About our Principals

Juli Kaufmann	Juli brings 15 years of executive business administration experience to Pragmatic, including an extensive background in public health and urban commercial and residential real estate development. Prior to her engagement with Pragmatic Construction, Juli served as the Director for the Healthier Wisconsin Partnership Program where she managed a $100 million public health endowment fund. Juli has served as the principal in the real estate development firm Kaufmann LeSage, LLC where she most recently planned the development of a five million dollar mixed-use 5th ward condominium, incorporating many Green and energy efficient elements. She also previously held the position of Director of Marketing for Marquette University's Campus Circle project, a $50 million, 90 square block, nationally recognized model initiative for urban neighborhood revitalization and community development.
Steve Servais	Steve brings a wealth of environmental policy and practice expertise coupled with nearly ten years of Milwaukee-based construction and urban renewal experience to Pragmatic. Steve has worked directly on dozens of local construction projects, providing general contracting, rough carpentry, masonry construction, roofing and installations of many building components including water catchment systems, tile, windows, doors and siding. With a Green building background rooted in the Peace Corps, Steve brings a unique international perspective to local issues of sustainability. Steve is also a PhD Candidate in Environmental History at Marquette University (2007 completion), and has taught courses both at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and Marquette University on the history of the urban environment in America.
Nikolai Usack (Serge)	Nikolai brings eight years of project management, finance and consulting and  experience to Pragmatic. Prior to returning to Wisconsin to co-found Pragmatic Construction, Nikolai led a BearingPoint Change Management team at the National Institutes of Health in Washington, DC facilitating the deployment of a 60 million dollar financial system and obtaining his Project Management Professional certification (while remodeling bungalows for fun and profit). Prior to his consulting work in the field of corporate finance/financial systems, Nikolai served six years as Marine Corps sergeant leading military maintenance and construction projects, and worked in quality control/quality assurance in the Wisconsin asphalt industry.