MEET OUR OWNERS

• BS in Fashion and Interiors Retail Merchandising and Design from Bluffton University

• Minor in Business Administration from Bluffton University

Meghan has 6 years of design experience including both residential and commercial. Her aesthetic design style would be best described as Transitional. She loves blending contemporary finishes, materials, and fabrics equating to a classic, timeless look for her clients. Her favorite part about being a designer is forming relationships with her clients and being able to connect with them on a personal level. She takes pride in her communication skills and wants them to feel involved throughout the entire design process. Meghan is also engaged in finding creative ways to help budget-conscious clients design their dream space. Meghan is currently working on getting accredited for the National Council for Interior Designers Qualification.

Close Up: Her first experience with residential design started in 2012 in Morehead City, NC for a small design firm. She worked as a full-time designer for four years before she and her husband Greg returned home to the Buckeye state. Meghan also played volleyball at Bluffton University and serves as the Junior Varsity coach for Lake Catholic High School in Mentor and a Coach at Eastside Volleyball Club. She, Greg, and her two dogs, Ginger and Newton, currently reside in Painesville.

Upon graduation from UC, Michael completed an apprenticeship with a 5th generation Danish furniture and cabinet master in Cincinnati.  He then took his skills into the corporate world to a company focused on innovating hospital room furniture where he received multiple US and Global patents. Michael and his wife Daria, both from Youngstown, decided to move back to Northeast Ohio from Indianapolis after having their first child to be closer to family.  While living in Chardon, Michael began engineering ultra high-end millwork for a company focused on custom mega-yachts, vacation mansions, and ultra-luxury penthouses and apartments.  After several years, he decided to focus his creativity in a new direction, working at a small town nano brewery where he started as an Assistant Brewer and worked his way up to Head Brewer where he oversaw all brewing activities and a staff of brewers.  At the brewery, he most enjoyed discovering new ingredients and developing new recipes to fulfill his love for creativity. That continued desire to create led Michael to his next position working for a small renovation company to build clients’ dreams into reality. Having fallen in love with that experience, Michael joins the talented team of Payne & Tompkins Design Renovations looking forward each day to assisting his colleagues and positively affecting the tangible creation of each clients dream space. 

Close up: Michael loves spending time with his family, especially his amazing wife Daria, their two wonderful kids, and three silly dogs.  As a family, they love visiting places they can explore or playing and relaxing in the sun and surf.  Michael also enjoys designing and building furniture and other small scale woodworking projects as well as hiking, kayaking, skiing, and playing around on the water. Michael is also a dedicated Cleveland sports enthusiast.

Mark Collis joined Payne & Tompkins Design - Renovations as a Project Development Coordinator in October of 2021. After graduating from Solon High School, he studied Environmental Science at Cleveland State University and through Tri-C’s Corporate College, is an Autodesk Certified Professional in AutoCAD for Design and Drafting.  He worked at a technical manufacturing firm in Bedford, OH as a CAD Designer and ISO Coordinator for 31 years and upon the sites closure, he decided to pursue his passion for woodworking and challenge himself with a new career path in the renovation industry.  His goal is to learn the ins and outs of the renovation business and is very excited to be a part of the Payne & Payne team.

Close Up: In his free time Mark enjoys traveling, boating and spending time with his wife Jennifer and daughter Summer.  He also runs a girls fastpitch softball organization in Aurora where he currently coaches a 14U team as his way of giving back to the community.  As a huge sports fan, Mark enjoys cheering on the local sports teams in Cleveland.

Cole joined Payne and Tompkins in November of 2022. He grew up in Newbury, Ohio and graduated from Berkshire High School in 2018. After high school he attended Kent State University where he majored in business and minored in communications. Previously Cole had worked in finance. He has always had an interest in residential construction and is excited to grow within a company where he can learn more every day.

In his free time, he enjoys outdoor activities, golfing, playing with his dog, watching sports, and
spending time with family and friends.

• AS Graphic Design from Westmoreland County Community College

• Certificate in Business Management and Accounting

Christy grew up in the small town of Irwin, Pennsylvania where she attended College for Graphic Design and Business Management. After graduation, Christy established her own graphic design business focusing on album design and marketing material. Christy used her creativity and graphic design background to produce marketing material and custom photo albums for clients.

In 2011, Christy relocated to Ohio with her husband who accepted a job transfer within his company. Since arriving in Ohio, Christy has held Office Management and Accountant positions. Christy has also served as president of Vikings Gymnastics, a non-profit organization for 6 years. Christy joined Payne & Tompkins Design Renovations in 2018 to further pursue her business career.

Close Up: Outside of work, Christy enjoys being outdoors with her husband and daughter. In her free time, Christy can be found canoeing the Allegheny River, snowboarding, or following other outdoor pursuits.

