The San Juan Islands Agricultural Guild has hired Adam Eltinge as construction manager for the Brickworks Project, 150 Nichols St., Friday Harbor.
Eltinge and his wife, Deanna (Sundstrom), recently moved back to Friday Harbor to make their home and raise their two children. Eltinge has a degree in construction management and business from Washington State University, worked for a major commercial developer in the Seattle area, and most recently led the renovation of historic carriage houses in Portland.
“Our selection committee began looking for the right candidate in June 2010, advertising for applicants in island newspapers,” Ag Guild President Mark Madsen said in a press release. “We met with six of the most qualified candidates and conducted interviews with the assistance of Richard Hobbs, a Fellow of the American Institute of Architects and sought-after adviser to designers and developers worldwide.”
After securing the purchase of 150 Nichols St. in October, the selection committee conducted a second round of interviews with the top two candidates, leading to an offer to Eltinge to join the team.
“We are thrilled to have someone with Adam’s experience and enthusiasm for the project working to make the Brickworks a reality,” Madsen said.
The enthusiasm is mutual. “I am very excited to be a part of the Brickworks team and project,” Eltinge said. “Making good on a promise to my wife, Deanna, we are back to Friday Harbor to raise our two children. We are here to surround ourselves with great people and carry on the traditions of the Sundstrom family.
“I start this project with a strong motivation to complete another jewel in the downtown area. I am pleased I get to put my stamp on a structure that will bring the people of the San Juan Islands together. I look forward to the days of weddings, anniversaries, and birthdays held in this great venue. With a smile on my face, I can envision my kids shoulder-to-shoulder, with their extended family, selling their products from the farm.”
Eltinge began his professional life with a major residential construction firm on the eastside of Seattle. After building several hundred houses and completing a commercial renovation, he started his own general contracting business.
In the coming months, Eltinge will work closely with project architect David Waldron, structural engineers and other specialists, and key stakeholders to shape the overall vision of an open, barn-like space into a construction plan, detailed budget and permit applications.
During renovations, Eltinge will manage work on the site, using professional and volunteer labor as appropriate for specific tasks. Subcontractors will work with Eltinge as the Ag Guild’s representative and manager.
