Principal

Frank Ballif is President of Southern Development Homes and Southern Development Group.  Frank is actively involved in the management of both the land development and home construction divisions.  Frank spends roughly half his time running the home building company, Southern Development Homes. In addition to homebuilding, Frank spends the rest of his time involved in residential and commercial development including land acquisition, entitlement, leasing, and sales.  Frank obtained a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the University of Virginia and holds a Class A Contractor’s license and a real estate broker’s license. Frank is active with the Blue Ridge Homebuilder’s Association. He is a two term past president and has been a member of the Board of Directors. Frank has also served on the Board of Directors of the Free Enterprise Forum. While not at work, Frank enjoys spending time on his cattle farm in Earlysville with his wife and three young daughters.

Development Team

Charlie Armstrong Vice President, Land Development

Charlie Armstrong is the Vice President of Land Development at Southern Development and manages all aspects of the development process, including acquisitions, finance, site design, governmental approvals, and project management during construction. Prior to joining Southern Development, Charlie managed projects for an environmental consulting firm and helped start a successful online marketing firm. He holds a bachelor’s degree in environmental science from the University of Virginia. Charlie is a past President of the Blue Ridge Home Builders Association and still serves on its Board of Directors, the Board of Directors of the Home Builders Association of Virginia, and the Board of Directors of the Charlottesville Regional Chamber of Commerce. Mr. Armstrong also served as 5-year Chairman of the Charlottesville City Council Housing Advisory Committee and actively serves on the Governance Board for LEAP (the Local Energy Alliance Program). Charlie, his wife, and three girls live in Albemarle County. They enjoy spending as much time outdoors as they can, especially hiking, skiing, and travel.

Development Team

Keith Lancaster Planner

Mr. Lancaster manages projects through the entitlement process and through permitting.  This process consists of creating conceptual designs, coordinating with engineers and working with local governments from the application phase through final approvals.  Prior to joining Southern Development, Mr. Lancaster worked within the Division of Zoning and Current Development for Albemarle County.  He has a bachelor’s degree from Colorado State University – Pueblo.  Mr. Lancaster has served on the Rivanna River Basin Commission for the City of Charlottesville and is the recipient of the Virginia Certified Planning Commission program and the Virginia Certified Board of Zoning Appeals program.  He lives in Albemarle County with his wife, Kristy, and their two children, Anna and Jack.

Development Team

Lois Haverstrom General Counsel

Lois Haverstrom is General Counsel to Southern Development.  She assists in numerous areas of both the development and the home building companies.  Lois’ primary responsibility to the development team involves the extensive legal drafting required in the development approval and start-up process.   Having the resource of in-house counsel allows the development team to navigate more quickly through the regulatory approval process.  Lois also handles the corporate and regulatory affairs for the operations of the company.  Lois is a graduate of the Villanova University School of Law and was first licensed in Pennsylvania.  She started her career as corporate counsel in the insurance industry.  Her work in the insurance industry ranged from policy drafting, regulatory matters, operations and claims support, as well as mergers and acquisitions.  During her corporate career she worked for FIC Insurance Group in their Philadelphia, PA and Austin, TX offices and for Sisters of Mercy Health Systems in St. Louis, MO.  Upon arriving to Charlottesville over 10 years ago, Lois shifted her career to real estate, including real estate sales and four years in private practice with an emphasis on real estate closings, related property matters, business formation and estate work.

Development Team

Chen Huang Development Coordinator

Chen joined Southern Development as the Development Coordinator in May 2014. Chen graduated from the University of Virginia in May 2014 with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and Foreign Affairs. She previously interned with Southern Development though the University Internship Program, and enjoyed every aspect of the real estate industry and Southern Development’s family like environment.  She is excited to start her professional career at Southern Development.  Chen relocated with her family from China to Charlottesville in 2002 and enjoys Charlottesville’s unique charm.   In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and reading.

Construction Team

Kevin Yeaton Purchasing Manager, Commercial Project Manager

Kevin Yeaton is the Purchasing Manager for Southern Development Homes.   His responsibilities include creating take-offs, budgeting and awarding material and subcontractor subcontracts.   Kevin also serves as our commercial project manager managing many commercial jobs in 2008 and 2009.  Kevin worked for many years in various roles in the construction industry prior to joining Southern Development.   His past experience includes Project Engineering, Completive Bidding, Estimating and managing his own Class A contracting business.   Kevin holds a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from North Carolina State University.

