George joined the York Properties executive team in 2006 after spending 12 years in the retail leasing and property management divisions. In 2009, he became President and CEO of York Properties, where he leads the strategic direction of the company. He holds his North Carolina Real Estate License and his Certified Commercial Investment Member (CCIM) designation.
George is a full member of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and served many years on a small-scale development council. Additionally, he is involved with the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC). George is very active in his Young President’s Organization chapter, the Southern 7 Chapter, where he recently completed his term as Chapter Chair in June of 2020. He serves on the Board of Directors for the Food Bank of Central and Eastern NC, as well as the Board of Trustees for Transitions LifeCare.
George is a lifelong resident of Raleigh, NC. He is married to Parker and they have 3 sons, Smedes, Bowen, and Crawford.
Colleen Schmidt is the Manager of North America Security Operations for Corning, Inc. Previously, she served as a Director of Security for Charter Communications and a police officer with the Montgomery County Police Department in Maryland. Colleen holds a bachelor’s degree in International Studies from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia, and completed a Senior Executive Leadership Program at Northwestern University’s, Kellogg School of Management. Colleen has served on the Board of Directors for McDonald York since 2013.
William York holds a Ph.D. in Cognitive Science and an M.A. in History & Philosophy of Science (both from Indiana University) and a B.S. in Biology (from University of North Carolina). Since moving back to North Carolina in 2014, he has worked primarily in the field of standardized test prep, teaching and tutoring SAT, ACT, and GRE students both online and in person. His interests include writing, music, gardening, and investing (stocks and cryptocurrency). William has served on the Board of Directors for McDonald York since 2013.
Shannon Haynie built a successful business over the past 20 years as a professional photographer in the Triangle. She holds an Associates of Arts degree and is serving the community through fundraising for local philanthropic organizations. Shannon has served on the Board of Directors for McDonald York since 2013.
Michael McDonald is Chief Technology Officer for a video game company with employees and offices located around the world. Mike has held several leadership roles in the software, entertainment, and construction industries. Michael has served on the Board of Directors for McDonald York since 2010. He holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Computer Science from the University of Maryland.
Cary Lail is Vice President and Project Director at McDonald York Building Company. He provides leadership, overall guidance, supervision and management to McDonald York’s construction project team. In his role, he oversees the construction of all projects; ensuring safety, appropriate staffing, quality of work and an end-product that fulfills the vision of every client. Also, as a member of the Leadership Team, Cary is actively involved in the company’s strategic planning.
Cary began his career with McDonald York in 1997, rising through the ranks from Field Engineer, Project Engineer, Project Superintendent, Project Manager and Senior Project Manager prior to his current role as Vice President and Project Director. He has obtained over 23 years of industry knowledge and experience in all types of commercial construction including Life Sciences, Corporate, Office, Medical, Retail, Multi-family and Industrial Facilities.
A team player, Cary holds an excellent track record of strong working relationships with owners, architects and engineers which has resulted in years of successful construction experiences. He has a passion for building, and his meticulous attention to detail allows him to excel at generating unique construction ideas and solutions.
Cary is a licensed General Contractor in North Carolina. He has his EIT Certification in Civil Engineering and is also a LEED Accredited Professional. Cary is also a graduate of Leadership Raleigh Class 24.
When outside of the office, Cary can often be found with his wife, watching their daughter and two sons’ athletic endeavors. As time allows, he enjoys tinkering with woodworking, offshore fishing and an occasional hunt.
Cary graduated from North Carolina State University’s College of Engineering with a degree in Civil Engineering – Construction Option.
Chris McGee is the Environmental Health and Safety Director at McDonald York Building Company. In his role, he manages and oversees all environmental, health and safety operations on every project and within the office. He is also a member of the Leadership Team, and plays a significant role in the strategic planning of the company. Chris enjoys the family-like atmosphere and can-do spirit of all his co-workers.
Chris has over 20 years of experience in the environmental, health and safety field. Prior to joining McDonald York, he was an EHS Director for a large global construction management company. Chris has a natural passion for safety and believes all workers should go home to their loved ones in the same condition they arrived at work each and every day.
He has the management experience required to lead all environmental, health and safety (EHS) functions at McDonald York. His exceptional leadership skills allow him to lead teams, make decisions, build stakeholder buy-in, and generate and sustain positive change. Chris has the critical competencies needed to bridge the gap between EHS technical knowledge and leadership, which is essential for achieving EHS excellence.
Chris holds two professional certifications through the Board of Certified Safety Professionals (BCSP), Construction Health and Safety Technician (CHST) and Certified Safety Professional (CSP). He is an active member of the North Carolina Department of Labor (NCDOL) Building STAR program and NCDOL Special Star Team Member (SSTM). In addition, Chris participates in the Wake County Public Schools S.H.E.D. (Students Hands-on Experience Day) competition. The overall objective of the yearly spring event is to promote interest in construction-related careers through experiential learning.
Chris graduated from East Tennessee State University with a B.S. in Environmental Health.
