Established in 2010, New Leaf Builders represents the partnership of Grant Zinkon and Adam Baslow. Our team has now grown to thirteen as we steadily add to our talents and enthusiasm.

there’s no place like home

New Leaf knows the importance of a handshake and values our reputation for quality construction within our community. We take a hands-on approach to each project, completing them with thoroughness while employing environmentally responsible building techniques. From the moment the foundation is poured to the time the keys are handed over to the new owner, New Leaf is active, present, and attentive.

Staying at the forefront of the new construction industry requires superb building materials from sound sources. It requires an understanding of homebuilding trends as well as an innovative approach to reading where the market is heading next. Charleston has always been a source of inspiration and the Lowcountry continues to serve as a tastemaker. The abundance of rich material sources and expertise in our area enables us to stay dynamic. New Leaf works with an expansive list of local talent that is hand-selected for your particular home’s needs.

Our Team

Adam Baslow

Co-Founder

Vero Beach, Florida Native Adam came to the Lowcountry after graduating from Furman University with a double major in business and Spanish. When he moved to Charleston, a family friend suggested he look into real estate as a profession, since it had become a cherished personal avocation of the young graduate. Adam, still a licensed realtor today, joined with Special Properties, Inc., a brokerage firm that focused primarily on selling land and developing choice area real estate in the Lowcountry.

Grant Zinkon

Co-Founder

Grant, a Charleston native who spent the summers working in construction, earned his business degree from the Citadel and upon graduation worked in lumber sales for Buck Lumber honing his skills in buying and selling building materials. After a few years, he was called to his passion—building—when Centex Homes hired him. For three years, he acted as a project superintendent and was assigned to specialty undertakings from installing pools to building neighborhood entry monuments.

Alan Degen

Operations Manager

Alan joined the New Leaf team in June 2012. Growing up in Northwest Ohio, construction was the family business; summers were spent working residential projects with his Grandfather, Father, and Uncle. Upon receiving a Construction Management degree from The Ohio State University, he pursued a management position with a roofing and siding company in Myrtle Beach, SC. After transferring to Charleston, he decided to take up his true passion of home building with New Leaf Builders. Alan currently serves as the Operations Manager, overseeing all aspects of the home building process.

Julia Phipps

OPERATIONS COORDINATOR

Operations Coordinator Julia Phipps grew up in a tiny town in North Carolina. While attending the College of Charleston, she fell in love with the city. With a technical theatre degree and a passion for lighting design, she started out building and painting sets. She has enjoyed transitioning her focus to permanent houses. Julia fills many roles at New Leaf Builders, so if you have any questions she is always the best place to start!

Will Flynn

Project Manager

Will Flynn joined the New Leaf team in the summer of 2015. He graduated from Clemson University with a Degree in Business Management. During college, he spent summers interning with a national home builder and was immediately hooked. Upon graduation, Will moved from the Upstate to Charleston to work for David Weekley Homes. As a project manager, Will has spent 11 years building homes in the Lowcountry and most recently managed their build on your lot program.

Chris Dudleck

Project Manager

Chris is an Appalachian State graduate who found a passion for construction from a young age. When he was fifteen his father, who was a construction manager, recruited him to a grading crew. Chris has ten years of experience as a project manager across three different states. He has more than 200 homes under his belt from basement homes in Virginia to drive under homes here in Charleston. Chris is a Leed AP which is the highest green building certification that can be achieved. He joined the team in 2014 and builds every home as if it were his own. When not on the jobsite, Chris enjoys spending time on the water, playing golf or running his dog on the beach.

Mark Watson

Project Manager

Raised in Mt. Pleasant, Mark graduated from Clemson University with a degree in Business Management. He spent is summers working in construction, as well as an internship with a national home builder. After graduating he took a job as a superintendent in Charlotte with a national home builder. He returned to the Lowcountry in 2007 where he has continued his passion for building homes. Mark joined the team in 2019 and is excited to be with New Leaf Builders.

Sam Velasquez

WARRANTY Manager

Sam grew up in Windham, New Hampshire, a small town by the border of Massachusetts. He and his wife moved to Charleston in 2017 for a fresh start in a city that they had fallen in love with during college. Sam joined new Leaf in January of 2019 and he is excited make a positive difference in his community. His hobbies include writing, learning new things, and relaxing with his wife and four dogs.