John was born in Euclid, OH and raised in Maple Heights. Upon graduating from Ohio University, John pursued a career in accounting. After eventually working as Controller for a construction company, John pursued his own passion for construction by starting and operating his own award-winning custom home building company for 20 years. After another stint in accounting, John realized how much he missed working in construction and managing projects. John’s passion for residential construction and attention to detail has led John to Payne & Tompkins as a Senior Project Manager.

In his free time John enjoys spending time with his family, playing ice hockey, golfing, and listening to music.

Danny grew up in Ravenna, Ohio and graduated from Ravenna Highschool/Maplewood Career Center in 2015. Danny’s Grandfather was a carpenter, and is what kick started his joy of working with his hands. After graduating in 2015, he hopped around trying to figure out what he wanted to do with his life. Eventually, he opened his own small residential remodeling company.

Danny has a wife, Katie, a four-year-old daughter, Kennedy, and a cat, Biscuit. Wanting to spend more time with his family, Danny decided to join the Payne and Tompkins team. Danny enjoys spending his spare time with his friends and family, doing projects around his house, and going to the gym. Danny also currently serves in the United States Army Reserve as a Sergeant and plans to retire from the reserve.

• Bachelor of Science in Construction Management

• Bachelor of Music in Piano Performance

Benjamin is an Ohio native who grew up in the historic district of Madison, OH. He spent his youth working with his parents renovating their 220-year-old century home. Benjamin joined the United States Army at the age of eighteen, where he spent six years serving in the 338^th Army Band. Benjamin’s first career was in music; he won numerous awards and was selected to perform in over two dozen masterclasses with internationally acclaimed artists.

Once Benjamin met his future wife, his life goals shifted to providing stability and to spending time with Kimberly. It was this life change that led Benjamin to launch his own small renovations business and return to university, earning a degree in construction management. After earning his second degree, Benjamin decided to close his own business and join the team at Payne & Tompkins. Benjamin is a meticulous and driven individual that loves providing quality results to the client.

Close Up: Benjamin spends his weekends outdoors with his wife, Kimberly, and providing music for a local church congregation. Benjamin is also an avid furniture builder and reader.

Tom was raised in Madison, Ohio and graduated from Madison High School. He married his high school sweetheart, Melissa. They have one son, Joshua. Prior to working at Payne & Tompkins Design - Renovations, Tom worked at a hotel, starting out cashiering in the dining room, Night Audit at the front desk, then to accounting in various positions, eventually becoming controller.

Tom enjoys working at Payne & Tompkins as the bookkeeper, using the various skills he has learned over the years, but with a new twist in a new field. It’s exciting working with a lively group of professionals that are dedicated to doing a great job and have fun in the process.

Close Up: Tom’s family are all involved in music, each playing saxophone in the local community band, Madison Jazz Project. They also enjoy being part of a horn line that plays, when space allows, with a local rock band. Tom and Melissa are active in their church and are also part of the church Handbell Choir.

Kyle grew up in Chesterland, Ohio and graduated from West Geauga High School in 2016. He has been in the construction business ever since he could remember, tagging along with his dads painting company. Kyle is one of six, with four older sisters and one younger brother. He was proud to once be a part of a team that prepared a meal for the Madam President of Croatia. When he is not working, Kyle has a strong ambition for working out. He enjoys spending time with friends and family, and he loves anything and everything Cleveland sports.

Morgan has always had a passion for architecture and design. Her grandmother and great grandmother have both inspired her. They were remarkable designers, and she feels honored to be able to follow in their footsteps. Morgan loves walking into a space and having a vision of the potential it could be. She believes there is quality in every detail. Morgan also believes if you are passionate about something and implement your ideas and values on a high level, your energy will be contagious. Design is personal; being able to listen to clients describe their vison and make their dreams become a reality is the most rewarding part of her job.

Close Up: Morgan is originally from New Castle, PA and moved to Cleveland in 2016 with her younger sister and two dogs. She comes from a large Italian family that values time and tradition. She loves spending time with her grandparents, allowing her to learn and experience traditional values. A Sunday cooking in the kitchen with family brings everyone closer together. Morgan also loves to travel as much as possible to experience different cultures and lifestyles. While she was in college, she had the opportunity to live overseas in Florence, Italy. This opened many doors, allowing her to travel to many different countries and see first-hand historical architecture.

Blaine was born and raised in the greater Chagrin Falls area and graduated from Kent State University. In high school and college, he worked in various capacities as a general laborer, installing hardwood floors and remodeling real estate offices. The exposure to real estate stuck and he earned his real estate license during college. After graduation, he worked for a local real estate company called Smythe Cramer. After working as a real estate agent, commissions department supervisor and branch manager, Blaine needed a change of scenery. Fascinated by how things work, he pursued a career in manufacturing where he spent the next 14 years managing different aspects of several manufacturing companies. With real estate and construction still in his blood, Blaine decided to seek a career in construction and renovation and is now affiliated with Payne & Tompkins Design - Renovations, where he is happy to call home performing business development and marketing activities.

