Archives: Teams

Emily Massey is a Vice President and Chief Financial Officer for McDonald York Building Company and a member of the senior leadership team. As Chief Financial Officer, she supervises the accounting and finance functions in addition to human resources and information technology. She provides both operational and high level strategic support to the organization and assists the Chief Executive Officer on strategic and tactical matters as they relate to budget management, job costs, financial reporting, insurance and risk management, forecasting, and cash management. She joined McDonald York in 2012 and has over 20 years of financial and management experience in the construction industry. Emily is a vibrant and motivated executive who is making a difference at McDonald York.

Outside of work, Emily enjoys going to sporting events, hiking, fishing, camping, and going to the beach with her husband and their three boys.

Emily is a current member of the Triangle Chapter of the Construction Financial Management Association, the North Carolina Association of CPA’s, TCREW and the American Institute of CPA’s. She also serves on the Board of Directors of Interact of Wake County and a volunteer at Cary Christian School.

Emily graduated from Clemson University with a B.S. in Accounting.

Mike Kriston is the Senior Vice President and Director of Business Development for McDonald York Building Company. As an executive and a member of the senior leadership team, he is responsible for creating, implementing and providing oversight for all aspects of the company’s business development as well as participating in company strategy development. He drives business growth by building and maintaining contacts with prospective and current clients as well as upstream and downstream partners.

Mike defines success as creating value for a contact, regardless of whether it falls within our realm of construction. He is a big believer in paying it forward and has really come to enjoy the long-term relationships he has built living in the Triangle. As advice to those in the industry, Mike suggests “Have your eyes open for solutions that may not be readily apparent — and realize that every person you come in contact with has intrinsic value and is an opportunity to forge and build a new relationship that you will always cherish moving forward.”

Mike is a relationship builder, always looking for ways to build new partnerships and connections to raise the awareness of McDonald York as the premiere general contractor in the Triangle. He is an experienced construction professional having been in the industry since 1997, and spending the first half of his career in the operations side of the business. He is self-motivated, results-oriented, creative, resourceful, entrepreneurial, highly energetic, and likable. He joined McDonald York in 2008 serving as the Division Manager of McDonald York’s RTP Office. Prior to relocating to the Triangle for McDonald York, Mike served as a superintendent on large building projects in the Mid-Atlantic region with a large national builder.

Mike is a LEED Accredited Professional. He is an active member of NCEDA, CoreNet Global, NAIOP, ULI, and serves on the board of the Durham Chamber of Commerce. Mike is a past board member of the Triangle Chapter of IFMA, and the non-profit SEEDS in Durham and has volunteered his time with many non-profits in the community. He was named 40 under 40 by the Triangle Business Journal in 2018.

Mike graduated from The Catholic University of America with a B. S. in Civil Engineering with a concentration in construction and lives in Durham with his wife and two boys.

 

Smedes York is Co-Owner, Director and Chairman of the Board of McDonald York Building Company. As Chairman, he is involved in all major decisions and contributes to development of strategies. He offers suggestions and ideas about how to improve McDonald York. Smedes also provides views on the performance of management and ensures the company remains financially strong. He is also an Owner, Director and Chairman of the Board of York Properties, Inc.

Smedes is a multi-generation Raleigh native who has significantly contributed to making his hometown the dynamic place it is today. Born in 1941, Smedes knew at an early age that he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his legendary father, J.W. “Willie” York, and work in the company business. The elder York’s passion for his work and the encouragement he shared with his son quickly grabbed Smedes’ attention.

Smedes attended Broughton High School, where he was a multi-sport athlete and a member of its graduating class of 1959. He entered North Carolina State University where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Civil Engineering with High Honors. While there, he played on the basketball team under Everett Case. Smedes served as a Lieutenant in the United States Army Corps of Engineers from 1964-1966, receiving an Army Commendation Medal in 1966 for his service in South Korea. He returned home to continue his studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, receiving a Master of Business Administration degree in 1968. Soon after, he joined the company.

