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Behind the Build: Pam Rybarczyk

From sales staff and tradesmen to behind-the-scenes troubleshooters, dozens of personnel bring a Gallagher and Henry home to life. In “Behind the Build,” the Gallagher and Henry blog celebrates spirited members of our team.

Today, we introduce Pam Rybarczyk, the Jill-of-all-trades at Gallagher and Henry’s home office in Countryside. Over 21 years with Gallagher and Henry, Pam has represented the firm at hundreds of closings, addressed warranty issues, handled estimates on customer-requested changes to home plans, quarterbacked open houses, and even pinch hit for sales staff at community offices.

How did you come to join Gallagher & Henry in 2000?
I had worked in residential real estate for about a dozen years at a great family-owned homebuilder and really enjoyed it. The owner of that company, though, was going to disband the company and move elsewhere. He is actually the one who found the job opening with Gallagher and Henry in the newspaper and urged me to apply. He said they were a well-known and long-standing community builder with a great reputation.

What were you hired to do?
I was originally hired to help in the closing department, but quickly moved into customer service. My primary responsibility was to start up the customer service department and to centralize all the different customer service-related efforts going on across the company. At the time, we had 300-400 homes in progress, so there was quite a bit to coordinate and we did it in baby steps. Among the first things was streamlining the warranty process for customers and making that piece as seamless as possible for our homeowners. Any warranty issues came through me and I then worked with the supervisors and service technicians to make sure warranty issues were addressed in a timely, professional, and efficient manner.

Today, you touch so many different areas of the customer service process beyond the home warranties. What do you enjoy about that?
I really enjoy the diversity. I don’t concentrate on just one thing, but rather get to have my hands in so many different things and that means I’m always learning. It’s exhausting at times, but I’d rather be busy than twiddling my thumbs.

What makes your day special?
Over the last 20 years, I’ve attended countless closings. While the sales staff get to know the homebuyers from day one, I typically enter the picture as we move closer and closer to the closing. When we finally reach that day, the voice becomes the face when I get to meet them. The room is generally filled with a lot of positive energy, gratitude, and – before the pandemic turned everything virtual, at least – hugs. I’d say that’s pretty special.

What has kept you engaged and invested over these last 21 years with Gallagher and Henry?
It’s really the people. There’s such camaraderie in our company and we’re constantly working together toward a common goal, which is to make sure our homebuyers get the house they want. Each person we build for is such an individual and I love meeting them and playing a part in bringing their new home to life.

What fills up your time outside of work?
I love sports. My kids – now 20 and 25 – were so involved with baseball and softball for years, that it’s in my blood. I’m a massive Blackhawks and Cubs fan.

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In the Spotlight: Kingston Hills

Gallagher and Henry entered new territory when it unveiled Kingston Hills. After initially making its mark in Chicago neighborhoods and collar suburbs in Cook and DuPage Counties, Gallagher and Henry ventured into Will County for the first time with Kingston Hills, a massive 410-acre site in southwest suburban Homer Township.

Today, Kingston Hills continues leading the charge in Homer Glen. With average lot sizes of 75-by-150 feet, Kingston Hills exemplifies Homer Glen’s village motto – “Community and Nature … in Harmony” – by providing its residents a slice of suburban privacy alongside the amenities and conveniences of modern life.

    • Prices for new single-family homes in Kingston Hills start at $441,800.  
    • Find Kingston Hills: The Kingston Hills community is located immediately east of Bell Road on 151st Street.  
    • Sister Communities: Kingston Hills is one of two Gallagher and Henry communities in Homer Glen. Its sibling community, Goodings Grove, sits approximately one mile north.  
    • Way Back When: Gallagher and Henry first opened sales of Kingston Hills in 1993 with a first phase consisting of 105 homes and capacity for some 800 homes. Early buyers could select from 17 different floor plans with base prices starting at $165,590.  
    • A Mature Community Today: Given Kingston Hills longstanding roots in Homer Glen, the community is fully developed with streetlights and parkway trees as well as the Kingston Hills Park and a community biking trail.  
    • A Homeowner’s Perspective: “Living in Kingston Hills, we’ve gotten the best of both worlds: a peaceful feeling in a quiet community and a vibrant neighborhood with friendly neighbors and access to everything we need,” Joan K. says.  
    • Lifestyle Series Launching Pad: In 2010, Gallagher and Henry tabbed Kingston Hills as the host site of its first Lifestyle Series home plan, the Amberwood ranch. Developed from extensive market research from prospective homebuyers as well as its current homeowners, Lifestyle Series plans include the most sought-after amenities, including open-concept floor plans, three-car garages, brick construction, and substantial storage solutions. Five additional plans have joined the Amberwood in Gallagher and Henry’s Lifestyle Series portfolio, including a second ranch plan called the Fremont.  
    • Fast fact: According to geologists, the rolling hills so prevalent around Kingston Hills owe their presence to the Wisconsin glacier that stalled some 10,000 years ago in this particular patch of northern Illinois.  
    • Super Schools: Kingston Hills families have access to accomplished public schools. Both Homer Community Consolidated School District 33C, which serves some 3,800 preK-8 students, and the 3,800-student Lockport Township High School District 205 outpace state averages in English Language Arts, Math, and Science proficiency scores.  
    • Happy in Homer Glen: In its most recent National Citizen Survey, more than 90 percent of Homer Glen residents rated the village as a “good” or “excellent” place to live and raise a family. Residents also gave the village stellar marks for safety, ease of travel, K-12 education, and the natural environment. Nine out of 10 residents, meanwhile, reported they would recommend living in Homer Glen to others.

Interested in learning more about Kingston Hills? The sales office is open Thursday-Sunday from 9am-5pm. To schedule a visit or to request additional information, please contact the Kingston Hills sales office at (708) 301-1999.