About Us

We’re a lot like you. Our team is made of people who love their jobs and love the Northwest. We were founded on the concept of being the best at what we do, and to our team that isn’t just building homes. Our team is part of the community, working at food banks, conservation projects, fishing in our rivers, biking, and hiking in our mountains, we don’t just build houses, we build communities.

Benjamin Paulus

Chief Executive Officer

My Job in 50 Words or Less: I’m the quirky developer. We live in a constantly evolving world, and my job is to provide housing and build communities that people will love today, and down the road. I also have the opportunity to partner with a number of different non-profits to use our company to try and help the environment and communities we are in.

Some Things I’m Really Good At: Making eggs, and forward planning. In our world everything takes a long time to come to fruition. Entitlement can take 2-3 years, site development 1-2 years, building houses a year to two. My job everyday is to make sure that we are laying the necessary foundation today to ensure that we are still a great company delivering exceptional communities 50 years from now.

Three Words That Best Describe Me: Adventurous, Inventive, Demanding

Favorite Part of My Job: I love underwriting projects, working with architects, and our other consultants to design communities that we will drive through, and have people living in. It’s a pretty cool experience.

Where to Find Me When I’m Not at Work: On the lake surfing, in the mountains snowboarding, flyfishing or with my family.

Michelle Branley

Chief Operating Officer

My Job in 50 Words or Less: Building homes that agents and buyers can be proud of and that add value to the communities we work in. Setting the bar at a really high level and then putting the people and processes in-place to meet and exceed expectations.

Some Things I’m Really Good At: Finding the best people and fostering collaboration. I manage and provide operational direction to teams working on every aspect of the building process from design, purchasing, construction, marketing, sales, warranties and entitlement. It’s not easy to do right -- and that what makes this job so satisfying and the people here so great.

Three Words That Best Describe Me: Dependable, Trustworthy and Knowledgeable.

Favorite Part of My Job: Picking all of the interior finishes.

Where to Find Me When I’m Not at Work: Cooking, watching home renovation shows or relaxing with my family and our two dogs.

Max Chappron

Chief Financial Officer

My Job in 50 Words or Less: I’m responsible for executing on Blue Fern’s financial intitiatives and strategies. Achieving our financial goals requires consistent communication and collaboration with our management team, investors and lending partners while maintaining a balanced view of opportunities and risks.

Some Things I’m Really Good At: Collaborating with others, maintaining and building relationships, setting priorities and executing on them, establishing processes and re-evaluating those processes by applying a mind-set for continuous improvement.

Three Words That Best Describe Me: Loyal, Persistent and Adaptable

Favorite Part of My Job: Seeing projects through from beginning to end, underwriting new projects, working alongside our management team and consultants, problem solving and developing a financial strategy to set up our projects for success.

Where to Find Me When I’m Not at Work: Surrounded by family and friends, keeping up with my three children, outdoors and on the golf course.

John A. Graves

Director of Forward Planning

My Job in 50 Words or Less: Primarily, I look to find housing markets that are underserved. Locations that have a logical service to homebuyers and their lifestyle. What is less desirable today, can be more desirable tomorrow. Living environments and locations that are untapped or undiscovered; locations where people in different stages of life can identify with - ultimately and logically call “home”.

Some Things I'm Really Good At: One area of my job that I enjoy is peeling back the layers of market place onion. Studying the demographic, economic and social forces that shape a market place; the expansion and contraction. Then secondly, using that knowledge to further our direction, focus and growth.

Three Words That Best Describe Me: Reliable, Stubborn, Approachable

Favorite Part of My Job: Collaborating on projects with our team and amazing group of consultants.

Where to Find Me When I’m Not at Work: Hanging out with my wife and friends, keeping up with my two children, boating, prepping food, playing my guitar.

We created Blue Fern Homes with a shared passion for doing something that matters in the long term. From the search for the right land to the last detail in every home, integrity shows. We choose partners who follow the same path.

When you choose Blue Fern Homes, you become part of a family of people who appreciate that life begins at home. And we want to be part of that.

“I want to thank you for all you have provided my family.”