Close Up: Outside of work, Blaine enjoys feeding birds, gardening, and cooking meals for family and friends. While the results are limited, he also enjoys exercising and time spent outside.

• BS in Construction Systems Management from The Ohio State University

• 30 Hour OSHA Safety

• LEED Green Associate

Lou was born and raised in Chardon where he began working in the construction industry throughout high school. Upon his graduation from Notre Dame-Cathedral Latin, Lou studied at The Ohio State University where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Construction Systems Management. Lou joined Payne & Tompkins Design - Renovations as a Project Manager in October of 2020. He brings a deep passion for the residential building industry and strives to pour every ounce of this passion into making each customer experience special. Lou takes great pride in being able to work with the most skilled men and women in the area!

Close Up: Lou comes from a strong Italian heritage that values family time and traditions. He enjoys carrying on the traditions and values instilled in him by previous generations.  In his free time, Lou enjoys spending time outdoors and is a fan of anything OSU Buckeyes and Cleveland Sports.

• BS in Interior Design from The Ohio State University

• CLIPP, Certified Living in Place Professional

• City Center Professional Development Coordinator for Cleveland/Akron Chapter of IIDA (International Interior Design Association)

From a design standpoint, Rachel loves the challenge of renovations. She is passionate about preserving details original to the home, while seamlessly introducing new design elements and improving the function of the space. One of the most important aspects for Rachel is incorporating the client’s personal style into the design and remaining authentic to the architectural style of the home. Rachel would describe her personal style as a blend of California Casual and Organic Modern. She enjoys layering various forms, textures, and neutral colors to create a minimalist yet cozy space.

Close up: In her personal life, Rachel enjoys exploring local restaurants and wineries and trying out new recipes at home. She currently serves as the City Center Professional Development Coordinator for the Cleveland/Akron Chapter of IIDA (International Interior Design Association), which is an association passionate about supporting designers and industry affiliates by advocating for advancement in education, legislation, accreditation, and community outreach.

• BS in Psychology from The Ohio State University

• Ohio State Scholar-Athlete

Sarah joined the Renovations team after taking time out of the workforce to be home with her young children. She has worked in both residential and commercial real estate and loves the constant energy and creativity found in renovations. She and her husband, Dave, have built or renovated four homes since their marriage in 2000, and she takes pride in helping a home reach its fullest potential.

Close Up: Sarah enjoys time in the mountains or on the water, family adventures in their Airstream, skiing, hiking, and creating art (and also repurposing old things into new things that Dave actually appreciates having in the house!) but mostly time spent with Dave, her three daughters, two dogs, family and good friends.

Joe grew up in Mentor, Ohio and graduated from Mentor High School in 2014. After high school, Joe immediately entered the construction industry as a bricklayer with Local 16 Bricklayers & Allied Craft Workers. It was with Local 16 where Joe was able to gain valuable insight into the building and remodeling process. Working in the field as a bricklayer allowed Joe to take a hands-on role in the building process from the ground up. After several years and a career change from construction to Area Sales Manager, Joe was called back to the construction industry, this time as an Owner Operator of a landscape construction company. Joe joined the Payne & Tompkins team in September 2022, only a few short months before he and his wife Lea welcomed their first baby into the family.

Joe enjoys spending time with his family, his two golden retrievers, and cooking out with friends. In his free time, Joe often finds himself working on his to-do list around the house or helping friends and family with their projects.

Since 2007, Don has been a valued Payne Tompkins team member. When he joined the team, he brought over 3 decades of diverse experience and background in residential construction. Don has done everything from concrete work to trim carpentry to supervising multimillion-dollar projects and everything in between.

Don’s building philosophy is: “People put a lot of thought and passion into improving their home and I think it’s important not only to give them the result that they envisioned but allow them to enjoy the road getting there.” Don uses his many years of experience and wide range of skills to reduce the stress on the homeowner so they can enjoy the process.

Close Up: Don and his wife, Debbie, grew up and created their life together in Northeast Ohio. They raised two wonderful daughters and are now first-time grandparents. Don enjoys many hobbies including woodworking, welding, and photography, but his favorite pastime is enjoying summer days on his patio with his family and friends.

When Morgan was a child, she moved with her older sister and parents to Bainbridge where they renovated their entire house. Her parents did all the work, after both working full time jobs. She remembers following her dad around with her own tool belt and hammer ready to help, filling nail holes and picking up loose screws. After graduating from Kenston, Morgan studied Psychology at Ashland University. She worked in corporate HR before transitioning into the construction industry.