Chris and his wife, Annie live in Wake County with their two sons and two rescue dogs (Piper and Ginger).
Kellie Renzi began her career at McDonald York as an Estimating Intern in the Spring of 2012. Since then her dedication to the company and experience gained has afforded her the opportunity to advance into a leadership role. In 2017, Kellie was named Director of Preconstruction and Estimating, and she currently holds that position today. Her day-today responsibilities include managing a team of Estimators as well as bidding and managing projects of her own. She also participates in Business Development engagements and other Leadership Team collaborations. Prior to her time at McDonald York, Kellie served as a Purchasing Manager in the Residential Sector for both custom and track home builders.
Kellie’s leadership and initiative reaches outside of her role at McDonald York.
Kellie has held the co-chair role for the Community Outreach Committee with the IFMA Triangle Chapter Board for the past two years. She has successfully coordinated several community events with her committee during that time.
Since its inception in 2016, Kellie has led the McDonald York build team for the Wake County Public Schools S.H.E.D. (Students Hands-on Experience Day) competitions. Kellie has served as Coach in all (4) tournaments as Co-Manager and Asst. Coach of the McDonald York / York Properties flag football team. Coach Kellie also serves as the Head Coach for the McDonald York slow-pitch co-ed softball team in which employees and their spouses come together in both fall and spring for fun and team building mixed in with a little healthy competition.
In her spare time, Kellie and her dog Darcy are a certified Therapy Dog team with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs. They regularly visit Ronald McDonald House and other local facilities to provide support and comfort to residents and their families. Kellie also serves as the Security Manager for the swimming venue during the Special Olympics Summer games. She has held that role for the past 3 years.
Kellie and her husband Adam currently live in Garner with their three dogs (Harper, Darcy, and Xeno) and cat (Carmichael). They enjoy traveling and watching their favorite sports teams, the Buffalo Bills, Sabres, and Philadelphia Eagles.
Kellie graduated from North Carolina State with a B.S. in Construction Engineering and Management and a Masters in Civil Engineering.
Nathan Swiggett serves as Project Director, overseeing the Project Management Team, ensuring McDonald York Building Company is providing quality construction services and unparalleled client service. He first joined the company in 2011 as a Superintendent and quickly moved into a Project Manager role, and was most recently promoted to Project Director in 2020. Nathan has more than 15 years of experience in the construction industry. He has spent the last ten years specializing in life sciences construction. That said, with a broad construction background, a career highlight for him was earning a 2017 Sir Walter Raleigh Award in Historic Preservation for the adaptive reuse of Church on Morgan in Raleigh, NC.
Nathan is known for his work ethic. He is fully committed to delivering the highest quality in both product and service to clients. He has a knack for solving problems and finds great joy in connecting people and building teams through shared goals and honest communication. One of Nathan’s priorities at McDonald York has been advancing technology – both in the field and in the office. He is well versed in the tools of the trade and the most up to date technology. Nathan excels at finding opportunities where the two might intersect to further maximize the efficiency of McDonald York’s people and processes.
In addition to his work at McDonald York, Nathan is an active member at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Durham, NC where he serves on the building committee. He makes time to volunteer at his children’s school and also enjoys giving back to YMCA’s Camp Seagull and Camp Seafarer, where he formally worked as a counselor. He is an avid runner, biker, and sprint triathlete. When he is not working, serving or training, you can find him with his family. He loves fishing with his son, walking the dog with his daughter, and cooking “foodie style” in the kitchen with his wife.
Nathan graduated from UNC Pembroke with a B.S. in Business and Marketing. He is a North Carolina Licensed General Contractor and a LEED Accredited Professional.
Tanner Holland is President & Chief Executive Officer of McDonald York Building Company and oversees all construction operations while working alongside the company’s executive management team. Tanner describes McDonald York as “a family of like-minded professionals who go the extra mile for their clients because that is just what we do.”
Tanner brings to his role an exceptional leadership ability, deep insight into our business and culture and a strong commitment to our employees and clients. Tanner is an inspirational leader whose positive management style energizes people to do their best by creating an atmosphere of dedication, work-to-life balance and open communication. One of Tanner’s key focuses and successes has been the establishment of sound and innovative strategies to recruit, motivate, train and retain highly qualified project managers and project superintendents.
Prior to joining McDonald York in 2010 as a senior project manager, Tanner was Vice President of Operations for a local construction company. He has more than 20 years of experience in the construction industry. In 2012, he was elected Vice President, Chief Operating Officer of McDonald York Building Company. In 2021 Tanner joined the McDonald York Board of Directors.
In addition to his work at McDonald York, Tanner’s community involvement includes serving as a member of the Board of Trustees for the Ronald McDonald House of Durham/Wake, Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce Board Member and Past President of the General Contractors Association of Raleigh. Additionally, he is an active member of Hayes Barton Baptist Church and spends a great deal of his time outside of work with his wife and twin boys and says that he wouldn’t trade that for anything.
Tanner graduated from North Carolina State University with a B.S. in Environmental Sciences.