He has turned that knowledge into his own professional career in real estate and construction where he currently serves as Chairman of both McDonald York and York Properties. Smedes’ desire to build communities has reached beyond brick and mortar. He has a long record of involvement in civic groups and public service. He served on the Raleigh City Council from 1977-1979, followed by two terms as the city’s mayor from 1979 until 1983. He has served in a leadership capacity in many organizations, including past president of the Boys and Girls Clubs, past chairman of the North Carolina State Chamber, the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and the Trustees of North Carolina State University. His love for the business and building communities drew him to the Urban Land Institute, where he is a past chairman and currently a trustee. His work as a ULI Member includes chairing several advisory service panel assignments including New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

He is past chairman of the Research Triangle Foundation and YMCA of the Triangle. Smedes currently holds positions with the Board of Directors of North Carolina Amateur Sports, North Carolina Beautiful, and the Contemporary Art Museum (CAM). He also serves as an Emeritus Board Member of the Research Triangle Foundation.

He has been inducted into the Raleigh Hall of Fame, Needham Broughton Athletics Hall of Fame, North Carolina Business Hall of Fame, NC State Civil Engineering Hall of Fame, Wake County Boys and Girls Club Hall of Fame, and the Raleigh Regional Association of Realtors Hall of Fame. He has received the Order of the Long Leaf Pine for his work on the 1987 Olympic Festival, the Watauga Medal from NC State University, and the Distinguished Citizenship Award from the North Carolina Chamber.

Smedes and his wife, Rosemary have 2 sons, George and William and three grandsons, Smedes, Bowen and Crawford. His son George is CEO and President of York Properties and both William and George serve on the boards of York Properties and McDonald York Building Company. Rosemary also serves on both boards.

 

Jack McDonald is Co-Owner, Director and Executive Chairman of McDonald York Building Company. Prior to being named Executive Chairman in 2013, Jack served as Chief Executive Officer of McDonald York. Under his guidance, McDonald York has grown steadily across diverse market sectors and annually ranks on TBJ’s list of Top 25 General Contractors in the Triangle. His foresight, intelligence, and genuine passion have helped transform a small general contracting business into a regionally recognized construction leader. He is a true champion of the core values that personify McDonald York: safety, innovation, family, collaboration and integrity. In his role as Executive Chairman, he provides support to the senior leadership team and is involved in business development and strategic planning.

Jack graduated from Merrimack College in North Andover, Massachusetts with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Civil Engineering. Shortly after graduation, and after attending basic and advanced training at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, he attended the US Army Officer Candidate School at Fort Belvoir, Virginia and was commissioned a lieutenant in the US Army where he served two years in the Corp of Engineers during which time he was awarded the Army Commendation Medal. He completed post-graduate courses at University of Dayton. He is a Registered Professional Engineer.

Upon the completion of his military service in 1969, Jack joined a Dayton, Ohio general contractor where he progressed through positions of increasing responsibilities. In 1983, he opened the Houston office of a national general contractor and grew the office to over $100 million in revenues and 100 employees. In 1986, Jack was recruited to take over as President and part-owner of Coleman and Wood, a prominent Washington, DC general contractor.

In 1993, Jack partnered with Smedes York, President of York Construction, to establish McDonald York, a North Carolina Corporation, by merging Coleman and Wood with York Construction Company, a general contractor founded in Raleigh, NC in 1910. Jack took and passed the NC Licensing Board exam which allowed McDonald York to obtain its NCGC license #13605 and do business as a general contractor in NC. On February 19, 2003, Jack and Smedes became sole and equal owners of McDonald York when they purchased 100% of the company stock.

Jack serves on the Board of Directors of Old Chatham Golf Club and was a founding member of North Carolina State University’s Civil Engineering Department Advisory Board. Jack and his wife Sheila have 3 children, Michael, Colleen, Shannon and 8 grandchildren. His wife and children serve on the Board of Directors of McDonald York Building Company.