Construction Team

Chris Winn Vice President of Construction

Chris Winn is the Construction Manager for Southern Development Homes.  He oversees all aspects of home construction.  Chris has been in the construction industry for over 14 years.  Prior to joining Southern Development, Chris ran his own custom homebuilding company here in Charlottesville.  He has won numerous awards in the construction industry throughout his career, and brings a lot of construction knowledge to our team.  He has served on the Blue Ridge Homebuilders Board of Directors for a few years, and also has run the construction team for Habitat for Humanity in a nearby county.  Chris and his family live in Crozet in a house that he built.  When not at work Chris enjoys spending time with his wife, Clare, and their three kids, Bradley, Ellie, and Grace.

Construction Team

Jeremy Soles

Jeremy Soles joined Southern Development in August 2014 as an Assistant Project Manager. Jeremy graduated from Longwood University in 2006 with a major in Economics and a minor in Business Administration. After graduation, Jeremy immediately started working at a local blueberry farm and that’s where he began to realize his love for working outdoors. In May 2013, he began working for an engineering company and was contracted to work at one of the largest manufacturing plants on the East Coast. While there, he was a SAP/Technical Work Administrator in charge of documenting over 200 projects at any given time. Jeremy is an avid sports fan and loves both watching and playing sports; and is currently in a men’s soccer league. And when he isn’t active with sports, he enjoys spending time with his dog, Barney. Jeremy has been a lifelong resident of Richmond but is excited to move closer to Charlottesville and is looking forward to living in a sports town as well as being able to do more hiking and exploring with Barney.

Construction Team

Doug Morris Superintendent

Doug Morris is a Superintendent for Southern Development Homes.    Doug has been with Southern Development since 2001.   Doug has been working in the construction industry for over 30 years, beginning in high school as a brick layer helper.   In his thirty years in the industry, Doug has worked in nearly every trade in the business, making him an expert in all aspects of home construction.  In 2009, Doug oversaw the construction of more than 40 homes for Southern Development, including managing construction of an apartment building.  In his free time, Doug enjoys hunting, gardening, woodworking and hiking with his two sons.

Construction Team

Garnett Harris Superintendent

Garnett Harris is a Superintendent for Southern Development Homes.   Garnett has been with Southern Development approximately ten years and active in the construction industry for over thirty years.  He is a native of Louisa County.   In high school, Garnett was motivated to layout and build custom cabinets for his parents home – which are still there today. After high school, his first job was building townhouses – overseeing the process from raw lot through clearing, footers, framing and completion.  Garnett went on to build single family residential homes with the same company.  When the residential construction market slowed, Garnett, at age 22, assisted in the building of his first commercial building, a waste burning power facility in Lorton, Virginia. While working there, he became the youngest member of the carpenter’s union. After leaving the carpenter’s union, he went back to his previous employer to assist in the completion of another commercial building, this time an office complex in Stafford, Virginia. Garnett returned to his true passion, building homes, for the next 10 ½ years. In that position, Garnett worked as a Superintendent building subdivisions, roads, and single family homes – approximately 125 homes per year.  Garnett began working with Southern Development ten years ago on the weekends and evenings, putting in foundations for new homes, trimming homes and framing.   It wasn’t long before Garnett became Southern Development’s first full time employee.   Starting as a foreman, Garnett moved to Superintendent and then Project Coordinator.  During the last ten years with Southern Development, Garnett has constructed hundreds of homes, 6 commercial buildings, and numerous subdivision roads.  He prides himself on knowing every aspect of his job, the jobsite and each home his builds.  Garnett enjoys boating at Lake Anna and restoring the luster and character of older homes.

Construction Team

Amy Hall Contracts Coordinator

Amy joined Southern Development in April of 2011, as Contracts Coordinator, where she oversees the processing of new and amended contracts.  Her previous position as the Permits Clerk for the Fluvanna County Building Inspections Office has given her the knowledge and understanding of building and development process that provides a unique asset to our Production and Development Teams.  She is a 2001 graduate of Piedmont Virginia Community College with an Associate’s Degree in Business Administration.  Amy is a lifelong resident of Fluvanna County, where she lives with her husband Robbie, and their son Bailey. She is an Adult Leader for the Virginia 4-H Program and a member the Palmyra Volunteer Fire Company’s Ladies Auxiliary.  In her spare time, Amy enjoys baking, photography, working with horses and hunting and fishing.

