Bios
Richard B. Warren, Owner/President
Richard loves building. Whether they’re living spaces, a successful business or effective project teams, he has a passion for building for tomorrow. Working in construction for more than thirty years, on more than a thousand projects, Richard has developed an encyclopedic knowledge of residential construction.
Hands-On Construction, established in 1983, grew from Richard’s commitment to energy-efficient shelter. In the early 1980s, he worked in energy planning and for weatherization assistance programs. Hands-On initially focused on energy conservation -- insulation and weatherization services. This commitment continues today: Hands-On’s first new construction project was an Energy Star home and its most recent new home exceeds the Energy Star 2 rating.
Richard believes his job is helping our clients to envision a project and to optimize the result, while keeping in mind the nuts and bolts. He takes pride in old-school craftsmanship and state-of-the art techniques. Richard values attention to detail as a hallmark of quality – Our company’s values are integrity, responsiveness and ownership of our work.
He enjoys building relationships and working with all kinds of people. As an employer, Richard is proud of the U.S. citizenship attained by two employees. Many of Hands-On’s employees have worked with our company for more than 10 years and participate in a family-friendly, collaborative working environment.
Richard has played a leadership role in several Habitat for Humanity projects. In Concord, he led the development of the Sugar House and meeting area for the Gaining Ground organization. He has been active for many years at First Parish in Concord, including teaching Sunday school for 10 years. In other youth leadership roles, Richard has coached basketball, softball and soccer and was a Cub Scout Pack Leader. He enjoys acting and singing in community theater productions and loves to dance. If he weren’t in construction, Richard would be sailing off into the sunset. Married 29 years, he has two grown, independent, responsible and caring adults – he says the things he values most are alive in his daughter and son.
Nick DiGiovanni, Production Manager
Nick joined the Hands-On Construction family in 2010. With 15 years experience and a degree in Construction Management, Nick brings not only his excellent construction skills but a love for overseeing a project from inception to a finished product.
From a kid who had to fix holes he made in the walls at home, Nick got an early start in the trades at age 14. As a carpenter apprentice, Nick picked up trash and absorbed skills and knowledge from the teams he worked with. While working summers, taking construction programs at Minuteman Tech and doing a senior apprenticeship, Nick received his high school education at Wayland High School. Following high school, Nick received his degree at Vermont Technical College.
While working at a local construction company Nick moved through the ranks from carpenter to project manager within 2 years of finishing college, and received awards for his fine carpentry skills. In 2005 Nick set out to tackle the business world by starting his own construction company. Nick now embraces the relationships with the craftsmen and clientele at Hands-On Construction, incorporating his skill set with the values and techniques our company is known for. Nick believes that without the team of experienced carpenters at Hands-On Construction, he would never be able to deliver the results our clients dream of.
When Nick is not working, he spends his time with his family chasing after their two young daughters.
Merill Comeau, Designer
Merill has a total 25 years of experience in interior design. She spent ten years at Boston firms designing commercial and high-end residential interiors, three years doing high-end residential interiors for an Acton firm, ten years in private practice in designing interiors and the past two years as the staff designer for Hands-On Construction. Merill was trained in architecture, interior design and lighting at the Boston Architectural Center.
She brings good space planning skills, appreciation of a wide range of home styles, and a great eye for design to her work. Merill is interested in helping families create spaces which meet their needs and reflect their individual life styles. She is able to tailor design to specific project limits and to client needs and tastes. What sets Merill apart are her great skills in listening, interfacing with clients and the construction team, and smooth problem-solving.
When she’s not working on residential design projects, Merill is in her Maynard studio making beautiful landscape imagery art pieces, from discarded fabrics and other materials, which she reconstructs, paints and prints, collages and then draws on with thread. She has been active in First Parish Concord religious education and brought her group facilitation skills and artistry together in leading a number of faith community art quilt projects. Merill lives in West Concord with her family.
Penny Faul, Bookkeeper
Penny started working with numbers nearly 60 years ago, when she took her first job as a bookkeeper, following graduation from high school. She took a few years away from business to raise her three children and to get her college degree at night. Once she returned to work, Penny quickly moved from being a hotel receptionist to manager of a small Harvard Square motel which she oversaw for more than twenty years. In 1998, Penny took her first “retirement job” with a local builder as office manager. In 2001 she joined Hands-On Construction as the bookkeeper/receptionist – and she continues to work part-time and to keep the office running smoothly with a smile.
Penny regards the staff at Hands-On as second family, enjoying our frequent staff gatherings and friendships she has with the lead carpenters and office staff. She has been a lifelong volunteer – Penny was with the Belmont Girl Scouts for 17 years during which she helped grow the number of Scouts in town from 30 to over 1300! She has always been active with her church, holding chairmanships on various committees. Penny is a great-grandmother of five and lives in Leominster with her husband.
Lise Stahl Brown, Office Support + Marketing
Lise attended Simmons College in Boston. She began her 20-year career in information technology and business process improvement in the late 1970s, working for private companies and Massachusetts Housing Finance Agency. She spent a decade with Digital Equipment Corporation, working on worldwide business process change programs. In 1997, she joined her husband and business partner, Chris Brown, in the office where she managed A/P, A/R, and marketing projects for their IT support company. While still working for Networks Etc, Lise launched her own businesses: artful Productivity and Keensight Consulting. Both companies focused on improving individual and work group productivity through workflow design.
Lise is the newest member of the Hands-On team. She enjoys providing office support, doing marketing projects, and otherwise contributing to our company’s successful projects.
Lise is a certified Microsoft Office Specialist and a contributing author to Exploring Productivity: Ideas from Industry Professionals on Getting More Work Done in the Workplace. Lise serves on the Executive Board of the Simmons College Alumnae Association and is a member of the Simmons College Leadership Council. When not working, Lise enjoys sailing and kayaking, weaving textiles, cooking gourmet meals for friends and family at home in West Concord, and reading contemporary and classic novels.
