About Us

Rusty Green

CEO

Visionary

As the founder of Compelling Homes, Rusty (who some of us just found out at the time of this writing is legally named 'Brian') has been in the home remodeling game for 31 years. A graduate of the Associated Builders and Contractors Trade School, Rusty's mission is to provide an environment for his team where they can thrive. He'd never tell you, but many years ago, Rusty graduated the #1 carpenter in the nation and has dedicated his time to creating a business from the experience he gained as a carpenter. 

Rusty is almost as passionate about his business legacy as he is about Formula 1 (we will accept no Red Bull slander at this time). His favorite party trick is the fact that he can - blindfolded - distinguish the difference between ~100 cars spanning 60 years by the sound of their startup and idle. In case no one asks him to perform that trick, he spends his free time working around the farm, tree-trimming, and dreaming of racing a car, sitting on a Broadway stage, and leaving a business legacy.

Denise Smithson-Green

Chief Operating Officer

Integrator

Denise (or "DeKnees" if you're reading this from Lakeland, FL, and went to high school with Denise) has over 18 years of experience in general management and grew up working with builders picking out finishes in her parent’s interior design store. Her favorite part of the job is seeing a finished project and their amazing transformations.

Denise prefers to spend her free time golfing and brunching. And on Formula 1 weekends, she could probably give you  more details about the teams than her hubby.  If Denise isn't brunching or watching Formula 1, she is probably watering the small jungle of plants she has.

Denise's soundtrack: "In Living Color" by Jamey Johnson – it reminds her of her “Pappy” (did we mention she is from the South?)

Alyssa

Administrative Assistant

Alyssa has been with Compelling Homes for a combined 3 years.  She took a break to relocate to Richmond, VA, but we found a way to keep her on board.  She has managed to accrue over five years of experience in the administrative sector in between bouts of volunteering at the hospital nursery rocking newborn babies. That last part is  not a true statement, but is her dream job one day.

In her (very rare) spare time, Alyssa loves scrapbooking, making cards, traveling, and listening to her son's band; Run Wilson (check them out - we love them!). 

Amanda, NCIDQ

Architectural Designer

Amanda has been working in design for 10 plus years. Ten; which is almost the same number of nicknames she has: Punky, Mandy Sue, and Lady. We'll stick to Amanda for now.

Dog mom to Ranger, Amanda loves working as our designer to make people's visions come to life and witness how much they enjoy their new space – all with little-to-no dog hair on her clothing.

In her free time, you can find Amanda flex her design muscles for pleasure in the form of photography, painting, drawing, crafting, spending time with her partner Derek, or watching all-things Iowa State (she's also pro-Chicago Bears), dreaming of being a florist, and covering her ears/exiting the room when 'cringe comedy' is present. We can't blame her.

Sayler

Architectural Designer

Sayler, originally from Mason City, is an Iowa State grad with a flair for design and a brain that never stops learning. With 5 years of experience and straight A’s in her interior design studios, she’s got both the creativity and the credentials to help people fall head-over-heels in love with their homes.

When she’s not designing dream spaces, Say (as her friends call her) loves to hit the trails with her husband and their pup, get lost in a good book, or dive into anything artistic. She’s a piano and trumpet player, an NBA Denver Nuggets superfan, and a Lana Del Rey enthusiast—her music takes Sayler straight back to a coastal road trip and instant vacation vibes.

Her bucket list? Travel everywhere, see 3 of the 7 Wonders of the World, and create her own dream kitchen (of course). If she wasn’t in design, she’d be grooming dogs or solving mysteries in forensics—because why not?

Sayler brings curiosity, heart, and a creative spark to every project, making each space she touches feel just a little more like home.

Michelle

Bookkeeper

Michelle is a 13-year veteran of crunching numbers.  She ensures the numbers make sense to the rest of us and keeps everyone happily paid. 

In her spare time, not sure when this is, she loves riding motorcycles with her hot hubby (did we mention he is a fireman?), crafting and watching Netflix.  She dreams of being on Iron Chef as one of her favorite past times is making new recipes and adding her flair to them.  The waistlines at the office are sure to expand with her on the team!