Construction Team

Robert Schwagerl Superintendent

Robert Schwagerl has worked with Southern Development Homes as Service Manager for over 5 years. Prior to joining Southern Development, Robert worked in Customer Service for many years and mostly recently as Facilities Manager for Charlottesville Catholic School.   At the Charlottesville Catholic School Robert oversaw the construction of the chapel and gymnasium.  Robert is intimately familiar with the construction and operation of institutional buildings, a unique quality among builders. Robert is our in-house “Mr.Fix-It” and consistently receives high reviews from customers.   In addition to his work at Southern Development, Robert is the sound engineer for a local Charlottesville band.

Construction Team

Mark Collins Customer Service Manager

Mark is the Customer Service Manager for Southern Development Homes and handles our customers’ warranty issues, concerns and questions.  He joined the team in 2013 and is involved in the final walkthroughs of each of our homes and explains how the home works to our new home owners.  Mark grew up in Charlottesville and is a graduate of Western Albemarle High School.  Mark played Semi-Pro baseball for 13 years.  He now lives in Gordonsville with his wife and their four children and enjoys Softball and Golf and spending time with his family.

Construction Team

Robert “Axel” Dale Garrison, Jr Carpenter

Dale Garrison works for Southern Development Homes as a carpenter and punch-out laborer.  He assists with jobsite clean-up, light trim and punch out work, and other final touch up tasks as needed.   Dale is a native of Albemarle County and has worked in the construction industry for over 20 years.  In his spare time, Dale enjoys playing pool and riding motorcycles.

Construction Team

Ken Gill Estimator

Ken joined Southern Development Homes in April of 2013, after working as a Purchasing Manager and Project Manager for a top ten builder in the metropolitan DC market for 12 years.  Bringing a wealth of knowledge of the home construction process, Ken understands the systems and databases to streamline critical communication among the builder and the buyer and trade partners.   He has presented at several software round tables on implementation of construction software and processes.  In his free time, Ken enjoys fishing, sailing, and spending time with his family.  Ken is a graduate of the University of Chicago.

Construction Team

Shannon Hughes Architectural Designer

Shannon Hughes is a new addition to the Southern Development team. As Architectural Designer in the construction department, she is responsible for plans, drawings, and models of our homes. After graduating in May 2013 from Virginia Tech’s top-ranked architecture school, she is very excited about her first “big girl” job and beginning her career.  She comes to us with some hands-on building experience after participating in Virginia Tech’s Design/Build program, where she helped design and physically construct a farmers market in Covington, Virginia.  She is enjoying Charlottesville so far, especially the “city meets country” atmosphere, and loves going downtown for great food and live music or going wine tasting in the nearby mountains.  Shannon conveniently lives within walking distance of the downtown mall and is looking forward to making Charlottesville her home, even as a Hokie.

Construction Team

Sam Khurgel Assistant Project Manager

Sam joined Southern Development as an Assistant project manager in September 2017. Sam has lived in Albemarle county since he was a kid and is happy to continue living and working in the area. In his free time, Sam works on projects in his workshop and takes his dog, Pluto, on hikes around the mountains.

Construction Team

Jonathan Lopez

Jonathan joined the Southern Development team in December 2013. He assists from start to finish on each project, performing carpentry, punch out and light trim work.  He was born and raised in Puebla Mexico, were he obtained his High School Diploma and a trade in electrical work. Mr. López is passionate about working in a team setting. Jonathan currently lives with his wife and two beautiful little girls in the Charlottesville area.

Construction Team

Morgan Reitz Estimating Associate

Morgan is the Estimating Associate for Southern Development Homes, where she is responsible for detail drawings and take offs. Morgan is a graduate of James Madison University earning a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design. Prior to joining the Southern Development team, she worked for Habitat for Humanity of Greater Charlottesville for over 4 years as an Assistant Construction Supervisor.  At Habitat, she learned hands-on how to build homes and is excited to build on that knowledge at Southern Development. In her spare time, Morgan enjoys exploring new hikes in the Shenandoah, biking with friends, and traveling with her family.

