Gabriel Stefania
Senior Project Manager

Gabe has worked at Essential Design+Build and its predecessor company, ATCO Construction Company, since 1981.

Before joining Atco in 1981, Gabe served as a Sergeant in the 4th Infantry Division of the US Army, receiving a Silver Star for Gallantry in Action in Vietnam in 1969.  Upon his return, he received a BS in Architecture, cum laude from The New York Institute of Technology.  After graduation Gabe worked for Kahn and Jacobs Architects, Loral Electronics and Cadillac Fairview Shopping Centers New York serving as a draftsman, project architect and engineer on many large-scale commercial and retail projects. 

Chris Pettus
Senior Project Manager

Chris brings to Essential Design + Construction 15 years of experience with Atco Construction and over 30 years of experience overall, having worked as a laborer, carpenter, foreman, field supervisor and project manager.  He has extensive knowledge of new construction and commercial and medical facilities renovations, and has overseen the lobby renovations of 630 3rd Avenue and 20 West 57th Street, the gut renovation of Atlas Cafe on Central Park South, and high-end residential renovations and commercial build-outs in properties throughout the city.

Ted Zach
Senior Project Manager / Project Architect

Ted has been a member of the Atco family companies since 2006 and has over thirty years of experience in architecture and construction working in various capacities including design, construction administration, tenant coordination, general construction, and construction management.

He is experienced in commercial retail, corporate office, museums, and educational, medical and correctional facilities for clients including Nabisco, Gucci, Consolidated Edison, Sachem School District, Columbus Hospital, the Whitney Museum, the New YorkPublic Library, the City of New York Department of Design and Construction and the State of New Jersey.

Ted’s most recent large-scale project was New York’s first life styles center, the Shops at Atlas Park

Ted studied at Pratt Institute and holds a License in Architecture from the State of New York.

Alison Lang
Architectural Designer

Alison has 6 years of professional experience as a designer, focusing on projects of diverse scales ranging from high end residential to commercial interiors.  Her technical knowledge in both interior design and architecture allows for thorough design from project conception to completion.  Her proficiency in AutoCAD, the Adobe Suite, and 3-D software tools allows Essential Design+ Build to visualize a schematic space and complete the construction documents. 

Alison has a bachelor’s degree in Interior Design from the University of Missouri - Columbia and a master's degree in Architecture from Washington University in Saint Louis.  Her current community involvement includes being a Friend of the High Line as well as a volunteer.

Peter Cruz
Accountant

Peter has 9 years of experience working for Atco, and 11 years of overall knowledge of the construction accounting industry.  He handles accounts payable, accounts receivable and collections for the department.  He insures that all subcontractors are properly licensed, insured, and paid on a timely basis.  He oversees the preparation and processing of purchase orders and change orders and helps ensure that all projects remain within budget.   His project management experience allows him to support the construction team in the field and in the office whenever the need arises.

Peter has an AA in Business Administration from BMCC and is a licensed New York real estate agent and notary public.  He supports the Lance Armstrong Foundation.

Esther Torres
Administrative

Esther has 9 years of experience working for Atco and 20 years of overall administrative experience.   She supports our entire office staff and field crew.  Esther handles all administrative duties on all jobs including payroll, correspondence, filing, Submittal Logs, scheduling appointments and more. Esther is the glue that keeps our team together.

Christa Skaboulos
Code Compliance Consultant

Christa Skaboulos, Essential Design + Build's Departments of Building expediter and code compliance consultant, has a vast knowledge of New York's building codes as well as the building permit process. She has 15 years in the construction industry, including her role as a project manager for large contracting firms. Christa served as a project engineer for ATCO prior to landing her current position, and has been with the company for eight years. The opportunity to work on the owner's side of the construction process and oversee Atlas Park's construction management team helped to further develop her ability to navigate through the Department of Building's rules and regulations, the Environmental Control Board court hearings, New York City Fire Code, and all aspects of building permits. Christa is a New York City registered expediter and New York State asbestos inspector.