Kent Hicks
Owner & General Contractor; Certified Passive House Consultant
Kent Hicks came to Western Massachusetts from the Oklahoma Panhandle in 1980 to study with acclaimed British furniture-maker, David Powell. After mastering the art of fine furniture making, he began building and renovating residential and commercial properties with the same commitment to craftsmanship. Today, his portfolio includes hundreds of beautiful, energy efficient new and renovated homes, as well as authentic historic restorations.
Kent’s commitment to mitigating climate change and passion to learn the best practices in building science have made him an innovative leader in the construction of high-performance buildings. From the Energy Crafted houses of the 1990’s to today’s Deep Energy Retrofits and Zero Net Energy buildings, Kent has garnered decades of technical expertise and a thorough understanding of emerging challenges, such as moisture management, superior indoor air quality, material toxicity and life cycle assessment of product and process.
Kent’s search for the most responsible way to build led him to Passivhaus design, a standard that combines rigorous energy efficiency specifications with comfort and precision engineering quality.
Lynn Hicks
CO-OWNER
Lynn is co-owner of Kent Hicks Construction and assists with human resources, public relations and management decisions. Lynn is passionate about reducing individual carbon footprints. She is grateful to be living on the East Branch of the healthy Westfield River.
Denise Keay
BUSINESS MANAGER
Denise has 30 years of experience as a business manager/comptroller. In recent years, she has found her niche working at smaller companies that display integrity and a strong positive direction, and we are glad she did. Denise brings extensive knowledge of bookkeeping and many other talents to our expanding business. She and her husband recently purchased a second home in Florida where they plan to spend the winter months playing golf and sipping drinks by the water.
Véronique Bryant
BOOKKEEPER & GRAPHIC DESIGN
Véronique has 29 years of experience as an administrative and executive assistant in the Netherlands and the US. When she is not at Kent Hicks’ office keeping the books, she works with her clients on social media and graphic design, and enjoys working with Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop. Véronique is also a mosaic artist and dabbles in figurative drawing and watercolor painting. Her passion is traveling and languages.
Sarah Bartholomew
OFFICE MANAGER, DESIGN & MARKETING
Sarah comes to the company as a recent New York City transplant. She has extensive project and office management experience that is enriched by being a licensed Expressive Arts therapist and a former art installer at the de Young Museum in San Francisco. More recently, she has a Masters in Interior Architecture from Pratt Institute.
Ben Norrichs
PROJECT MANAGER
Ben grew up in California and moved to Massachusetts in 2006 to attend graduate school. He is a former neuroscientist, a father of two, and a carpenter with a passion for building. As a project manager, Ben is committed to maximizing the sustainability, comfort, beauty, and quality in everything he does.
Ben Bowman
PROJECT MANAGER
Ben finds purpose and joy in working for a more just and sustainable world. Pursuing these passions, he has lived and worked at a Catholic Worker house in St. Louis, managed an internship program and permaculture project in coastal Ecuador, and studied sustainable construction at the Endeavour Centre in Ontario, Canada. He looks forward to a time when it will be normal for buildings to sequester more carbon than they emit.
Adam Chartier
PROJECT ASSISTANT & DESIGNER
Adam grew up in Portland, Maine. His interest in green building started with a single design class at his local community college in 2015, and moved to Massachusetts in 2018 and enrolled in the construction technology program at UMass Amherst. When he graduates, he aspires to design and build buildings to the highest performance standards.
Tim Ballard
JOB LEAD
After many years as an independent contractor, Tim joined KHCC to be part of a team committed to climate action within the building industry. As a builder, the challenge of balancing structural needs, carbon smart principles and aesthetic virtue provide the opportunities for collaboration in which he thrives. Tim is quick to laugh, slow to speak, and approaches building with an equal sense of industry and artistry.
Ryan Hutchinson
CARPENTER
While Ryan has been involved in the building process from frame to finish, his expertise is in finish carpentry and kitchen work. Ryan is glad to be part of a team that is committed to lowering the carbon footprint and providing energy-efficient homes. He is particularly interested in using reclaimed materials for finish work—bringing old and new together.
Tom Coughlin
WOODWORKER/CARPENTER
Tom has been building fine furniture for 25 years— and acoustic guitars for 15 years. His interests extend to post and beam structures and modest but interesting housing. As a member of the Kent Hicks Construction team, Tom enjoys the process of combining historical design details with an efficient house that is comfortable for its occupants.
Ben Leedy
CARPENTER & DESIGNER
Ben gained the base of his carpentry experience in the Boston area after receiving a master’s in architecture from Wentworth. He enjoys the collaboration, problem solving and creativity that goes into building a beautiful, high-performance house. Outside of building/making things he enjoys biking, basketball and staying active.
Chris Arbour
CARPENTER
Chris got his start in carpentry working for a custom framing company out of the Berkshires of Massachusetts. This also cultivated his interest of furniture making and woodworking which he does with his spare time when he’s not hiking, playing music, or reading. He wishes to work towards a future that preserves the natural world. Progress with sustainability is attainable.
Glenn Leonard
WOODWORKER/CARPENTER
Glenn’s woodworking career spans 43 years and all aspects of the building trade, including 30 years as a business owner. He feels compelled to do the best work he can, which always keeps him interested and learning from others. He now wishes to convey his passion and accumulated knowledge to the next generation.
Angela Robins
CARPENTER’S ASSISTANT
Angela Robins is a woodworker and educator, rooted in traditional Scandinavian and Japanese woodworking traditions. She has taught skin on frame boat building, as well as bowl turning and woodcarving. She is excited to develop her carpentry skills at a company that values energy efficient homes and high quality work.
Matt Ford
CARPENTER
Originally from western MA, Matt has focused on timber framing, interior remodeling, finish carpentry, and new home construction at different points in the past. He’s an environmentalist who is thrilled to incorporate responsible, sustainable practices into his career as a builder. He is determined to always stay curious and never stop learning.
Kyle Farr
CARPENTER’S ASSISTANT
Kyle is a third generation tradesman with a deep interest in the intersection of design and energy systems. He has experience as a sawyer, restoration woodworker, and in general carpentry and looks forward to expanding his knowledge of high performance building systems. He enjoys working with local materials and a team that takes a holistic approach to the building process.
Sean Goonan
LABORER
Sean is from Chicopee and has been involved in agriculture for the past five years, working on a variety of farms in Western Mass as well as in Maine and Vermont. He has an appreciation for beautiful architecture and hopes to contribute to building beautiful homes.
Max Slocombe
LABORER
Western Massachusetts native and avid hiker, Max is interested in the impact we have on our natural surroundings, and ways we can lower our carbon footprint as builders. He is excited to grow his carpentry skills and knowledge of sustainable building practices working for company that has a passion for building beautiful high performance homes.