Design Center

Anna Posner Design Center Manager

Anna joined Southern Development Homes in 2013 as our Design Consultant.  Anna relocated to Charlottesville in 2012 with her husband after designing high-end residences in Manhattan for 5 years. She received the Award for Merit in Design upon graduating from the New York School of Interior Design and went on to create inspired spaces in multiple luxury apartment buildings of Manhattan. Anna also travelled to China to design model homes for a new development, where she gained a wealth of cultural experience. Anna has enjoyed her return south to Charlottesville after growing up in North Carolina, where she received her Bachelor of Arts in Journalism and Psychology at UNC. She enjoys running outdoors on beautiful days and hiking the Blue Ridge Mountains with her wonderful husband and her enthusiastic Yorkshire Terrier. She also finds great pleasure volunteering with the Junior League of Charlottesville and having the time and space necessary to paint abstract art again.

Sales Team

Charif Soubra Sales Consultant

Charif is a Community Sales Manager with Southern Development. A graduate of James Madison University, Charif worked many years in the field of Grants & Administration at the university level. After moving to Charlottesville in 2004 he began building a successful career in Sales & Marketing, with experience on both the client service and sales side. Before joining our team, Charif spent four years with a local publishing company as Director of Business Development, where he refined skills in implementing effective “go-to-market” strategies for local/national clients in print, web, and event marketing. Father of three, Charif enjoys his kids’ many activities, finding the next new hiking trail, eating at one of his favorite local restaurants, or performing within the local theater community.

Sales Team

Lynn Ringuette Sales Coordinator

Lynn joined our team in 2011 as a part time Sales Coordinator.  Lynn got to know the members of the Southern Development Homes team during the purchase of her home in the Pavilions at Pantops community.  Lynn grew up in Connecticut and moved to Charlottesville in 1986.  She also lived in Connecticut, New Jersey, California, and Florida. Lynn studied psychology and art at UConn and has continued her education by attending PVCC where she has studied business, art, and creative writing.  Prior to Southern Development, she was a stay at home mom. In her spare time Lynn enjoys art and creative writing.  She has won awards for quilting and ceramics. She is also an active member of St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church.   Lynn has been married to her husband Craig for 36 years, and has 2 children, one granddaughter.

Sales Team

Virginia Hamrick Sales Coordinator / Photographer

Virginia joined us in 2013 as company photographer and sales coordinator helping with the Dunlora Forest community.  In addition to her work at Southern Development, Virginia is a freelance photographer who loves to photograph architecture, people and animals.   Virginia earned her bachelor’s degree in Economics from the University of Connecticut and then spent several years in New York City and Tampa managing software development projects.   After their 2 daughters were born, Virginia and her late husband moved to Albemarle County because they wanted to raise their children in a rural setting.  They chose Albemarle for the climate, the picturesque countryside and for the diverse, culture-rich city of Charlottesville which it surrounds.   In her free time, Virginia practices Tae Kwon-Do and Yoga, loves to cook, read, hike and spend time with her family.

Sales Team

Andrea Akers Sales Administrator

Andrea is a Sales Administrator with Southern Development.  Andrea has come to know and love Charlottesville, the place she proudly calls home. Following her studies in Business Administration, Andrea spent 8 years in the wireless industry as a district sales manager. A southwest Virginia native, Andrea relocated to Charlottesville in 2009 to centrally locate herself in her territory. Shortly after her move, her love for real estate took off as she worked for a national home builder for 3 years and sold a volume of over 17 million. Andrea’s passion for helping others achieve their dreams shines through not only in her ability to help homeowner’s into their dream home, but outside of work as well. She’s received numerous awards and recognition for community involvement with organizations like Boys and Girls Club and The Local Colors Festival. As her love for Charlottesville, real estate, and helping others has evolved, so has her joy with working for a Charlottesville-based company. If you can’t find her at a model home, she’s most likely enjoying the sunset at a vineyard, catching a football game with friends, or spoiling her beloved French Mastiff, Isabelle.

Sales Team

Emma Kirschnick Sales Consultant