Our Team: Behind the Build

Shawn Bakker

Meet Shawn, Owner and Founder of Bakker Construction, where high-end renovation and the Design-Build process are not just about craftsmanship but about bringing each client's unique vision to life. His dedication to excellence has become synonymous with the elegance and bespoke quality of the homes on the Monterey Peninsula.

Shawn was born and raised in Golden, Colorado, and as a 4th generation builder, grew up watching and learning on family jobsites. He earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication and Psychology from Regis University in Denver, where he met his wife Amanda. Shawn co-founded ReVolve Construction in Colorado in the early 2000s and relocated with Amanda to the Monterey Peninsula in 2007.

Shawn founded Bakker Construction in 2008, and with relentless dedication, grew his vision from a small home-run business to the large award-winning firm it is today.  In 2023, they are celebrating 15 years of serving the Monterey Peninsula community with their client-centered, quality-driven, community-invested approach to the Design Build industry.

Amanda Bakker

Meet Amanda, co-owner of Bakker Construction and wife to Shawn Bakker. Amanda met Shawn while at Regis University in Denver, where she earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in Psychology and Spanish. Shawn and Amanda were married in San Juan Bautista, CA in 2000, but started their life in Colorado.

In 2007, the Bakkers felt the call to relocate to Monterey County, where Amanda was born and raised, to grow their family and business. Amanda's lineage in Monterey County gives her deep roots as a 4th generation native and descendant of William E.P. Hartnell. 

Amanda embodies the spirit of community and family, a foundation upon which they've built their business. She brings to Bakker Construction her 19 years of experience in executive leadership in the nonprofit world, and 15 years of staging and coordinating photo shoots to put a beautiful book end on our remarkable projects. Together with Shawn and their three children, Olivia, Wyatt and Tatum, and Yorkie, Scout, the Bakkers love the San Francisco Giants and Golden State Warriors, exploring the great outdoors and road tripping across the country.

Chanelle Simpson

Meet Chanelle Simpson, co-owner of Bakker Construction. Chanelle is a Monterey County native who has always had a passion for style and design. She first joined the Bakker Construction team as a part-time Office Assistant in 2017, where she fell in love with design and honed her skill and fueled her desire to be more involved in the process and execution of quality projects. Chanelle soon moved into the role of Design and Development Coordinator in 2019, where her creative influence and eye for detail can be seen throughout the Builds page on the Bakker Construction website and in the homes of trusted clients.

In 2022, Chanelle was promoted to General Manager, and entrusted to not only oversee the Design and Development Process at Bakker but to ensure that her design visions were brought to life through the lens of Production.  After years of seeing her own design visions—and those of the Architects and Designers who collaborate with Bakker—come to life, Chanelle’s leadership within the team became evident and the Bakkers invited her to join them in ownership of Bakker Construction in 2023.

Chanelle takes pride in hearing and understanding her clients, building relationships and trust, and partnering with them to turn their houses into homes they love to live in. She is most motivated by seeing how happy a client is at the end of a project as they move into their home and invite our team back to enjoy the space with them. She and her husband Kaleb live in Monterey County with their Pit Bull, Bella, and cat, Harvey. In her free time, Chanelle loves working out in her home gym, hosting dinner parties for friends, and riding motorcycles with her husband.

Our Team

  • Production Manager

    When it comes time to bring our clients’ design visions to life, they can count on our Production Manager, Tyler, to lead the way—coordinating and directing our carpenters and subcontractors in the field. Tyler has only been with the Bakker team for the last year, but brings 18 solid years of both residential and commercial construction industry experience to the table. He shares that his favorite things about his job are finding solutions to problems and crossing things off his to-do list. That’s how we get things done around here!

    Tyler is a transplant to Monterey County from Battle Ground, WA, and holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Policy and Administration. Aside from keeping our jobs running smoothly and efficiently, Tyler also enjoys working on his own home and cars and frequents Lowe’s on the weekends. His next personal goal is to finish the interior of his own home remodel. He loves hanging out with his lovely wife and their dog, Tucker, and even admits to also having 3 cats!

  • Design & Development Assistant

    The Bakker team is so thankful for the creativity and talent of our Design and Development Assistant, Brianna, who describes herself as ambitious, optimistic, and approachable—and we agree! Brianna has grown so much in the last year at Bakker, finding her true calling in the world of Project Design. She has a passion for guiding our clients through the adventure of designing their dream space and producing new and creative ideas. Brianna’s talent and infectious personality are truly gifts to our team and our clients alike.

    Brianna grew up in Los Banos, CA and recently attended California State University at Monterey Bay, where she studied Psychology. Although her early childhood ambitions of becoming a vet didn’t become a reality, she still loves animals, is a big supporter of the SPCA for Monterey County, and she and her boyfriend are hoping to own a beagle soon!

