Blaise McDonald, RRP
Owner/President
Quality is intentional, not accidental
Blaise grew up with MAC Renovations as a consistent part of his life: as his family’s home-based business in MAC’s early days, then working out of the Home Care Centre on Viewfield on weekends and summer holidays. Blaise’s current role is Operations Manager, and he continues to drive the business by delivering incomparable quality and value to homeowners throughout Greater Victoria.
A Red Seal-certified electrician with a Master's Certificate in project management and a bachelor in Construction Management, as well as a Licenced Builder with the Home Owners Protection Office, Blaise has the experience and education needed to help you enjoy the home of your dreams, with a fantastic personality that makes the renovation fun.
Ed McDonald
Owner/Project Manager/Problem Solver
Exceptional people build an extraordinary company
Big MAC laid the foundation for the company back in 1980 as a general contractor, creating relationships and earning a reputation for perfection, one customer at a time. It didn’t take long for MAC Renovations to grow beyond general repairs and contracting, becoming Greater Victoria’s trusted team for interior and exterior renovations. A large portion of our annual business is repeat projects due to our team’s commitment to becoming your “Contractor for life.”
Today Ed plays a vital role in the operations, ensuring each homeowner is excited about the project and informed about the process.
“Nothing gives me more joy than to hand over the keys on a project we’ve finished, then watching the homeowners experience their new space for the first time.”
Shawn Jacobson, BA
Production Manager
Dream big, work hard, stay focused, and surround yourself with good people
You’ll typically find Shawn reviewing plans with our project managers to ensure a seamless renovation, or on the jobsite, guiding the carpentry crew while monitoring quality control and safety. After hours, Shawn can be found on the water or exploring the backcountry, keeping fit and finding inspiration in the natural beauty of Vancouver Island.
Shawn earned his Red Seal Journeyman certificate in 2007 and joined MAC Renovations in 2014. Whether he’s taking down walls to open a living space or coordinating his teams to improve the functionality and aesthetics of a home, Shawn’s pride in a job well done is obvious and contagious.
Terri W. Dip. BT
Interior Designer/Project Manager
Details Make the Design
Terri is a collaborative designer – working with you to include your wants and wishes while finding creative ways to express your ideas and personality. Striking the right balance between aesthetics, functionality, and costs, she creates interior designs we are proud of and that our customers love to share.
Originally a dental assistant, Terri is one of those unique people who followed their bliss, earning a Fine Arts education and a Diploma in Building Technology. Today, Terri focuses on discovering the meaningful details that show off your personality, creating a space for you and your family to enjoy for years and years.
Derek Breen
Project Manager/Design Leader
Actions speak louder than words
Derek enjoys meeting new clients and helping them make meaningful, tangible changes to their living spaces. He also likes less glamorous things, like rot repair, exterior envelopes, and structural work, and he approaches these tasks with attention to detail and a sense of humour. He has extensive experience overcoming city permit hurdles and satisfying Board of Variance requirements.
With a degree in architecture and 13 years of project management experience, Derek can handle a wide range of jobs, from small repairs to new home construction. He loves Victoria and is proud to live in beautiful BC.
Margaret Cormode, BA, PMP
Project Manager
Do it once. Do it right. Do it well.
When you first meet Mags, you’ll get a good understanding of the pride and commitment she brings to each project. She is extraordinarily skilled at using smart design to transform your living space, and she’s an expert at finding the details that showcase your commitment to quality.
A Project Management Professional since 2014, Mags brings over 13 years of project management success to the MAC Renovations team. Her passion, organizational skills, and personal motivation bring value to every project, and her commitment to schedules and results creates a positive experience for everyone – homeowners, suppliers, subcontractors, and the MAC team.
Srdjo Djurkovic
Project Manager/Dreamweaver
Accountability is everyone's business
Aside from a short stint in Vancouver, Sergio has been an island-original his whole life. His commitment to quality and ability to deliver exceptional results can be seen on every project, and he is a big reason why so many people in Victoria feel that MAC Renovations is a contractor you can trust.
