Meet the Team

Doug Scott

Owner

Doug has played a pivotal role in the company from its inception in 1990. As Owner of both Advantage Homes and Amwood Homes, his days consist of a multitude of meetings and discussions with team members, prospective homeowners, and Amwood Builders.

Having lived in Janesville most of his life, Doug takes special interest in focusing on residential development projects and move-in ready home planning for continued growth and prosperity in the Rock County area.

When you ask Doug what he enjoys most about Advantage, he will tell you the customers. He truly enjoys meeting prospective customers to help plan and budget their new home. He also enjoys meeting with his team to further improve business and increase volume.

When not in the office, you can find Doug golfing, running, traveling, and spending quality time with his wife and family. He has proudly achieved many goals in life, and his one remaining goal is to effectively transition his companies to operate successfully without his daily involvement, so he can spend more time enjoying his hobbies.

Home feature that Doug couldn’t live without in his dream home?
A larger garage. A three-car garage is just too small sometimes. A golf net and screen in the basement would be a real nice addition, too.

Superhero Persona / Super Power:
Superman. Flying without getting on a plane would be cool and fast!

C. David Hiller

Chief Executive Officer

As CEO of Advantage Homes, Dave’s primary role is to create change and drive growth, improving value for not only our incredible customers but also our remarkable team members and ownership.

A focal point for Dave involves residential development project facilitation, evaluation, and planning to ensure chosen development projects are set up for success and brought to fruition.

Witnessing customers realize their aspirations and goals in terms of their new home is something Dave truly enjoys. He wants Advantage homeowners to “live the way they want to live” and finds it gratifying assisting them with that process. In addition, he is thoroughly enjoying watching Advantage Homes transform itself into the best home builder in Rock County.

When Dave isn’t working, you can find him partaking in his many hobbies, some of which include road biking, golfing, skiing, movies, and traveling.

Home feature that Dave couldn’t live without in his dream home?
An awesome kitchen – This area is the hub of activity in most homes and where people tend to congregate. It’s a priority space and a space worth investing in.

Superhero Persona / Super Power:
Batman. Batman uses his intellect to solve problems, and he has a tool for any situation!

Chris Engstrom

VP of Construction

As VP of Construction, Chris oversees the construction processes of the home-building experience. He leads his Construction Managers and the Specialist team to ensure homes stay on track while delivering a high level of customer engagement during the building process. Chris’ responsibilities consist of a wide variety from post-contract signing all the way to proudly handing homeowners’ their keys at closing.

When you ask Chris what he enjoys most about working for Advantage Homes, the first thing he will say is his team. He truly enjoys the people he works with, building dream homes from start to finish.

In his free time, Chris enjoys spending time with his family outdoors, especially camping, golfing, and working out in the yard.

Home feature that Chris couldn’t live without in his dream home?
A large fireplace. He is not a fan of the cold Wisconsin winters!

Superhero Persona / Super Power:
We have another Batman on our team. Batman protects and serves his community. Plus, he has one cool car!

Kelsey Paasch

VP of Sales and Marketing

As VP of Sales and Marketing, Kelsey works directly with prospects learning more about the building process. Her primary goal is to help ensure that Advantage Homes is creating a positive and memorable building experience from start to finish. She focuses on creating a special experience that ensures each homeowner’s specific needs are met and that each home is customized to fit their personal lifestyle needs.

Kelsey absolutely loves being able to help people take their vision and bring it to life. She finds it rewarding to see the reaction of homeowners as they step foot into their new home that has been on paper for several months.

Her time outside of work is very family focused. Kelsey and her husband have been married since 2008, and they have three beautiful children. As a family, they love to go on weekend adventures and simply spend quality time together.

Home feature that Kelsey couldn’t live without in her dream home?
Prior to working for Advantage, Kelsey built a custom home with us in 2017! She absolutely loves her kitchen. Because of her love for cooking and baking, her husband likes to joke that they built their entire home around their kitchen!

Superhero Persona / Super Power:
Teleport. Kelsey would love to minimize travel time so she could enjoy more time relaxing with her family and friends.

Steve Sage

Land Development Manager

As Land Development Manager, Steve works on a variety of residential development projects from inception to completion.

He truly enjoys working with his team, as everyone is professional and holds a positive attitude toward customer-driven success.

Outside of work, Steve enjoys spending time with his family. He also looks forward to doing more traveling as opportunities develop!

Home feature that Steve couldn’t live without in his dream home?
He believes that a fully finished basement is a key aspect, as it allows for additional living area at a reasonable cost per square foot.

Superhero Persona / Super Power:
Solve the poverty and food deficient issues in our country that is sourced from the Christian/faith based community.

Mikki Masterson

Marketing Manager

As Marketing Manager for Advantage Homes, Mikki is responsible for building and maintaining brand awareness by developing and executing Marketing strategies to meet customers’ needs. She manages internal communication pieces, external messaging, branding strategies, design and development of marketing collateral, website and social media, advertising initiatives, and the list goes on.

What she enjoys most about working for Advantage Homes is promoting the experience. Building a home is a very personalized, intimate experience, and we want customers to feel a connection with us the moment they choose us as their home builder. The best feeling is when you have a happy homeowner who is about to make endless memories in their new home.

In her free time, Mikki enjoys spending quality time with her family outdoors, whether that be hiking, biking, golfing, or boating! She is the proud mother of a beautiful daughter that is her pride and joy. When not enjoying the outdoors and being on the move taking her daughter to all of her sporting activities, you can find Mikki constantly re-arranging and re-decorating her own home. It’s her secret passion. There’s a reason she works in the industry she does! 😊

Home feature that Mikki couldn’t live without in her dream home?
An 8′ tall exterior front door with two sidelites. Your front entrance is a focal point for the exterior of the home and a large, expansive front entrance makes quite a captivating statement and adds to your curb appeal.