  • Architectural and Interior Designer

    Najat is a gifted and talented addition to the team here at Bakker Construction, bringing years of experience as an Architectural and Interior Designer to the table. Najat hails from across the pond, where she grew up in London, UK and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Architecture. She has a keen eye for design and what she most enjoys is getting do something she loves every day, that also helps others by transforming spaces and changing lives. Najat describes herself as creative, determined and spo ntaneous, and we know she has incredible vision that will serve our Design - Build Clients well here on the Central Coast!

    Najat loves her family deeply, and says she most admires her mother, whose belief in her always gave her the courage and inspiration to pursue her dreams. In her free time, she loves spending time with her kids, traveling, long walks, working out and spa days — and she would love to learn how to play tennis. (Especially since when she was a child, she wanted to be a tennis player when she grew up!)

  • Project Designer

    We are thrilled to welcome Arin as a new member of our Bakker Team! Arin was born in sunny San Diego and continued her education in the UC Berkeley Interior Architecture and Interior Design program. She is an awesome addition to our in - house Design - Build t eam here at Bakker Construction as a Project Designer. She says when she was a girl, she used to draw floor plans of a horse ranch that she dreamed of building and living in someday — and now here she is designing beautiful, creative spaces for our clients. Arin says she love that her “job is creative, and allows people to envision and build their space in a way that gives them joy and happiness. I love collaborating with talented tradesmen as well. I find all the individual processes to be so interesting, va luable and important.”

    On her own time, Arin loves to enjoy an active lifestyle with her husband and two daughters, and their 10 - year old German Shepherd, Lola. She also would love to learn how to use circular and table saws so she can build the furniture and design elements that she envisions. We love that!

  • Superintendent

    John brings a wealth of knowledge and nearly 20 years of industry experience to our team, in the role of Superintendent. He is a Salinas Valley native and Salinas High alum, and is truly motivated by the production process, saying, “Seeing things come toge ther in an efficient way is quite a thing to be a part of. It’s incredible to hear from happy families when they see their ideas come to life.” He says he enjoys the team aspect here at Bakker and finds it very cool to have the support of people he works w ith. On top of being a team leader here at Bakker, John is a budding writer and has goals of writing more short stories and starting to learn Spanish this year. John and his wife Cecie love to travel, whether up and down the California Coast or around the country. Their loves are their Huskie - mix “Blue” and their Chihuahua “Dessen” and they also share a passion for animal rescue and fostering and support many local animal shelters and rescues with their time and resources.

  • Carpenter

    Daniel is a key member of our Field Team here at Bakker Construction. He says he loves his job as a Carpenter because he genuinely enjoys building, and is motivated to give attention to detail and get measurements precise. He loves when he’s so invested in a project that the day flies by. This drive and determination make him a great teammate and fit for our Bakker crew .

    Daniel grew up in Toole, UT, where he attended Utah State University and lived for the last 8 years with his wi fe, until they relocated to Monterey, CA a few months ago with their cat, Sharpay. Daniel has many unique hobbies, including birdwatching, caring for bonsai trees, and making pottery. He has a love for wildlife, and in Utah, he was a dedicated volunteer wi th the Beaver Ecology and Relocation Center through USU. He has a huge passion to help this keystone species survive and thrive. In the next year, he looks forward to building friendships and community in their new home here on the Central Coast. Daniel, w e are so glad you are a part of our team.

  • Carpenter

  • Intern

    We like to keep things feeling like family around here, and that is especially true with Olivia joining the team this summer as an intern. She grew up watching her parents, Shawn and Amanda, build Bakker Construction from the ground up, and is now double m ajoring in Business and Spanish while in the Torrey Honors program at Biola University in La Mirada, CA. Olivia has a bright future ahead of her in whatever path she chooses, and is looking forward to shadowing and learning from many team members, from Des ign to Sales to Marketing to Accounting. She’s especially excited about learning how to use design software, acquiring new skills, and getting to spend time with the fun and amazing people on our team.

    Olivia also hopes to enjoy her summer break by addin g in lots of time outside, whether going to the beach, spending time with family and friends , taking some road trips and loving on the family dog, a Yorkie named Scout. She is an avid reader, even when not in school, and looks forward to reading for fun th is summer. As a Spanish major, has set a goal of reading at least two books in Spanish as well!

  • CTO (Certified Treat Oficionado)

    Mr. Scout is hands - down the favorite member of our Bakker Team. This handsome and spunky 10 - lb Yorkshire Terrier is a regular greeter at our office and is always willing to give design input.

    He’s also a fan of sporting our Bakker - gear around town and helping our Marketing team with promotion. His work has earned him lots of recognition, and he showcases great class by accepting awards in the form of treats instead of trophies.