With experience that includes public relations, mechanical engineering, and project management, Sergio uses consistent and clear communications, tempered by an uncanny ability to balance relationships and expectations, to deliver impressive projects that create smiles from Sooke to Sidney, and everywhere in between.
Alexis Solomon, BA, Dip. ID
Interior Design Professional
Making your Pinterest board a reality
Experience, education, and exceptional style inspire the creative vision that Alexis brings to each project. Proud mama of two young boys, Alexis is a genius at being an effective intermediary between sometimes-opposing bodies, facilitating brilliant results that make our clients smile every time they come home.
Alexis’ Diploma in Interior Architectural Design from Pacific Design Academy and BA in Theatre (set/costume design) drive her academic understanding of intelligent composition, and ten years’ experience in the Interior Design industry provide the practical knowledge necessary to turn good ideas into incredible executions. You’ll love Alexis’ energy, enthusiasm, and efficiency throughout your renovation.
Jason Marsh
Electrician/Construction Professional
Time has a way of showing the value of quality
The lines of communication between the design team and the tradespeople have to be open and effective to realize the vision you have for your home. Jason works in tandem with the design team, analyzing the plans and working with his crew to address and overcome the unique challenges that sometimes happen when you start opening walls.
A Red Seal-certified electrician with twenty years of construction experience with residential renovations and remodels, Jason has developed the wisdom, insight, and perspective needed to turn concept sketches into 3D reality, ensuring each MAC Renovation project goes smoothly so you can enjoy your space today and tomorrow.
Azucena Saavedra Dip. ID
Interior Designer/ Project Manager
Functionality and creativity should live in harmony
The best designs happen through smart collaboration between the designer and the homeowner. Azu’s projects start with a conversation to uncover your unique needs, wants, and priorities, and she uses this feedback as a foundation for creative concepts that bring style, flow, and function into your home.
A Diploma in Interior Architectural Design from Pacific Design Academy created Azu’s fundamental knowledge of design, and years of experience with a local design team gave her the ideal balance of functionality, originality, and aesthetics that she uses in the designs for our MAC Renovations clients in Victoria.
Latest from our blog
Kinds words from great people
When choosing a renovation contractor, you want someone you can trust to do a good job, to deliver quality workmanship and have good communication. They need to see the job through from start to finish without interruption. You want them to employ skilled trades-people on the jobsite, professional folks that will do the work properly and not cut corners. And you need to be able to interact well with them. This describes MAC Renos. In addition, of particular note is the extensive pool of trades-people that routinely work with MAC and are called upon to assist with a variety of functions in their construction and reno projects. This is a huge plus in an industry where being able to get good trades-people gives you a definite edge over other contractors.
Once MAC started our job they were committed and saw it through to completion without gaps in the work schedule. An added bonus was being able to access their online schedule to monitor progress on the jobsite, to know when the various trades were required and what was next on the roster. As a homeowner this was helpful for tracking the work as it evolves – particularly handy if you’re out of town or physically unable to be on the jobsite you can still monitor how things are going and where the work is currently.
Testimonial: We have been in our “renewed” house for about 18 months now and we’re super pleased with the end result. We’ve got a home we can be proud of, and we’re happy to invite friends to come visit. It’s bright, comfortable, and has a workable layout with good flow. It’s energy-efficient and has modern appliances and conveniences. And above all, we created a design-plan for aging in place so we “shouldn’t have to move again”!
Note: Since moving home, the feedback we have been receiving has been both rewarding and uplifting. We started getting compliments on the house right after moving back in, and now we’re getting compliments on the garden too from folks walking by (and driving too!).
SUMMARY: If you want a dependable, professional contractor that you can count on and work with, we highly recommend you contact Srdjo at MAC Renos for your project. All the MAC staff and trades-people hired by MAC took pride in their work. When you hire MAC for a job, you don’t hire just a contractor, you hire the entire TEAM . . . and their team is first-rate!
Submitted with much appreciation and gratitude for a job well done,
Brian & Nancy
