Colombo Construction

Tom Reid has been with Colombo Construction for 40 years and currently serves as Chief Executive Officer. He oversees and manages the overall operations and business activities to ensure they produce the desired results consistent with Colombo’s overall strategies and mission. Tom’s leadership and ability to advance employee engagement has proved instrumental in developing a high performing managerial team to ensure alignment with the Company’s short and long-term objectives. Tom has overseen virtually every aspect of the business serving in past years as President, Vice President of Operations, Project Manager and Field Superintendent.

Tom received a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of San Francisco, a Juris Doctorate degree from California Pacific School of Law and is a LEED accredited professional. He is a member of the California Bar Association. Tom’s construction law knowledge and understanding of the legal rights and responsibilities of all parties under contract, has proved beneficial to many of our clients in their efforts to sort through the increasing number of laws and regulations governing publically funded projects.

Tom and wife Jean enjoy traveling and spending quality time in Wisconsin with their two sons and two granddaughters. The Reid Family are all HUGE Green Bay Packer fans. 

As Colombo Construction’s President and Chief Executive Officer, Ryan represents the third generation of family leadership. He is committed to aligning the Company’s strategies, goals and core values in collaboration with the Board of Directors.

Ryan started his career with Colombo in 2005 as a Project Engineer and quickly promoted to Estimator. Throughout the years his positive contributions to the Colombo Team advanced him into a variety of management positions including Project Manager, Chief Estimator, and Executive Vice President of Estimating gaining further expertise in project coordination, contract and budget development. Today, Ryan is responsible for budget development on all Colombo projects including schools, universities, city and public works, hospitals, health care, agricultural, commercial and industrial entities.

Ryan holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Finance from San Diego State University. Outside of work, Ryan enjoys the outdoors, golf, spending quality time with wife Tina, their two children and a large extended family.

As Vice President of Operations, Joe Ballard oversees Colombo Construction’s day-to-day operations of projects under construction and the implementation of plans for the operational infrastructure of systems, policies, processes and staff. Joe has been with Colombo Construction for over 45 years and possesses over 51 years of construction industry experience. The majority of Joe’s experience has been in the new construction and modernization of K-12 school projects under the jurisdiction of DSA and in the building and modernization of health care facilities. Joe has worked on hospital facility projects under the jurisdiction of HCIA.

Notable projects include management of the new Comprehensive Independence High School and Comprehensive Frontier High School for the Kern High School District, the Institute of Theoretical Physics at the University of California, Santa Barbara designed by the world renowned Architect, Michael Graves, and the Dairy Product Technology Center for Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Relevant health care projects include Northern Inyo Health Care Hospital, Dignity Health Hybrid Cath Lab No 3-CVOR at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital, Adventist Health Bakersfield Re-Roof Main Lobby, Second Story EP Lab and First Floor CT Scan Removal at Bakersfield Memorial Hospital. The largest healthcare project which Joe managed was Tehachapi Valley Healthcare District’s Replacement Critical Access Hospital.

Joe is an avid outdoorsmen often out in an almond orchard or on the bank of a river hunting or fishing. He enjoys spending time with wife Nancy, his three children, four grandchildren and his four-legged friend, Sargent. 

Joe Colombo, Vice President of Special Projects, is the son of Founder Joe Colombo.  At the age of two, he would enjoy wearing a hard-hat and visiting the different job sites. 

Joe received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of San Francisco in 1972.  Upon graduation from college, he spent two years working for New York Life Insurance Company.  He then returned to his hometown of Bakersfield and began full time work with Colombo Construction Company.  He started as a yard supervisor and then worked as an apprentice carpenter.  Joe later moved into a pre-engineered metal building systems salesman position and has since performed as an Estimator and Project Manager.  For 34 years Joe worked as Principal-in-Charge and Vice President of Sales and Business Development.  Having been with the company for approximately 45 years, Joe now oversees special projects.

Joe enjoys spending his leisure time on the golf course and traveling.  He delights in spending time with his two children.  America’s Pastime is an all time favorite for him.  He wouldn’t hesitate to tell you that nothing beats sitting in his favorite ballpark overlooking the San Francisco Bay, watching his favorite team on a warm summer day.     

As the Vice President of Project Development, Louis Varga leads Colombo’s plan development/plan design efforts, supports a sales culture for continued growth through maintaining/establishing relationships with our clients, stakeholders and community partners in the markets in which we serve. He is directly responsible for the oversight of all necessary governmental approvals and state agency relations including all four regional offices of the Division of the State Architect, CDE, OPSC, DTSC and the California Geological Survey.

Louis possesses over 34 years of school construction experience having worked for San Luis Coastal Unified School District and the Bakersfield City School District as the Director of Maintenance, Operations and Facilities. In 2011, Louis assisted in the start-up of JTS Modular, Inc. designing and developing innovative high performance modular school buildings which enhance educational environments and meet program needs of Districts throughout the State of California.

Louis attended California State Polytechnical University in San Luis Obispo, CA. He and wife Lisa have one son and enjoy working their 10-acre ranch in Walker Basin. Louis spends his free time homebrewing really good beer! He has won several awards including Tehachapi’s Cheers for Charity Homebrew Competition People’s Choice Award in 2018 for his Oktoberfest, in 2019 for his Negro Modelo, and in 2022 for his Irish Red Ale, also winning Best Award at the Kern County Fair in 2022. 