Kent

Production Manager

Kent (or Kent Exotic – funny story) has another nickname that he threatened us never to call him. As a production manager, Kent's favorite part of his job is coaching his team, always learning something new and ensuring the customer experience is amazing.

A true American Dream story, Kent quit his management job of 16 years to sweep floors and move his way up the construction chain; and we are so grateful to have him. For reference; we asked Kent where he'd be if he wasn't so good at his job, and he answered "handyman work somewhere that it's always warm" and we love that. Sadly for Kent, we live in Iowa.

An undiscovered talent (for now), Kent loves playing the guitar, cooking, family game and movie nights, and again - playing guitar. If you're looking for a new tune; Kent recommends 'Smile' by Lukas Nelson. It reminds him of his Dad and is someone cutting onions in here or is it just us?

Mark

Project Manager

“Mark the Shark” was born in Cedar Rapids, graduated from Wartburg, and brings both skill and heart to his work. Outside the office, he’s always on the move—camping, hiking, running, golfing, playing pickleball, or building something in his woodworking shop. Fun fact?  He’s run a marathon fast enough to qualify for the Boston Marathon and cheers for both Iowa and Iowa State (though Iowa has his heart when they play each other).

Weekends mean adventures with his wife and dog, time with friends and family or belting out the lyrics to 80's or 90's music. Mark and his wife have hiked the Grand Canyon, won pickleball tournaments and run races together.  To truly test their newlywed status, they also love working on renovating their home. Did we mention Mark loves construction and is living his dream?

On his bucket list: visiting every national park, building a teardrop camper, and restoring a Jeep Wrangler. If he weren’t excelling at Compelling Homes, he’d be a sheriff’s ranger or a farmer. What drives him most is being part of a team that feels like family—and giving customers the same level of care by delivering an exceptional product and experience every time.

Joel

Site Superintendent

Joel is a man who has had many hats.  He has been a missionary in Jamaica where he got construction experience and he has worked with a local non-profit managing events.  Both of these lend well to a site superintendent position.  He is dedicated to wowing the customer and executing construction excellence as a site superintendent.

When Joel is not working, he is hanging out at Iowa games with his wife and two of his adult children.  The third child is "allowed" to break the mold and go to Iowa State since the architecture program is so good. (Said with a bit of an eye roll.) I mean, she is a junior in high school, so maybe there is still hope.  

We don't know how Joel does it - wife, 3 kids, 3 dogs, hobbies of bike riding & power lifting, and when he can ride that bide to a brewery his day is made.  

Danny

Site Superintendent

Born and raised in Salt Lake City, Danny has over 20 years of experience in the remodeling world—though if you ask him, it really started back in junior high. A self-taught wood lathe wizard (yes, he once handcrafted a nutcracker), Danny thrives on the rollercoaster of remodels and lives for that final “wow” moment when everything comes together.

Outside of work, Danny is all about the great outdoors and great football. His ideal weekend? Camping under the stars with college football playing in the background—preferably with Blink-182 on the playlist (his favorite band since his middle school Blink cover band days). He even eloped in Grand Teton National Park because... epic views and zero stress.

Dreams still on the bucket list? Buying a cozy cabin, skiing the slopes of New Zealand, and celebrating Oktoberfest in Germany. And if he wasn’t a remodeling pro, you’d probably find him on the sidelines as a college football coach.

Bottom line: Danny brings passion, precision, and just the right amount of punk rock energy to everything he does.

Will

Carpenter

Born in Michigan, he’s racked up 5 years of experience bringing dream spaces to life—and he still gets a thrill from seeing that “wow” moment on a customer’s face. A die-hard University of Michigan fan, his weekends are a mix of hunting, strolling the farmers market, and trips to the park with his wife and two boys (who he proudly calls his greatest success).

He once lived in four different states in a single year, proving he’s not afraid of change—or adventure. His playlist is heavy on Forrest Frank, and his bucket list is as big as the outdoors: hiking out West, bowhunting elk, and exploring Alaska’s wild beauty. Whether he’s in the woods, on a jobsite, or chasing his kids, he brings the same passion and energy to everything he does.

Finnegan

CEO

Chief Eating Officer

Hurley

COO

Chief of "Outside!?"

Ranger

CTO

Chief Treat Officer