Charlotte, NC

As a regional operations manager, Kathryn Payne is responsible for growing LeChase’s business in the Charlotte marketplace. Kathryn also serves as market sector leader for our education portfolio across the Southeast. She manages local client, employee and subcontractor relationships and manages large or multiple projects for core clients in the Southeast region, with accountability for overall project success for all stakeholders. She is also responsible for overseeing recruitment and training of project team members. Kathryn started her construction career as a project engineer in 2008, then worked her way through more senior project management roles. She joined LeChase in the 2016 acquisition of Lendlease USA’s North Carolina operations. Kathryn has a B.S. in construction science and management from Clemson University, and LEED AP® BD+C certification from the U.S. Green Building Council. Active in the community, Kathryn is a Leadership Raleigh alum and also serves as co-chair of the Leadership Raleigh Alumni Advisory Committee. She is also a member of the Triangle Chapter of Commercial Real Estate Women (TCREW) and Charlotte CREW. Passionate about supporting women in construction, Kathryn is a cofounder of the Women @ LeChase employee resource group.

Duran Davis leads preconstruction efforts for projects across the Southeast region, managing a team that develops estimates and budgets for both hard-bid and negotiated work. Duran joined LeChase as a senior preconstruction manager in 2017 and has over 25 years of industry experience working in estimating, preconstruction and project management. Duran earned a bachelor of science in business administration from The Citadel. Prior to earning his degree, he served four years as an aircraft mechanic and crew chief in the United States Air Force. Duran has been part of the Triangle Chapter of the Associated Builders and Contractors (ABC) trade association since 1999, and has served as vice chairman, chairman, past chairman, and former member of the group’s government affairs committee. He is also a 2026 graduate of Leadership Raleigh – a sustained community leadership program, which crosses the private and public sectors to develop city leaders.