Management Team
STEVEN M. HARTLEY
Chief Executive Officer
BlueStar Companies
Steve Hartley is the founder of BlueStar and has been actively involved in real estate development, investment, management and sales for over 20 years. After a tour of duty with the United States Army as an artillery and construction surveyor, Steve attended the Universities of Maryland and Washington graduating with degrees in Construction Management and Architectural Design. Prior to founding BlueStar, he was employed with Lease Crutcher Lewis, one of the largest commercial construction companies in Washington, and the ARCA Development Company in Everett, Washington. Steve is an active member of the Urban Land Institute and International Council of Shopping Centers and holds real estate brokerage licenses in Washington and California.
DAN McTAGGART
Managing Director of Commercial and Residential Development
Dan McTaggart joined BlueStar in 2007 as Managing Director of Commercial and Residential Development. Prior to joining BlueStar he spent five years with Ledcor Construction, where he first served as Director of Business Development before being promoted into the role of Operations Manager in charge of the Seattle Branch. Dan’s construction management experience started in 1991 with a small Lynnwood company called Construction Associates with revenues of less than $5 million annually. He directed all marketing, business development and preconstruction for 10 years and grew the annual revenue to $72 million. A Seattle native, Dan attended the University of Washington graduating in 1980 with a BA in economics. He worked as a real estate agent for two years, joined a small development/real estate syndication firm for three years after that. He worked with Westlake Capital Corporation in 1985 doing in-fill urban redevelopment projects in Eastlake, Capitol Hill, Wallingford, and Magnolia. He later became a partner in the firm in 1986 and ended up closing that real estate group in 1991. Dan volunteers as a coach for youth soccer, baseball, fast-pitch softball, and football.
BARBARA STEPHENSON
Managing Director of Development Services
Barbara Stephenson oversees all company development activities including acquisitions, entitlement processes, project management, leasing and disposition. Before joining BlueStar, she spent 17 years with a Seattle based real estate development and management firm, the last 10 years as President, with a portfolio of $100 million in projects under management after spending 11 years prior in Washington DC as the property and leasing manager for Winthrop Properties. Barbara graduated from the University of Washington Business School and is a 4th generation Seattle native. She currently holds board positions on several local real estate and community organizations.
MELISSA TOMAS
Director of Operations
Melissa Tomas directs all financial management and office operations for BlueStar including lender and equity reporting requirements, short term cash management activities and oversight of all office management and administration. Melissa has worked in the real estate industry for more than ten years and, prior to joining BlueStar, she served as operations manager for a ReMax Real Estate organization with several independent offices.
EASTON CRAFT
Senior Project Manager
Commercial Projects Division
Easton Craft serves as the Senior Project Manager in BlueStar’s Commercial Project Division. His most recent accomplishments include completion of entitlements for the Fauntleroy Place Condominiums, a $65 million mixed use project in West Seattle that will include a Whole Foods grocer and 145 mid rise condominiums/apartments and the Cielo Vista condominium/apartment development in Las Vegas, Nevada. Easton is a native of Boston and attended Emerson College in Massachusetts.
AUSTIN SHERMAN
Project Manager
Commercial Projects Division
Austin Sherman serves in Bluestar’s Commercial Project Division. Austin’s project experience includes BlueStar’s main offices in Seattle, Washington and several small projects throughout Washington.
KOLL HUSEMOEN
Chief Financial Officer
Koll Husemoen joined BlueStar in 2006 as Chief Financial Officer. Prior to joining BlueStar, he spent 5 years as principal member for a consulting firm he founded providing CFO and Controller for hire services. Koll has more than 20 years of construction accounting and finance experience with several Pacific Northwest general contractors including Skanska (formerly Baugh Construction) and J.R. Abbott. He is a native of Washington and graduated from Seattle Pacific University. He has served as past president of the Puget Sound chapter of the Construction Financial Management Association.
ERIC RADOVICH
Managing Director of Public Relations, Marketing and Human Resources
Eric Radovich joined BlueStar in 2004 as marketing director for residential sales activities in California and was promoted to Managing Director in 2006. He currently oversees all marketing and public relations for BlueStar’s sales and leasing efforts as well as management of internal human resources. Prior to joining BlueStar, Eric served as Vice President of SEAFAIR, the Pacific Northwest’s largest summer festival and was responsible for directing the public relations and marketing campaigns during the most successful financial years in the organization’s 55 year history. Prior to this position, Eric was employed by the Seattle Mariners in the public relations department. Eric continues his involvement in sports, serving as the official scorer for the Seattle Mariners and as public address announcer for the University of Washington’s Men’s and Women’s Basketball teams. Eric also serves on the advisory board of the Wallingford Boys and Girls Club.
DAVID BABOS
Director of Information Technology
David Babos oversees and manages Bluestar’s technology requirements including Excel and Timberline accounting and management systems. David works extensively with project management to implement and administer these systems for maximum efficiency and accuracy in project accounting and tracking. David attended Lake Technical College and Washington State University and, prior to joining BlueStar, served in project management for an industrial engineering firm in Seattle.
FRANK LINKOUS
Senior Project Manager
Residential Projects Division
Frank Linkous serves as the Senior Project Manager in BlueStar’s Residential Project Division. Frank’s experience includes entitlement, site development and construction management of single family home sites. His most recent projects include Sandhurst Cove, a 132 unit single family project located in Indio, California and Mountain Estates, a 123 unit single family home project also located Indio. Currently, Frank is managing projects in California and Idaho. Frank has been involved in nearly every aspect of residential and commercial construction for over 15 years. Prior to joining Bluestar, his experience included work on The Millenium Tower and Experience Music Project, both located in Seattle, Washington.
RON LACASSE
Accounting
Ron LaCasse leads Bluestar’s day to day accounting efforts. Prior to joining BlueStar, Ron was employed as a business accountant for a local CPA firm and in the social services industry. Ron has also performed materials estimating for an airplane parts manufacturer selling mainly to the Boeing Company in Seattle. Ron served for three years in the United States Military before earning a business degree from Central Washington University.
