our team
building relationships
To us, homebuilding is not just about blueprints and plywood. Our passion comes from knowing that we’ve carefully managed, protected and added value to you…
TRIPP MCDUFFIE
COO
Tripp McDuffie serves as Chief Operating Officer and Vice President of Construction for Blue Heel, leading operations and construction across Blue Heel Development and Blue Heel Construction. He brings more than 27 years of experience in residential and commercial construction, land acquisition, and development operations, with a focus on operational efficiency, team development, and long-term growth.
Since joining Blue Heel, Tripp has helped build and expand the company’s construction and operational capabilities, establishing teams, processes, and trade relationships that support continued growth. His portfolio includes production communities, custom homes, townhomes, and commercial developments, with experience spanning land acquisition and entitlement through construction and final delivery.
A three-time Parade of Homes award recipient, Tripp is recognized for building strong teams, developing systems that support growth, and cultivating lasting relationships with subcontractors, suppliers, and industry professionals.
Tripp is a graduate of Appalachian State University and a licensed North Carolina General Contractor. He lives in Raleigh with his wife, two sons, and two dogs.
NIKOLE MELAMED
Purchasing Manager
Nikole joins the Blue Heel team as the Purchasing Manager for our Raleigh and Charlotte offices. She brings with her over two decades of home-building experience, including bidding and contracting trades, job cost analysis, construction administration, architectural design, and plan management.
Nikole graduated from the Savannah College of Art and Design as a major in Historic Preservation and has an Architectural Technology degree from Wake Technical Community College. She has two grown daughters and currently lives in Durham, NC with her husband and two dogs.
TRAVIS COOKE
Construction Manager
Travis Cooke is a Construction manager based in our Charlotte office. Originally from Asheville, NC, Travis is a licensed general contractor with 18 years of building and construction management experience in townhomes, single-family and custom homes.
He moved to Lake Norman in 2014 and currently resides in Davidson with his wife. He has one daughter and two grandchildren.
MATT VEDOCK
Construction Manager
Matt joined the Blue Heel Construction team 3 years ago. As a construction manager, he brings over 25 years of experience in residential and commercial construction. He has worked for several large builders as well as owning his own successful remodeling company in the Raleigh area.
Matt is a licensed general contractor and home inspector in North Carolina. Matt graduated from the State University of New York at Buffalo with a degree in Urban Planning and Architectural Design. He lives in Cary with his wife and their two dogs.
Rainy Kolar
Construction Project Manager
Rainy Kolar joined Blue Heel in 2021, bringing more than 20 years of experience in business operations, financial administration, customer service, and sales and marketing. As Business Operations Manager, she works closely with company leadership to keep teams aligned and translate strategic priorities into day-to-day results. She oversees operational processes and coordinates support across development, construction, finance, and sales, drawing on her background in streamlining workflows and managing special projects.
Rainy is a North Carolina real estate broker and has a bachelor’s degree from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She lives in Pittsboro and has two grown children.