Storr Leadership

Tom Vande Guchte | CEO

Tom is the CEO and majority owner of Storr Office Environments. Tom’s role is to ensure we focus on providing great service to our customers and creating a great working environment for our Team Members. Tom is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and is a big Badger fan. Tom has been married to his very talented wife Mary since 1979, and they are proud parents of five adult children and five grandchildren. Tom and Mary have a strong personal faith and have been very active in their local church and serving in the community. They host retreats in the community promoting personal generosity and work with and support organizations that are helping those who are less fortunate. Tom has also served on many boards, including the Raleigh Chamber of Commerce, United Way of Wake County, and Rex Hospital Foundation. Tom is very active and loves the outdoors, including running, biking, kayaking, water skiing, and hunting.

Aaron John | President

Aaron joined the Storr Leadership Team in 2022. Aaron graduated from Indiana University with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing from the Kelley School of Business. No one knows what a “Hoosier” is, but everyone knows they’ve won five NCAA Basketball Championships! Spending his entire career with a global floor covering manufacturer, he has held many sales and leadership roles across the U.S., including Los Angeles, Denver, Houston, and Atlanta. Originally from Seymour, Indiana, Aaron moved to Apex with his wife and their three children in 2017. In his free time, Aaron enjoys being in the great outdoors, and especially likes fishing, hiking, and landscaping. Aaron’s commitment to positively impact the markets we serve will continue to drive operational excellence at Storr and build upon the company’s legacy of being stewards in our community.

Bob Schanz | Principal

Bob is known as our “Office Guru” due to his years of experience in the commercial furniture industry. Before joining Storr Office Environments in 1996, Bob was the President of Contract Interiors in Detroit and spent 12 years at Steelcase in various marketing and dealer development positions. He is an avid college sports fan and enjoys cheering for his alma mater Michigan State Spartans. In his spare time, Bob likes to play tennis, exercise, and read. When he isn’t traveling, his main love is spending time having fun with his wife, children, and grandchildren.

Greg Hawkins | COO

Greg is originally from Tennessee. He completed his BSBA from the University of Tennessee and his MBA from East Tennessee State University. He has been an integral part of Storr Office Environments since 1999. Greg provides leadership and oversight for all operations, customer service, project management, HR, Accounting, and IT functions. He is a huge fan of the University of Tennessee Vols. Since 1985, Greg has been married to Lisa Blair-Hawkins, a talented musician, vocal coach and music director. In their spare time, they enjoy traveling to Cancun, and Greg gets to the golf course as often as possible to continue perfecting his game.

Graem Gardner, CPA | CFO

Graem was born and raised in North Carolina, growing up in New Bern. He earned his Bachelors and Masters degrees in Accounting from NC State University. Graem spent the last 20 years with bioMerieux, a global biotech medical device manufacturer, in various progressive finance and leadership roles, gaining broad experience and building a diversified skill set, before joining Storr in January 2023. As CFO, Graem’s serves as a strategic business partner with the senior leadership team and divisional leaders to help successfully grow the company and achieve its business objectives. He leads the Accounting and IT teams to be high performing and value-added contributors. Graem is a Certified Public Accountant and a Chartered Global Management Accountant. Graem and his wife Megan live in Raleigh and have 2 teenage kids, Avery and Dax. Graem and Megan are actively involved in their church and help co-lead a discipleship small group. Graem enjoys traveling, hiking, spending time with family, and cheering on the Wolfpack.

Colleen Muldoon | VP of Team Member Engagement

Colleen moved to North Carolina in 1994 from Upstate NY to attend the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, then later began her HR career in the IT industry. Colleen served in a variety of HR roles as HR Generalist, HR Manager and HR Director, prior to joining Storr in 2011. Colleen serves as our VP of Team Member Engagement. Colleen is actively engaged in our company’s leadership team, chairman of the Team Member Engagement Committee, co-chair of the Change of Life and WeCare Teams. She is active in her local church and serves as a member of her daughter’s PTA. She lives in Raleigh with her husband, Colin, daughters, Lillian, Olivia, and Sophia, au pair, and their black lab, Daisy. In her spare time, she enjoys watching her husband coach hockey for the Carolina Junior Hurricanes, boating on the lake, and having family movie and game nights at home.

Howard Young | VP OF OPERATIONS

Howard is a results-driven leader with over 20 years of experience in P&L management and operations. Before joining Storr, he served as Senior VP of Operations for Simply Mac, a GameStop company, and held executive roles at Apple, Best Buy, and Pottery Barn. His achievements include driving GameStop’s largest EBITDA improvement (+$12M) in two years and launching eCommerce platforms generating $47M in sales. Originally from Florida, Howard is a proud Gators fan and University of Florida graduate. He recently relocated from Atlanta to North Carolina with his family and two dogs, Stella and Duke. A tennis enthusiast, he enjoys playing and watching the game. Howard is inspired by his mother’s resilience and excited to contribute to Storr’s growth and success.

ELIZABETH SAMSA, IIDA, CID | VP OF DESIGN

With over 20 years of experience in the architectural design industry, Elizabeth is responsible for shaping the vision for the design experience at Storr. Prior to joining the group, Elizabeth most recently held a Regional design leadership role with a national design firm guiding the creative direction of projects and personnel across the West and Central regions. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Interior Design at Harrington College of Design along with additional coursework at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and Willem de Kooning Academy of Rotterdam. She established her career in Chicago and most recently practiced in Minneapolis. Elizabeth actively fosters a culture of design authenticity, exploration, and empowerment within the studio. An active member of the design community, she has been involved in IIDA and community outreach initiatives. She recognizes the profound ability the interior environment has to impact lives through connection. She enjoys traveling with her husband, gardening, and being a patron of the arts. She is an advocate of urban and sustainable living practices.

CHRIS BINGHAM | VP OF SERVICES

Chris is a high-energy services leader with a great record of building a positive team culture while driving results. Prior to joining Storr, he founded and sold 2 businesses over a span of 17 years. Chris is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill with an undergraduate degree in Business Administration, minoring in Information Systems, and also has an MBA from UNC with a concentration in Management, Entrepreneurship, and Marketing. Chris is currently an Adjunct Professor at Campbell University, instructing in the business school. Chris is married with 4 children. In his spare time, he enjoys volunteering as a youth soccer coach and has served as a board member for the Marbles Kids Museum, Hospice of Wake County, and Nourish International.

Justin Smith | Market Area President - Triad

Justin joined the Storr team as Triad Market Area President in 2020 after years in the commercial furniture community in Pennsylvania. He brings extensive experience in developing and managing strong sales teams and driving operational excellence. Justin leads our Greensboro sales team collaborating with design and operations to bring customers support across the country. Justin serves the community with involvement in Triad Light the Night – Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. Along with his wife Kelly, daughter Ava, son Carter, and dog Nittany, he is enjoying the North Carolina way of life. If he isn’t watching Carter play soccer or Ava horseback riding, he is playing a round of golf or sitting by the pool. Justin is a Penn State graduate and a huge Nittany Lions football fan. WE ARE….

It all starts at the top