Meet the Team
The people who design, build, and grow Star Built Homes.
Candy Russell
Chief Executive Officer
Candy Russell is the Chief Executive Officer of Star Built Homes and a proud North Carolina native. With decades of experience in business administration and operations, she leads the Star team with a steady, thoughtful approach rooted in care for both people and process. Candy brings a deep understanding of the customer experience, recognizing that building a home is both a personal and financial milestone. She is known for creating an environment where clients feel heard, supported, and guided with clarity from start to finish. Her leadership blends organization, accountability, and a genuine commitment to making each home feel intentional and well cared for.
At Star Built Homes, Candy helps shape a culture that values craftsmanship, collaboration, and trust—ensuring every project reflects the company’s promise to build not just houses, but homes.
Ryan Johnson
President
Ryan Johnson serves as President of Star Built Homes and brings a lifelong entrepreneurial mindset to the organization. A native of the Pacific Northwest, Ryan’s background in sales and company development has shaped his ability to build businesses that are both people-focused and results-driven. Ryan is passionate about bringing the right tools, systems, and teams together to create a seamless and thoughtful customer experience. He believes that strong company culture and clear communication are the foundation of any successful project, especially when guiding clients through the important process of building a home.
At Star Built Homes, Ryan helps shape strategy, refine the customer journey, and ensure that every interaction reflects care, clarity, and trust.
Aaron Russell
Director of Operations
Aaron Russell serves as Director of Operations at Star Built Homes and brings years of experience scaling large production facilities and managing day-to-day operations. His leadership focuses on creating safe, efficient, and productive work environments where teams can do their best work. Aaron has a unique ability to lead people while developing clear procedures that support both quality and consistency. He understands that strong operations behind the scenes are essential to delivering a positive and reliable experience for customers.
At Star Built Homes, Aaron helps ensure smooth daily production workflows and dependable standards, providing a solid operational foundation for both the team and the homes they build.
Josh Bragg
Director of Construction
Josh Bragg serves as Director of Construction at Star Built Homes and brings extensive hands-on experience across every phase of residential construction. He began his career in North Carolina as a carpenter, spending more than seven years building custom homes and gaining firsthand knowledge of jobsite execution, quality control, and craftsmanship. Josh’s background also includes real estate and investment work across residential and commercial markets, where he has represented buyers, sellers, investors, and banks. He has closed more than $75 million in transactions and brings strong expertise in construction and rehab budgeting, acquisitions and dispositions, property analysis, and investment strategy. He earned degrees in Economics and Business Administration, further strengthening his ability to lead complex construction projects with a business-minded approach. His leadership style is shaped by service in the U.S. Air Force, where he developed a disciplined, team-focused approach to leadership.
Star Built Homes is excited to add Josh’s construction expertise and leadership to the team, ensuring projects are built with precision, efficiency, and long-term value from the ground up.
Larry Sechrest
Plant Manager
Larry Sechrest serves as Plant Manager at Star Built Homes and brings more than 40 years of hands-on experience in furniture manufacturing and woodworking. He began his career in 1985 working for a local frame manufacturer, where he built and assembled furniture frames and steadily developed a deep understanding of production, materials, and craftsmanship. Over time, Larry advanced into a maintenance supervisor role and was later encouraged to begin cutting and building frames himself. That opportunity led him to start a small woodworking shop out of his garage, turning a skilled trade into a growing family operation. Throughout the years, Larry and several members of his family have owned and operated furniture and woodworking mills, giving him lifelong experience in mill operations and day-to-day production management.
At Star Built Homes, Larry’s knowledge and steady leadership help ensure smooth daily plant operations, consistent quality, and reliable workflow. The Star team is grateful to have Larry’s decades of experience guiding production and craftsmanship.