The design and development team responsible for the on-going creation of Birds of a Feather consists of Bonnie McGowan, founder and developer; David Andersen, architect; Paula Baker-Laporte, architect, author & baubiologist; Robert Laporte, builder; William Prull, builder, John DiJanni, residential & commercial contractor; Oralynn Guerrerortiz - Design Enginuity LLC, land planning and civil engineering; Karl Sommer, attorney; and Donna Davis, artist. We are currently discussing our plans with landscape architects and marketing professionals to complete our team.

This team is deeply committed to creating a new framework for a residential community that reinforces connections of people to people and people to nature and respects the unique nature of this special place.

Bonnie McGowan - Birds of a Feather
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Bonnie McGowan lives in the community (since moving from Minneapolis in July, 2001) and has been working on her dream of creating a non-traditional residential community for active adults for the past fifteen years. She actively researched the concept and searched for the best location and property for the community. Birds of a Feather purchased property in New Mexico in June, 1999 and Bonnie has been working full-time since then on selecting the team members to create the community and obtaining County & State approval for the project. She received approval for Phase I in November, 2002 for eighteen lots. These lots were sold between 2004 and 2006. She then received approval for a new four lot subdivision called "Hawk's Landing" on March 2, 2010. She is currently managing the development process and selling lots. Bonnie is also vice president of the Home Owners Association and member of the Design Review Committee.

Bonnie is a member of the Urban Land Institute and is currently a candidate in their Real Estate Development Certificate Program. She has also completed coursework through the Commercial Real Estate Institute.

Bonnie was a registered representative with the National Association of Securities Dealers (NASD) and the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) from 1982 to 1999. She became a principal in 1992. She started working at Moore, Juran & Co., Inc., an investment banking firm, in 1984 and became a Sr. Vice President and Partner in 1988. The firm was sold in 1994 and Bonnie established McGowan Asset Management, Inc. and became a Registered Investment Advisor.

The Anderson Group Architects, LTD - Davis Anderson
Plymouth, Minnesota

Architect and Interior Designer David Andersen has over 20 years of design experience. He is internationally known for his work in sustainable development and tourism planning. His trademark is his firm's responsible and sensitive approach to blending client's dreams into an experience-based design reflecting the spirit of the place.

David's unique design work has frequently been published. His design for Lapa Rios Resort in Costa Rica received the Tourism for Tomorrow Americas Award. His work in preserving the world's precious water resources was recognized in the Earth Care Award from the Tarlton Institute for Marine Education. He has spoken at conferences around the world on the topic of design in harmony with the natural realm.

At Birds of a Feather Resort Communities, David is helping to create a built environment that provides both shelter and security for its residents, while reflecting the soothing magic of Northern New Mexico's pine forested mountains.

With David's sensitive hand, the design of Birds of a Feather's community will capture the magnificent views and protect the quiet hollows that give the property its multifaceted sense of place. David and his firm are available to provide architecture services for individual homes. His firm also assisted in establishing design covenants for homes to assure the level of quality is maintained for the benefit of all owners who are a part of this exciting new community concept.

Baker-Laporte & Associates, Inc. - Paula Baker-Laporte
Santa Fe, New Mexico

Paula graduated from the University of Toronto School of Architecture in 1978 and moved to Santa Fe, NM in 1981 where she currently lives with her husband Robert Laporte and daughter Sarah. Paula has been designing fine custom homes in Santa Fe since 1986. She is an architect, a certified Bau-biologist, and a co-founder of the Healthy Housing Coalition. Her firm specializes in non-toxic and sustainable design. "We create attractive home and workplaces which are conceived with an ecological mindfulness and endowed with health enhancing qualities. Your ideas, your budget, and your dreams are the palette around which our team creates with you." Paula is the primary author of "Prescriptions for a Healthy House" New Society Publishers, 2001, and contributing author to "A People's Ecology", Clear Light Press, 1999. She lectures, writes extensively and travels throughout the country consulting about healthy building.

Econest Building Company - Robert Laporte
Tesuque, New Mexico

Robert, author of Mooseprints, founder of the Econest Building Company and the Natural House Building Center, is a leading expert in earth, straw and timber frame structures. He has been designing and building natural homes for the past twenty years in Canada and the United States. He has researched natural building extensively in Europe and has been a major influence in the introduction of light staw-clay building to North America. Robert and the Econest Team recently returned to Europe to teach Econest building throughout Scandinavia.

Custom Homes by John DiJanni - A division of J & J Business Concepts, Inc.
Santa Fe, New Mexico

John DiJanni has been chosen by Birds of a Feather as one of our preferred builders for our casitas and single family homes based on his reputation and our previous direct experience in working with him.

John is celebrating 25 years of building and designing new custom homes in Santa Fe. He has built well over 150 homes during that time. John and his brother, Bob first built in Santa Fe in 1977, doing the majority of the work themselves from concrete construction to finish carpentry.

John has built a reputation for time-tested quality construction that is reflected in the fact that his homes are frequently sought after in the resale market. His homes are also energy efficient and solidly built. He has recently built several homes (including his own home) using insulating concrete forms (ICFs)for the exterior wall systems.

John has earned a reputation of "easy to work with" and makes the building and selection process fun. We believe that you will be extremely satisfied with your John DiJanni built home.

Mama Lion Constructors - Donna Davis
Pagosa Springs, Colorado

Donna Davis is a very talented artist who will be working on several projects for Birds of a Feather. Donna created the wonderful illustrations for our marketing brochure that are also used throughout our website.

Donna has enjoyed a lifetime of experience in creative arts. Skilled in oil painting, scrimshaw, wood carving, stipple, sculpting, murals, and carpentry, she demonstrates talent in a plethora of mediums. Each piece that Donna creates is one-of-a-kind. She has exhibited her work in numerous art shows. She is currently creating meaningful and artistic pieces for clients as the owner of Mama Lion Constructors.

Donna's background also includes many years of cooking and pulling mule strings in Idaho's Frank Church Wilderness Area. This allowed Donna to show off her food artistry in the remotest of make-shift kitchens. It also demonstrates her love of nature and animals and her ability to survive and thrive in the wild.

Donna has spent most of her life in rural Idaho where she raised five great kids. An ever increasing "pile" of grandkids now visit grandma at her home in Pagosa Springs.