Nancy Cost Project Designer

Nancy is Thrive Home’s Project Manager. With a family of fine artists and an education in Design, Nancy has a keen eye for all things visual. Her former work experience includes Food Styling for print and film, and most recently working as an Art Consultant designing and procuring large art programs for high‐end hotels. Complementing her creative side, Nancy uses her project management experience to help guide clients through the custom home building or renovation process ‐ considering budgets, meeting deadlines, and keeping track of all the moving parts and pieces of each Thrive project.

Nancy also has the unique experience of having been a client of Thrive Homes. After loving every step of the design and construction process, Nancy joined our team as one of Thrive’s many happy homeowners!

Dave Groff Construction Superintendent

Dave Groff is one of Thrive Homes’ construction superintendents with the responsibility of managing and overseeing construction-related activities.

Dave grew up in the Midwest and moved to the Southeast in the early 1980’s. He spent 17 years working for one of the Southeast’s leading residential builders, managing large construction projects in Atlanta, GA, Jacksonville, Fl and Raleigh, NC. Dave went on to spend 7+ years managing construction for an Atlanta-based homebuilder, constructing new homes in the $500K - $1.2M range. In addition to his 28+ years of experience, Dave also brings a warm personality and true love of homebuilding and homeowner satisfaction to his clients at Thrive Homes.

Neal Gurr Accounting Manager

Neal is a graduate of the University of Georgia, where he majored in Accounting and Computer Science. He brings to Thrive Homes over 15 years of construction accounting experience ranging from highway heavy to specialty electrical. As Accounting Manager, Neal Gurr is responsible for all aspects of accounts payable, job costing, forecasting, billing, reconciliations, cash flow analysis and financial reporting.

Kirstin Hobday Chief Operating Officer

As Chief Operating Officer, Kirstin Hobday manages the design and sales departments at Thrive Homes. Together with a team of design professionals, Kirstin strives to incorporate the very best materials and finishes into each home. More importantly, she focuses on maintaining clear and consistent communication throughout the life of her projects. Kirstin also directs the company’s relationships with realtors and design-related suppliers, and she is responsible for marketing campaigns and contract negotiations for each property.

Kirstin graduated from the University of Richmond with a degree in Accounting, after which she completed graduate-level coursework in Real Estate at Georgia State University. While Kirstin’s career began with a global professional services firm, she soon found herself drawn to real estate and became one of Keller Williams’ top-rated agents in Atlanta. After renovating several homes of her own, Kirstin joined forces with Chris Rudd to build Thrive Homes.

Kirstin truly enjoys working with clients, sharing in the joy of bringing their dreams into reality. She is a trusted guide for first-time and experienced customers alike, drawing on her deep experience in real estate, construction and design to make things as simple as possible.

Patrick Keating Construction Superintendent

Patrick Keating is one of Thrive Homes’ construction superintendents with the responsibility of managing and overseeing construction-related activities.

Patrick’s love for construction began in his hometown of LaGrangeville, New York, where as a high school student he worked framing houses. After college he moved to Atlanta to work with a construction company that specializes in renovations and additions. Patrick went on to become a Warranty Technician and ultimately a Builder for one of the largest residential builders in the Southeast.

The professionalism and quality of the construction at Thrive Homes drew Patrick to the company. He enjoys his role at Thrive Homes and looks forward to taking on each project with care and personal pride.

Tony Miller Construction Superintendent

As the Construction Manager for Thrive Homes, Tony has the responsibility of managing and overseeing all construction-related activities. Tony has a comprehensive knowledge and expertise in all areas of home construction and renovation and has managed residential projects in award-winning communities across the Atlanta metro area for more than two decades.

A native of Kokomo, Indiana, Tony attributes his work ethic to his origins growing up on a Midwestern farm, waking at the crack of dawn to do chores before heading to school. He grew up wearing a tool belt, working for his father's residential remodeling company. Tony moved to Atlanta in 1983 and has called DeKalb County home ever since.

Tony and his wife, Robin, breed Kuvasz dogs and regularly show them at American Kennel Club (AKC) events. They have bred and/or owned several of the top-ranked Kuvasz dogs in the United States.

Clay Ortman Purchasing Manager

Clay's affinity for construction began at a young age as he grew up in a family involved in custom homebuilding. After high school, he attended the University of Georgia in Athens and graduated with a BBA in Real Estate. He then went on to gain eight years of experience working in purchasing for two of the largest production homebuilders in the country. As Purchasing Manager at Thrive Homes, Clay is responsible for managing all estimating, purchasing, and procurement of construction labor and materials for all Thrive projects.

Thrives niche of building quality custom homes which integrate so well into the surrounding historical area is what attracted Clay to the company. He is dedicated to building strong, lasting relationships with trade partners who will provide outstanding quality and value for Thrive homeowners.

Crystal Robinson Operating Manager

As an Assistant Project Manager at Thrive Homes, Crystal provides the other team members the coordination and organizational support they need to accomplish the many details involved in constructing a home for our clients.

Crystal graduated from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville with a Bachelor of Architecture. As a registered architect, she spent five years with a large Atlanta-based commercial architecture firm before joining the team at Thrive.

Crystal enjoys working with a tight-knit team that works hard and cares about their product enough to produce only the best.

Christopher Rudd President

As President of Thrive Homes, Chris Rudd is responsible for managing the day to day operations of the company. In addition to working with new and prospective clients as they enter the homebuilding process, Chris is also responsible for lot/property acquisitions as well as contract bidding for Thrive's custom homes.

Chris is a graduate of Emory University, where he majored in Economics. Although involved in some form or fashion of construction since his early years near Nashville, Tennessee, he spent several years after college working in the institutional investment sector before deciding to dedicate himself full-time to his true passion – home-building.

Chris strives to create value for his clients and fellow team members by building top quality, architecturally inspiring homes in an environmentally conscious manner, that are truly built to last a lifetime. Although his day to day responsibilities lie in construction management, his true focus is building close relationships with his clients that last beyond the scope of any particular project.

Chad Waits Warranty Technician

As Warranty Technician at Thrive Homes, Chad Waits manages the home warranties provided with every home we build and assists the superintendents with day to day construction activities.

Chad was born and raised in the metro Atlanta area and attended college at Lee University in Cleveland, Tennessee. Chad has been in the construction field for over 12 years, half of which as warranty tech and later as a superintendent for one of the largest residential builders in the southeast. Chad also ran a small construction company before becoming a member of the Thrive Homes team.

Kim Wingard Designer

Kim is native to Atlanta and graduated with a degree in Interior Design from the University of West Georgia. With over 10 years working as a kitchen and bath designer and interior designer, she has an extensive background in renovations and new construction in Atlanta’s intown historical communities.

Kim’s appreciation for residential design began in middle school as she started exploring how to draw and design homes. Her favorite part of designing is hearing the client’s ideas and then helping them turn that vision into their dream home.