Our Professional Consultants

Chris Thurmond
Chief Executive Officer / President

Entering into a career in executive search after graduating from college in 1996, Chris learned very quickly just how critical the role of an executive recruiter is to the success of most large companies today.Starting his career with one of the largest specialty recruiting companies in the country gave Chris the foundation and professional pride that would help to lead him and his future companies to the upper echelon of the specialty search arena.

Four years later, Chris founded Thurmond & Associates, a search firm specializing in the domestic, commercial construction market.In 2005, Chris co-founded Top Tier Services, LLC, with the help of one of his former co-workers from Kimmel & Associates.Top Tier Services expanded very quickly and grew to encompass two specializations with the addition of the financial services division.

In 2009, Thurmond & Company, Inc was born after the partnership dissolved. With sixteen years in the executive search industry, Chris stands above the crowd with the experience, knowledge, and pedigree that very few search professionals possess.

Financial Division

Chris Thurmond
Chief Executive Officer / President

Entering into a career in executive search after graduating from college in 1996, Chris learned very quickly just how critical the role of an executive recruiter is to the success of most large companies today. Starting his career with one of the largest specialty recruiting companies in the country gave Chris the foundation and professional pride that would help to lead him and his future companies to the upper echelon of the specialty search arena.

Four years later, Chris founded Thurmond & Associates, a search firm specializing in the domestic, commercial construction market.In 2005, Chris co-founded Top Tier Services, LLC, with the help of one of his former co-workers from Kimmel & Associates.Top Tier Services expanded very quickly and grew to encompass two specializations with the addition of the financial services division.

In 2009, Thurmond & Company, Inc was born after the partnership dissolved. With sixteen years in the executive search industry, Chris stands above the crowd with the experience, knowledge, and pedigree that very few search professionals possess.

Construction Division

David Fite
Executive Vice President, Eastern Region Manager & Partner

Dave’s primary responsibility is to direct and manage all aspects of the Construction Division at Thurmond & Company, Inc. His main priority is to ensure that only the top talent in the construction industry is presented to our nationwide list of existing clients as well as future clients. He brings with him over 25 years of experience in Marketing, Sales and Client Services. He has spent the last 13 years in the Construction Executive Search industry, where he began his career at Top Tier Services with Chris Thurmond in 2005.

Kyle Hovermale
Executive Vice President & Partner

Kyle joined Thurmond & Company, Inc after working as an Environmental Consultant for six years in the Asheville area. Kyle’s experience managing multi-million dollar stream restoration projects gave him a unique and in-depth knowledge of the construction industry’s multifaceted nature. As a consultant, Kyle gained invaluable experience as a mediator between client and contractor, a skill set necessary in being a successful recruiter. Kyle graduated for the University of Montana – Missoula with a Bachelor of Science degree in Resource Conservation.

Anthony Catania
Executive Vice President & Partner

Anthony owned and operated two retail music stores including two music schools and recording studio for 15 years. He also owned and operated a fine dining restaurant for seven years. While looking for a new career challenge that would incorporate his skills as an educator, business owner and sales professional Anthony found Thurmond & Company a perfect fit. At Thurmond, he can help executives improve their professional and personal lives by bringing exceptional career opportunities to them with the support they need to make a smooth transition.

Anthony has a Masters Degree in Music Composition for California Institute of the Arts. He moved to Asheville with his wife, 2 year old and has a baby on the way, to be closer to family.

Barry Blalock
Vice President

Barry operated manufacturing, sales, and real estate development businesses prior to coming to Thurmond & Company, Inc. His most recent project was a 1200 acre second home project that included the permitting and construction of a 120 acre lake. Responsibilities for concept and design through construction, in addition to sales and finance give him the background required to understand the needs of both the client and the candidate. Barry has a Bachelor in Business Administration from the University of Georgia.

Laura Gift
Account Executive

Laura joins Thurmond & Company, Inc., with a management and human resources background in the hospitality and healthcare industries. She has always loved her responsibilities for hiring, training and coaching team members, and watching these colleagues grow into their careers. In this same vein, Laura now finds it immensely satisfying to focus here on bringing exceptional professionals into dream jobs with top employers.

After twenty years in New York City, Laura recently relocated to Asheville, NC, and is thrilled to be back close to the mountains. She spends much of her free time cooking, hiking and reading. Laura also loves travel, and has so far vacationed in twenty of our beautiful National Parks and visited forty-four of our fifty States.

Annalisa Littleton
Account Executive

Annalisa has a background in volunteer recruitment and customer service management. She enjoys helping people achieve to their fullest potential. While she was looking for a new opportunity, she found Thurmond & Company, and it fit. She is a native of Western North Carolina and has a BA from the University of North Carolina at Asheville and a MSc. in International Relations from Nanyang Technological University in Singapore. In her free time, she enjoys exploring the mountains, reading, and cooking. She also volunteers as an English tutor helping adults gain the skills to pass the high school equivalency exam.

Phil Rossi
Account Executive

Phil has lived in North Carolina since 2004 and has a background in the music & entertainment as well as the non-profit industries. He enjoys working with the local and regional communities to raise awareness about the talented individuals that produce art and music in the Southeast. Phil has a knack for building genuine relationships based on trust and understanding. He enjoys using his skills to help others find a better quality of life.

Rob Pleskach
Account Executive

Robert was born and raised in Florida but moved to Western North Carolina in 2002. Robert does have a construction background that focused more on interiors. Upon moving to Asheville in 2017 and within a few months had discovered Thurmond & Company, Inc. Through his professionalism and leadership/people skills he has made an excellent fit in the company. Robert is currently pursuing an IT Degree with a focus on Systems Design and Networking.

Adam Scully
Account Executive

Adam is originally from Denver, Colorado but has reside in North Carolina for the past 10 years. He has three grown children and a proud grandfather of two. He enjoys music and all sports, especially football, where he was a coach for minor league and youth football for over 15 years.
Adam enjoys dealing with people directly and on a personal level, Thurmond and Company allows him to do just that. With a long history of facilitating connections and coaching people, both on a personal and professional
level, making him suited for the executive recruiting business.

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