The Christman Company (Christman), a national construction management and real estate development firm, announces their phased approach to leadership succession in Southeast Michigan. Ron Staley, FAPT, Senior Vice President and Principal-in-Charge of Southeast Michigan Operations has selected to transition leadership of Southeast Michigan operations to Joe Luther, A.C., LEED AP, who has been promoted to Vice President and General Manager. Christman also announced the promotion of Mary LeFevre to Regional Vice President – Business Development. 

Staley is a 40-year veteran of the construction industry responsible for delivering some of Christman’s most complex and high-profile projects in Michigan and around the country. Throughout this transition, Staley will continue to provide oversight on the Michigan Central Station, Book Tower and Heritage Hall (Michigan State Capitol) projects. He will also continue his role as Executive Director of Christman’s Historic Preservation Group, which he founded in 1992, and has led to national and international prominence with many award-winning projects for historic landmarks that include President Lincoln’s Cottage Restoration, the Virginia Capitol Historic Restoration and the preservation of the Finca Vigia, Ernest Hemingway’s home in Cuba. “I look forward to focusing on Christman’s southern regions to grow the company’s historic preservation expertise and practice in Texas, North Carolina and Tennessee as part of this next role in my career,” said Staley. 

Upon Staley's recommendation, Christman’s board of directors has appointed Joe Luther as Vice President and General Manager to assume executive leadership for Southeast Michigan operations effective January 1, 2021. Luther joined Christman in 2008 with several years of construction experience and a Bachelor’s degree in Construction Management from Michigan State University. During his tenure, he successfully led some of the company’s largest and most complex projects, including the Accident Fund national headquarters, multiple Detroit Public Schools projects, the Jackson National Life Insurance Company home office expansion, the GSA Levin U.S. Courthouse in Detroit and the Michigan Veteran Affairs Agency new VA Home in Chesterfield Township. Luther has also been an advocate for advancing Christman’s continuous improvement efforts by establishing a formal mentoring program and instituting a corporate training program on project scheduling. Luther holds an MBA from the DeVos Graduate School at Northwood University.

Serving alongside Luther as an officer in Southeast Michigan is Mary K. LeFevre, who has been promoted to Regional Vice President – Business Development. LeFevre joined Christman in 2013 bringing more than 20 years of marketing and business development experience in a variety of construction markets, including healthcare, higher education and commercial. LeFevre has played a pivotal role in exponentially growing Christman’s presence in the region. Her professional affiliations include Corporate Real Estate for Women (CREW) – Detroit Chapter, Associated General Contractors (AGC), American Institute of Architects (AIA), and the newly formed Women in Healthcare Detroit Chapter. LeFevre holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business Education from Northern Michigan University.

“I am excited for the opportunities this transition will bring for Christman. Ron has put Christman on the map as a leader in historic preservation and I look forward to the impact he will have in furthering our expertise in our southern regions. Joe and Mary have already established themselves as capable leaders and I have full confidence that they will continue to build Christman’s presence in Southeast Michigan,” said Steve Roznowski, Christman President and CEO.