About Us
Countryside was founded in 1993 as a 3-person operation supported by a small group of investors. Frank Root and his wife Chris, along with a now-retired partner, quickly found a niche developing tracts of land and offering seller-financing. Since then, Countryside has been blessed with strong, consistent growth.
Our ever-expanding team currently numbers nearly 40 professionals in development, marketing, managing and maintaining our varied real estate portfolio- As we've grown, we've added a construction team, a maintenance department, our own engineering staff as well as numerous administrative personnel
- We've added multi-family, commercial and industrial investments to our portfolio
Now, our staff of dedicated professionals has over 600 years of combined real estate development, management, investment, finance, marketing, maintenance, construction, and related experience:
Our Senior Staff:
Franklin Root Founder and President
Frank began working full time in the real estate industry after earning a real estate salesman’s license in 1972. Frank was a principal partner in more than two dozen partnerships involved in purchasing, selling, construction, renovation and development in both residential and commercial real estate. He is a founding promotor of Countryside, as well as a founding partner of the predecessor companies dating back to 1980 that merged to form Countryside in 1993.
Eric Shipplett Vice President of Acquisitions
Eric is one of Countryside's managing partners and has served on its Review Board since its inception. He joined the real estate industry in 1982 and began working for Countryside full-time in 1998. Eric oversees acquisitions of new projects and handles some rural land sales. Eric is a graduate of Mary Baldwin College with a degree in Business Administration.
Leah Thomas Vice President of Marketing and Sales
Leah is responsible for all of Countryside’s marketing, including supervising the sales team and the administration of sales. Leah holds a degree in Communications from Virginia Tech. She has been with Countryside since July 2001.
Steve Tomasi Vice President of Finance
Steve provides financial oversight for Countryside. He brings 18 years of experience in public accounting and the financial services industry where he managed cash flows, developed funding sources and contributed to medium/long-term strategies. Steve is a CPA and received his undergraduate business degree from James Madison University as well as MBA graduate studies from the College of William and Mary and the University of Richmond.
Tom Kernan Director of Administration
After joining us in 2002, Tom worked in several departments at Countryside, including HomeCrafters, Project Management and Property Management. He recently transitioned to the Administration Department. Tom is a 1996 graduate of Washington & Lee University.
Back To Top
Our Operations Team:
Paul Julian, P.E./P.L.S. Engineering Manager
In April 2006, Countryside continued to add to its engineering staff. Paul oversees engineering and design of all new projects. He is a graduate of Old Dominion University with a bachelor's degree in Civil Engineering Technology. He has thirty years of experience in civil engineering and is licensed in Virginia, Maryland and North Carolina. He is also a licensed land surveyor in Virginia and Maryland.
Andrew Bagby Project Manager
Drew has a background in both construction and finance. He handles project management for several of Countryside's subdivisions. A native of Augusta County, Drew recently returned here from Richmond.
Don Bosserman Project Manager
Don, who joined Countryside in June 2006, has a background in construction and property management. Don oversees planning, development and construction for several subdivisions. He is a native of Staunton.
Nathanael Knopp Assistant Project Manager
Nathanael joined our team in September 2008 after a number of years in the building industry. He serves as assistant to Paul Julian, Roger Vandevander, and Don Bosserman.
Back To Top
Our Marketing Team:
Paul Baker Marketing Representative
Paul has been a driving force in the Lexington real estate market for many years. He joined Countryside in May 2008 as a marketing representative in Ridgemore, our Rockbridge county project.
Milt Hallmark Marketing Representative
Milt joined Countryside in September 2006 as a land sales representative in our rural land division. He has an extensive background in the real estate industry. Milt has been a resident of Bedford County since 1979.
Amy Cash Property Manager
Amy oversees all aspects of residential and commercial property management. She has a background as a legal assistant and joined our team in 2006. She also assists with some residential marketing.
Back To Top
Our Support Team:
Chris Root Executive Secretary
Chris is one of the co-founders of Countryside and has served as Secretary of the Company since inception. Chris has worked in the real estate industry since the late 1970s and has been involved in every aspect of Countryside and the predecessor companies that merged to form Countryside in 1993. In addition to serving as Corporate Secretary and secretary to the Board, Chris has at various times served as secretary, receptionist, bookkeeper and office manager. Chris currently manages our mortgages receivables.
Linda Higgins Administrative Assistant
Linda is responsible for handling our front of office needs, schedules our maintenance requests, and keeps the books for our commercial endeavors.
Becky Morris Bookkeeping
Becky oversees the books for our most of our company projects.
Marian Simmons Bookkeeping
Marian is responsible for many projects, including bookkeeping, purchasing, and any special office projects we have.
Back To Top
Countryside Service Company, LC ♦ 28 Imperial Drive ♦ Staunton, VA 24401 ♦ (540) 886-6155