Superhero Persona / Super Power:
Elemental control. She would love control over the weather so the forecast would involve only sunny, warm days for all of us.

Ryan White

Construction Manager

As Rough Construction Manager, Ryan works directly with homeowners from the excavation to drywall process. He plans, schedules and coordinates projects with subcontractors to meet deadlines, as well as inspects and reviews projects to monitor compliance with building codes. He is also responsible for directing and supervising construction or related workers.

Ryan’s favorite aspect of working for Advantage Homes is witnessing the progress of a job and the results of the team’s hard work. The team is always focused and working on different projects from small to large, and it is extremely rewarding to watch all of the moving pieces come together to build a quality home.

When he does not have his Construction Manager hat on, Ryan loves fishing and spending time on the water. His partner, Kristy, and he just welcomed a baby boy to the world and are looking forward to raising a family. They also have a beloved chocolate lab named, Mocha.

Home feature that Ryan couldn’t live without in his dream home?
Ryan and Kristy built their dream home with their local Amwood authorized Builder three years ago, and they love their full walk-out basement. This feature offers two separate levels for relaxing and entertainment and gives them a feeling of both a home and a getaway in the same space!

Superhero Persona / Super Power:
Ironman. The super power of intellect to create and develop new ideas/creations out of a need.  He is a flawed individual with endless wealth but puts himself in situations to make a better world.

Tom Downey

Construction Manager

As Finish Construction Manager, Tom’s day consists of overseeing the build from drywall to close. He can be found visiting sites, attending management meetings with vendors or subcontractors and/or engaging with homeowners to ensure each home is delivered on time.

Tom loves having the opportunity to hand over the keys to a beautiful home to our customers. He also truly enjoys working with the team, as he will be the first to tell you that we are a great bunch with an abundance of knowledge!

When not at work, he enjoys spending time with his family and their German Shepherd. You can find him playing sports with his son, hiking, camping, and taking road trips to the beach.

Home feature that Tom couldn’t live without in his dream home?
The convenience of first-floor laundry and an outdoor patio.

Superhero Persona / Super Power:
Thor. He was a Bad@##!

Tracy Grande

Site and Service Specialist

As Site and Service Specialist, Tracy manages all service and warranty work post close. Each day brings new items to Tracy’s attention, whether that be service and warranty related, job-site needs, and/or field work.

When you ask Tracy what he enjoys most about working for Advantage Homes, he will tell you the people.

When he is not working, Tracy can be found spending time with his family and boating.

Home feature that Tracy couldn’t live without in his dream home?
Three-car garage. He would definitely appreciate this feature during our cold and long winters.

Jolea Wallisch

Support Administrative Specialist

As Support Administrative Specialist, Jolea’s focus is on Operations and Administration. She handles all lead inquiries, customer home selections, Buildertrend, all permitting, as well as bank communication for the closing of loans.

Jolea loves her involvement in homeowner meetings. She enjoys being exposed to all of the different ideas, styles, and wishes that each homeowner strives to have in their future home. Being able to see dreams come true throughout the homebuilding process is the most rewarding thing.

In her free time, she enjoys going on hikes, being out on the lake, going to the gym, renovating things in her family’s home, and browsing properties for sale on Zillow.

Home feature that Jolea couldn’t live without in her dream home?
Large walk-in pantry. She likes to be organized and having that amenity is so worth it.

Superhero Persona / Super Power:
The ability to speak to animals. It would be quite interesting to communicate back and forth with them.

Kelly Pallesen

Customer Experience Specialist

As Customer Experience Specialist, Kelly is a wealth of knowledge, resource, and care for our homeowners as they navigate through the home-building experience. She also takes the lead on interior and exterior selection meetings with homeowners, as well as designing the cabinetry for their homes.

Kelly’s favorite aspect of working for Advantage Homes is the team’s positive attitude – everyone on the team is passionate about their roles and extremely welcoming, which speaks volumes about our culture in the workplace.

When not at work, Kelly and her fiancé are busy with their lab puppy who consumes all of their time! She absolutely loves attending baseball games, spending time with family and friends, as well as traveling to tropical destinations. She has one confession: She is a reality TV junkie. She owns that hobby to the fullest! 🙂

Home feature that Kelly couldn’t live without in her dream home?
A large bathroom with a soaker tub and walk-in shower. Her current bathroom situation is quite small, and she dreams (on the daily) of having a large bathroom. Plus, it would be much easier to bathe her dog in a walk-in shower than wrestling with him in the bath tub!

Superhero Persona / Super Power:
Mind reader. Kelly is always wondering what people are REALLY thinking.

Titus Emmett

Field Support Specialist

As Field Support Specialist, Titus’ daily priorities consist of assisting the team by ensuring materials are delivered to the trades, as well as keeping job sites looking sharp, clean, and most importantly, safe!

Titus truly enjoys working with the Advantage team –  A team that is professional, encouraging, and fun. He finds it rewarding working with professionals in the building industry whom he can learn a lot from.

When not at work, you can find Titus running, camping, and working on wood projects. He loves spending time with his bride – going on walks or making dinner together.

Home feature that Titus couldn’t live without in his dream home?
Having grown up in a kit-log home in northern New York, a fireplace is a must to make the room feel like home. On top of this, he would also love to have a nice kitchen to make big meals for friends and family.

Superhero Persona / Super Power:
Most people probably wouldn’t quite think of the wizard Gandalf as a “Super Hero”—but he has the power to bring Light, and thus hope, into every situation. Titus thinks our world could use that. Plus, he can start fires with his fingers!