• Thomas A. Hodgin - President/RME

  • Thomas A. Hodgin serves as the President and Responsible Managing Employee (RME) of Ironcore Construction LLC, overseeing all operations, including quality control and assurance policies. With over 30 years of experience in the architectural and construction industries, Mr. Hodgin is trained as an architect and is also a licensed General Contractor.

  • Prior to joining Ironcore, Mr. Hodgin managed and commissioned projects across all phases of development, with a strong background in multi-family low-income affordable housing. Most recently, as the Senior Director of Construction/RME at Jamboree Housing Corporation, he oversaw pre-construction and construction for more than 30 projects valued at over $900 million. Previously, he was the Owner and President of the Design and Entitlement division of Palm Communities, a leading affordable housing developer, where he managed all facets of development for affordable multifamily and mixed-use projects, successfully entitling, designing, bidding, and constructing over 20 projects.

  Pablo Espinoza - Chief Operating Officer

  • Pablo Espinosa serves as the COO for Ironcore Construction LLC and has been with Castellan and its affiliated entities since 2020. Mr. Espinosa has more than 15 years of project management experience.

  • Prior to joining Ironcore, Mr. Espinosa was a senior project manager at Pacifica Companies. In that role, he site-managed both out of the ground and renovation projects that included both multi-family and hotel developments. He recently project-managed a 110-unit senior living facility in Los Angeles, CA and site-managed a 125-unit Marriott Residence Inn and 150-unit Marriott Courtyard hotel.

  • In addition to his project management experience, Mr. Espinosa is an architect and received a Bachelor of Architecture from the Monterrey Institute of Technology and Higher Education and a Master of Science in Real Estate Development from Columbia University.

Audie Aker - General Superintendent

• With an impressive 45-year career in Construction Management, Audie Aker leads Ironcore Construction as the General Superintendent. His expertise spans multifamily housing, schools, hotels, and retail construction. He consistently ensures on-time, on-budget, and high-quality project completions. Audie's oversight includes construction demolition, scheduling, site safety, bidding, and budgeting. Noteworthy projects encompass large-scale housing developments, hospitals, and affordable multifamily units.

Leon Balistreri - Superintendent

• Leon Balistreri is a superintendent at Ironcore Construction. Upon joining the team, he is backed with over 35 years of experience in the industry His experience makes him equipped to oversee the onsite coordination of safety programs, site work and scheduling efforts for Ironcore. His experience includes Single Family homes, Multi Family buildings, and running his own company within the industry. Leon has worked with many companies including Greystar, Western National Group, and Segue Construction. Leon specializes in supervising all subcontractors, overall job communications, SWPP implementation and supervisions as well as maintaining overall job quality. Prior to Ironcore Construction, Mr. Balistreri has completed multi-family jobs with budgets as extensive as $450 million.

Aric Ross - Superintendent

• Aric Ross, a seasoned Superintendent, brings nearly 15 years of industry experience to his role. Armed with a BS in Construction Management, Aric adeptly oversees site safety, schedules, and subcontractor quality, collaborating with all team members to maintain project timelines and standards. His journey began in Portland, OR, working on vintage home preservation and eventually progressing to projects like North View Pointe, a $34 million, 67-unit slab-on-grade construction, and Salvatore Apartments, a $28 million, two-story stick-frame project. Aric holds A.S. and B.S. degrees from Vermont Technical College.

John Baxter - Pre-construction Director

• John Baxter, the Pre-construction Director, brings over a decade of experience to Ironcore. His role involves coordinating estimating efforts and maintaining project budgets through close collaboration with architects and engineers. With a background spanning private, public, and federal sectors, John's experience includes project coordination and strategic planning. He holds a B.S. in Business Administration and an A.S. in Business Administration.

Dani Tiffany-Schaefer - Senior Project Manager

• Dani Tiffany-Schaefer joined the Ironcore team with more than 27 years in the Construction Industry. She began her career in Arizona, building ground-up commercial spaces, hotels, and multifamily buildings before relocating back to Southern California in the San Diego area. She found a passion for the multifamily sector and has been involved in several upscale projects such as SOHO Live/Work/Play in Scottsdale, AZ, Rosedale Residence in Phoenix, AZ, and Urban Edge in San Diego, CA. Before joining Ironcore, Mrs. Schaefer was the lead Project Manager for a $112 million - 480-unit community in Chula Vista. This 15-acre site included (4) four-story buildings and (4) three-story buildings, all wood-framed and slab-on-grade. She led all onsite Project Management operational activities.

Karen Hamilton - Estimator

• Karen Hamilton, an Estimator, leverages over a decade of construction industry experience. Her background in civil engineering, design facilitation, and estimating adds depth to her role. She accurately scopes project work, aiding in cost projections and budgeting. Karen holds a B.S. in Civil Engineering and a certification in The Science and Art of Negotiation.