Our Team
Our team members are diverse in their skill sets, but share a strong attention to detail and a history of professionalism. From fine carpentry to pressure washing, from licensed electrical work to gutter cleaning, our team has the skills and experience to meet your needs.
Each team member has been vetted and every employee has undergone a pre-employment background check. You can be assured that your home will be cared for by a respectful technician, and that your project will be done right the first time by trustworthy and skilled professionals.
Joann Infante
customer support specialist
Joann is the vital link between our customers and our busy team of field employees. She comes to House Specialties as a second career, after decades of work in medical laboratories. Our customers—and our team—value her focus on helping people and her ability to follow-through. If Joann doesn’t have the answer, she’ll get it.
Lightning Atkinson
business owner
senior field technician
licensed electrician
Lightning grew up flipping houses with his dad…before flipping was a word. His parents would buy a run-down house in the nicest neighborhood they could afford and spend their evenings and weekends fixing it up. They would sell the house a few years later and do it again. Lightning learned the basics of carpentry, plumbing, drywall, HVAC and electrical as a teenager. In the 25 years since then he has refined his skills and worked under a master electrician and at a carpentry company.
Lightning’s career journey before founding House Specialties is an eclectic set of professional experiences including audio/video installation, sound systems for live events, personal development, business coaching and strategic planning, podcast production, management, team development, operations implementation, and entrepreneurship.
Alex Wellington
field technician
Alex learned how to fix things from his father while growing up on their farm in south Georgia. He remembers when their house was first wired for electricity and how that changed life on the farm. Since then, Alex’s career in quality assurance has taken him all over the world inspecting recreational watercraft, army helicopters, military facilities and even space satellites.
With a high attention to detail and extensive woodworking skills, Alex is known among his family and friends for building dulcimers and violins by hand. He brings a lifetime of home repair experience that spans many decades, disciplines, and locations. He’s also an avid square-dancer.
Mike Harris
field technician
Mike’s professional background has allowed him to hone his attention to detail and customer service skills. Before House Specialties he worked in the audiovisual industry supporting live events. He also has years of experience as a camera operator for televised live sports. If that wasn’t enough he is also a freelance photographer specializing in portraits and wedding photography. In working for House Specialties Mike’s attention to detail has been appreciated by homeowners all over the North Shore. He and his wife own a home in Skokie where they live with their 2 kids. When he’s not working on your home or his, Mike loves mountain biking.
Bill First
master carpenter
field technician
His unassuming personality doesn’t reveal the depth of skill and life experience Bill carries with him. Since 1998 he has designed and built custom wood furniture of the highest quality for discerning clients through his business WoodWorks. His meticulous attention to detail and artistic sense have made him a successful furniture designer. He owns a home in the West Ridge neighborhood of Chicago that is full of beautiful furniture and he teaches furniture building classes at the Evanston Art Center. Bill is also a sought after professor at Columbia College where he teaches furniture design and a variety of photography classes. His students comment on how much he has helped them—both on school-related projects and also in launching their careers. Bill brings his years of carpentry experience and attention to detail to every project he works on at House Specialties.
Jane Davis
office support
Jane’s career experience includes decades of purchasing, procurement and contracting experience on a regional level. In addition she has a lifetime of experience in real estate transactions, remodeling, project management and staff development. In her semi-retirement she supports House Specialties with her customer service and organizational skills.
Moxley
shop dog
Moxley has been with House Specialties from the very beginning. He is in charge of eating saw dust and romping around the yard. When he’s not working, Mox can usually be found sitting at the feet of whomever will stand still long enough.