years at Cahill. Mark manages preconstruction and estimating staff for projects ranging from $1M to over $100M and from early conceptual stages to final pricing. He assists clients with budgeting, bidding, site logistics, scheduling / phasing, constructability reviews, researching alternatives & options, and value engineering. Some of his notable projects include Oakland Museum of California, Mission Creek Senior Housing, and Rhoda Haas Goldman Plaza. He also has extensive experience in Green Building and is a LEED Accredited Professional. 

Mark is a former US Navy Civil Engineer Corps officer with naval training and was stationed in Monterey, California, and Italy. He is currently a member of the Oakland Catholic Diocese design review board and serves as Chairman of his church's finance council.

Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, Business Finance - California State University, San Diego

Bachelor of Science, Business Administration, Accounting - California State University, San Diego

Certified Public Accountant

As Cahill's Chief Financial Officer, Mike is responsible for leading our accounting department and corporate finance operations. He closely monitors our insurance and risk management efforts and reviews contracts. Mike also works with the management team to guide strategic business planning and is a member of the Employee Retention Committee.

Mike brings to Cahill a wealth of experience in finance and the real estate and construction industry, having previously worked at Premier Homes Properties, Inc., Standard Pacific Homes, Western Pacific Housing, Richmond American Homes, Live Oak Enterprises, Panattoni Development Company, and as a senior auditor at Price Waterhouse. Mike is also the owner of a family business in Sacramento. 

Howard joined Cahill as a Carpenter in 1985 and served as an Assistant Superintendent and Superintendent for over 20 years before becoming Field Operations Manager in 2010. While a Superintendent, Howard ran some of Cahill's largest and most challenging recent projects, including the Coronet / Institute on Aging, North Beach Place, 955 Green Street Condominiums, and Union Square Improvements.

As Field Operations Manager, Howard currently oversees Cahill's field forces, ensuring that projects are staffed appropriately and providing mentoring and training to employees at all levels. Howard also provides oversight for every Cahill project, assisting with planning, scheduling, and issue resolution. 

Master of Science, Construction Engineering & Management - University of California, Berkeley

Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering - University of California, Berkeley

LEED Accredited Professional

Arash has over 20 years of experience in the construction industry with a background in Structural Engineering and Project Management. Since rejoining Cahill in 2009, Arash has worked on numerous successful projects including University of San Francisco – Lo Schiavo Center for Science Innovation and Acacia Creek.

Master of Science, Construction Engineering & Management - University of California, Berkeley

Bachelor of Science, Civil Engineering - University of California, Berkeley

LEED Accredited Professional

Arash has over 20 years of experience in the construction industry with a background in Structural Engineering and Project Management. Since rejoining Cahill in 2009, Arash has worked on numerous successful projects including University of San Francisco – Lo Schiavo Center for Science Innovation and Acacia Creek.

Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering- University of California, Berkeley

LEED Accredited Professional

Leadron has nearly 20 years of experience in the construction industry. Since joining Cahill as an Intern in 1997, Leadron has extensively worked both in project management and estimating. A well-rounded leader and collaborator, Leadron has managed a number of successful projects across all market sectors, including Stanford Neuroscience Health Center, California Hotel, and Bayview Hill Gardens.

Bachelor of Arts, Architecture/ Minor in City Planning - Univerisy of California, Berkeley

LEED Accredited Professional

Certified Green Building Professional

Matt joined Cahill in 2006 and has established himself as a strong leader who is adept at guiding teams to successful project outcomes. Notable projects include San Mateo Union High School Performing Arts Center, Veterans Commons, and Transbay Block 6.

Bachelors of Science, Mathematics - San Francisco State University

Minor in Managerial Accounting - UC Berkeley Extension

With over 20 years of experience in the construction industry, Mina manages day-to-day operations within Cahill’s accounting department and oversees the accounting team. This includes month-end closing activities, general ledger, cost accounting, reporting, monitoring cash flow and collections, job costing, and working with senior project managers on cost controls and risk management. She is on Cahill's Employee Retention Committee and enjoys training new staff and welcoming them into the Cahill community.

Bachelor of Science, Construction Management / Minor in Business Administration - California State University, Sacramento

LEED Accredited Professional

Nate has been working at Cahill in both project management and estimating since 2005. He has led projects in a wide range of market areas, including 1100 Ocean Avenue, Kelly Cullen Community, and The Salvation Army – Ray & Joan Kroc Corps Community Center.  Nate also is responsible for overseeing and implementing Cahill’s MEPS Coordination processes throughout the company. 

Bachelor of Arts with Honors, Sociology - UC Santa Cruz

JD - Hastings College of the Law

LEED Accredited Professional BD+C

Rob is responsible for directing Cahill's safety, risk management, human resources, and marketing efforts. Rob has over 25 years of wide-ranging experience in the construction industry. After entering the construction field as a laborer and later becoming a foreman/superintendent for a design-build geotechnical contractor, Rob went on to work as a construction manager for non-profit and market-rate housing developers, as well as for San Francisco's Mayor's Office of Housing.

Rob is a member of the board of directors of the Treasure Island Homeless Development Initiative and of Building Futures with Women and Children. He serves on the advisory committee of the Construction Industry Workforce Initiative (CIWI).