As the Director of Project Development, Jonny is responsible for Design-Build Services in Public and Private Education Facilities, Medical Facilities and Clinics, Ag Industrial and the Department of Defense. He oversees the design of projects, manages architecture firms, and ensures the design fits in with the client’s requirements. He originally joined the team as a Project Manager and now is part of the Executive Team.

Jonny received a Bachelor’s Degree in Architecture with a minor in Construction Management from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo in 2007. He is a licensed Architect with over 22 years of experience in construction and design. His architectural background and eye for design bring a unique quality to the company.

More than anything, Jonny loves to spend quality time with his wife, Melissa, and their two boys. The family of four enjoys spending time with family, friends, and traveling. Jonny enjoys being active outdoors and can be found on the links golfing, on the slopes snowboarding, and occasionally, running or riding his bike. Jonny is also a lifelong Rams fam and can be found at SoFi Stadium watching games.

Leonard Zasoski, Jr. has been with Colombo Construction for more than 40 years and is currently the Vice President of Construction Operations and the Director of Safety. 

Leonard exhibits a strong ability to develop, motivate and guide a team with a goal of maintaining an incident free workplace / jobsite.   Leonard oversees all Colombo field operations, ensuring projects are completed on time and within budget.  He confirms that projects are constructed with integrity and professionalism by managing all aspects of construction from project creation to acceptance. Leonard provides direct supervision, training and hiring of Project Managers, Project Superintendents and Project Engineers.  His dedication to cultivating rising talent has helped the company build a strong and stable work force. 

As Colombo’s Director of Safety, Leonard successfully maintains and instills Colombo’s culture of safety first.  He demands the highest level of safety standards, training and methods which are used to prevent accidents and injuries both in-house and on-site. 

Leonard exemplifies the definition of “humanitarian”.  As an eight-and-a-half-year prostate cancer survivor, Leonard volunteers a great deal of his time as an advocate to educate men and their families on the facts, risks, and importance of early detection of prostate cancer.  In 2018, he was instrumental in organizing Bakersfield’s first successful ZERO to End Prostate Cancer Run/Walk fundraiser to benefit prostate cancer research.  Leonard has served on the USC Cancer Survivorship Advisory Council and he was named the American Cancer Society’s 2015 Hero of Hope.   

Leonard and his wife BG have two sons and a lovely daughter-in-law.  They all enjoy traveling and spending quality time together.

Nick Stygar is Colombo Construction Company’s new Controller

A native of Italy, Joe Colombo Senior and his brothers, Natale and Fortunato came to the United States where they found work on the farms around Shafter, California.  Although the others moved to the Bay Area, Joe Sr. made his home in Bakersfield.  He worked for a prominent contractor, Guy Hall, before eventually opening his own contracting company in 1948.  What began as Tobisch & Colombo General Contractors, Joe Colombo Sr. and John Tobisch constructed houses, remodels and small commercial projects, mainly small schools and banks throughout Bakersfield.  After the earthquake in 1952, the firm assisted in rebuilding many of the damaged building in Bakersfield.

In 1954, the company simply became Colombo Construction.  That same year, Joe Sr. hired John Lencioni in a temporary capacity.  What intended to be temporary work lasted over 50 years.  Toward the end of the 1950’s, Colombo and Lencioni began winning bids on school projects. Colombo Construction progressed in size of projects, number of projects under construction at one time, and difficulty of the project of its present size. 

Upon learning of his ill health in 1960 the company was incorporated and John Lencioni, the head superintendent for Colombo Construction Company, became president of the corporation.

A native of Italy, John Lencioni immigrated to the United States in 1946.  In 1954, John went to work for Joe Colombo, Senior.  John worked in all phases of the firm’s operations.  In the short period of two years, he began as a carpenter then climbed the ladder to foreman, superintendent and estimator.  In each role, he carried on the business philosophy that had been established by Joe Colombo.

In 1960, upon the death of Colombo, John became president. For many years, within the industry, John maintained the company’s goals of honest and fair dealings.  His dedication and perseverance in providing the best job possible is an attitude that customers still find prevalent with Colombo Construction.  Employees, to this day, are motivated in part by the creed “Don’t try to sell it if you wouldn’t buy it.” 

One of John’s great accomplishments was establishing Colombo Construction Company Inc. as one of the best commercial and industrial construction firms in the Southern San Joaquin Valley.  He achieved many additional accolades during his career.  He was named Contractor of the Year in 1989 and Business Man of the Year by the Republican Committee in 2005.  He received the Balanced Power Award and Try Kern County First, Greater Bakersfield Chamber of Commerce in 1971.  John was a member of the Kern County Builders Exchange, Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, Carpenters Local #743 and Associated General Contractors.  He was active in the Italian Catholic Federation, Italian Heritage, Sierra Club, Elks Lodge, CORE Program, and Kern County Fair.  In 2007 John received the Benemerenti Medal from Pope Benedict XVI, the highest honor one can receive for his services to the Catholic Church.

John Lencioni passed away on October 19, 2009.

Colombo Construction has built their reputation, in part, as a family business. 

Many of John’s family members continue to carry on the high quality of work demonstrated by John.  Leadership was passed on to John’s son-in-law, Ken Altergott; and currently his grandson. Ryan Altergott, is serving as president.  All employees are considered to be part of the “Colombo family”.