Our Team
Schacht V. McCollum
President, Founder
President and Founder Schacht McCollum is a native Houstonian who has lived in Houston for over 40 years. A summa cum laude graduate of St. Edward's University in Austin, Texas, Schacht also holds a Juris Doctorate degree from South Texas College of Law and is a licensed attorney by the State Bar of Texas.
After practicing law for five years, Schacht decided to follow his real passion - building custom homes of enduring beauty and quality. In August 2000, Schacht started his home building career with a local partnership, focused on custom homes in Houston's premier residential areas. His attention to detail and his ability to bring clients’ dreams to life have enabled him to deliver a quality homes to discriminating clients.
In July 2004, Schacht decided to form McCollum Custom Homes. Contact us today to get started on your dream and the McCollum team will be with you every step of the way.
Shawn Guarniere
Director of Operations
As Director of Operations, Shawn ensures organizational effectiveness by coordinating smooth interactions between all McCollum departments, including building superintendents, sub-contractors, and office administrators. She manages relationships with bankers, realtors, and city agencies, and she is the primary interface with our clients. Shawn’s management style ensures timely responses and accurate communications.
Shawn knows that careful listening to McCollum clients and good teamwork result in the best possible client experience. The homeowner’s dream home is created by the combination of Schacht McCollum’s vision, management and building expertise, the superintendents’ knowledge and building experience, and Shawn’s organization and communication skills.
Shawn is a graduate of the University of Houston and grew up in the Memorial area. When she is not working, Shawn enjoys spending time with her dogs and her children: William and Brooke, Max and CiCi, and Grace. She also could not be prouder to have become a grandmother “Dot” to James Austin Guarniere.
Neal Ryden
Construction Supervisor
Neal brings over forty years of custom home building experience to McCollum. Neal started in 1978 as project manager in Austin, Texas, where he learned project management of all phases of construction. After relocating to Houston in 1990, he managed construction of numerous $1M+ custom homes in exclusive neighborhoods like Tanglewood, West University, Bellaire and River Oaks before joining our team.
Neal personifies the personal touch that McCollum provides our clients. He enjoys helping them develop their ideas and realize their dreams. His demeanor remains ever calm--even in the fast-paced building environment, partially due to his great time management skills. Neal's great people management skills, especially with our sub-contractors, contribute to the success of our home projects.
When not with clients, Neal enjoys spending time with Darla, his wife of over 30 years, and his two grown sons. He is also most proud of his granddaughter and grandson. His favorite pastime is fishing!
Kim Deitz
Accounts Payable / Receivable
Kim has over 30 years of accounting and tax experience while working for many CPA firms. She has worked with a diverse group of clients such as commercial development, residential real estate, a custom furniture builder, wholesale florists, a private yacht club, and a food delivery company, just to name a few.
She is a native Texan and grew up in the Spring Branch/Memorial area. When not working she loves watching sports, spending time with her son Clay, her two dogs, friends, and family.