Kendall Cordina

Custom Home Coordinator

Kendall Cordina was born and raised on Lookout Mountain, TN, just outside of Chattanooga. After graduating from Appalachian State University, Kendall spent almost a decade living in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where she ran her own property management business and did a lot of sailing. After moving to Charleston in 2006, Kendall worked at her children’s school as the Director of Finance and Operations for 10 years. In 2016, Kendall transitioned to the residential construction world when she joined her husband, a contractor, in growing his remodeling and HVAC business. While remodeling homes, Kendall was able to cultivate her passion for residential design while also getting hands-on experience in many aspects of construction. Kendall joined the New Leaf team in 2019, and loves having the opportunity to combine her financial, operational, design, and construction experience to bring an extra level of service to New Leaf’s custom home projects.

Christina Henderson

Design/SALES CONSULTANT

Christina is a third generation Floridian and a Southerner at heart. She earned a M.S. in Industrial/Organizational Psychology from the University of Central Florida. Yet she quickly realized as the daughter of a Civil Engineer and weekend General Contractor, her true passion was homebuilding and design. So she promptly jumped ship on a Ph.D. and eagerly began her sales career with Centex Homes. She comes to the New Leaf team with almost 20 years of new home sales experience. After selling production and custom homes in Naples, Florida, she missed her Southern roots and relocated to Charleston in 2019. Christina has worked for large national homebuilders, yet much prefers contributing to a local, green builder. A core value that has guided her career is that a home is much more than sticks and bricks. Home is the space where we create our most cherished memories, the backdrop of our lives. Christina is passionate about partnering with every New Leaf homeowner to design a space that distinctively reflects the unique backdrop of their life. Seeing our team of talented New Leaf professionals craft that unique vision into reality is equally rewarding.

Brandon Wall

Estimator

A born resident of Charlotte, North Carolina – Brandon Wall joined the New Leaf team in the beginning of 2020 immediately after graduating from Central Piedmont Community College with a degree in Construction Management. His studies, complimented by successful roles in professional process development, have given him a driven interest in evaluating and implementing standardized approaches to success.
In his free time, Brandon enjoys training and competing in athletic running events where he is consistently awarded top tier in age group or overall competition.

Matthew Paiva

Assistant Project Manager

Matthew Paiva grew up in a one traffic light town in the smallest state in America, Rhode Island. He attended Temple University in Philadelphia, where he earned BAs in Finance and Real Estate. After spending time in corporate financial real estate, he needed a change, so he enlisted in the Navy. He served as a Sonar Technician for 9 years and had the honor of serving as his ship’s primary rescue swimmer.

After the birth of his son, Noah, Matthew decided to go back to civilian life in order to spend more time with his family. He earned a degree from The Citadel in Project Management and has begun working on his MBA. Matthew is excited to bring his proactive, positive, and team-oriented spirit to the New Leaf crew.

Randall Sandin

Realtor

New Leaf Builders has been fortunate to have Randall Sandin representing the company since its inception in 2010. Randall specializes in small developments, individual homes and our recently introduced Build on Your Lot program. Randall has been a top producing Realtor for the past 12 years. He & his business partner are consistently ranked in the top 5 producing teams of Carolina One Real Estate and have been the #1 selling team for the James Island office for 5 years running. Randall is happy to help in any way to make your dream of owning a New Leaf home a reality.

randall@newleafsc.com
843.209.9667

Ali Bring

Realtor

With nearly 20 years experience in residential real estate, Ali is a true professional and deeply values the trust of her clients and colleagues. She received both undergraduate and graduate degrees from the University of South Carolina (GO Gamecocks!). Ali holds many honors and awards as a top producing agent in both Georgia and South Carolina, but it is her dedication to delivering the highest level of service and care to her buyers that really sets her apart. In her spare time, you can find Ali cooking with her family and playing with their sweet and energetic Labrador Retriever rescue, Honey.

ali@newleafsc.com

843.226.1043

Glen Wilkes

Realtor

Glen started his real estate career in 2001 focussed on new construction in Summerville, SC. He has been a top selling agent for Carolina One Real Estate New Homes Division. For the past 5 years he has been involved with new construction sales in the Nexton community. His passion has consistently been finding the best fit new home for all buyers.

glen@newleafsc.com
843.530.7045