The company’s sole owners, Trudy and Michael Licano, are dedicated owners who are personally involved in the day-to-day activities and direction of this design/build luxury home company. Each brings their own special talents and passions to their work.
Prior to Via’s inception, Trudy was managing her marketing degree while being the sole financial support to Michael’s law degree pursuit. It was during her “employee” period marketing for local builders, she discovered her natural abilities with design and construction. Having taken one of her builders from being under the radar to one of the Valley’s top builders in just a year’s time, she caught the eye of lenders that later backed her own building company. In 1983 she constructed a Performa and presented it to lenders under her own building company’s banner. She bravely left the umbrella of “employee” and became a driven entrepreneur and employer. Her maiden construction project was a multi-million undertaking backed by financers that understood Trudy’s ability to design and sell homes. There was no denying her commitment to succeed nor her passion for construction. Trudy became Arizona’s first female licensed as the qualifying party for a residential general contractor’s license. She is the President and CEO of Via Homes, Inc. Trudy’s entrepreneurial and construction roots date back to her grandfather Chase Rogers who at one time employed a then unknown Del Webb at Rogers Brother Construction. Trudy’s own father, Joseph Rogers, played an early influential role for her. He taught her about owning one’s own business and being honorable. He instilled the importance of always paying back those who entrusted their money and being honest and serving to those who made the business possible, the customers.
Among Trudy’s licenses, she was licensed agent in real estate in the early 80’s becoming a multi-million dollar producer in her first year. In 1984 she became a broker and has remained in good standing with all licenses.
Trudy has also served on several community boards and committees, donating her time and talents to others. Such boards and committees include Change Point, a non-profit organization, its executive board; Mesa Housing Committee; Gateway Commercial Bank Board of Directors; and Gateway Commercial Bank’s Marketing Chairperson.
Michael received top honors and scored 3rd highest on the Arizona Bar Exam before becoming a practicing attorney in Mesa. Michael discovered a few years into his general law practice he was very good at disassembling things, which he was often hired to do by his clients. This however left him with regrets as he watched Trudy creating projects that would stand for years; sources of pride to point long after their completion. Following much discussion the two agreed, Mike would leave private practice and become Via’s in-house counsel and Via’s construction superintendent for all field operations. Via could not have asked for nor received a more invested construction manager than Michael. Michael has proven over and over his intuitiveness for construction. He spent countless hours building and repairing things with his engineer father, Frank Licano and hardly a weekend goes by that Michael isn’t working on projects at home when not managing Via’s own construction projects. Michael is Via’s Construction Manager and Chief of Construction. His legal go-to knowledge has been an extra bonus for the company. He also holds an Arizona real estate broker’s license and remains a member in good standing with the Arizona Bar and the Department of Real Estate.
Michael being an Eagle Scout himself, has been an assistant Scout Master; donating his construction assistance and staff for facilities at Change Point and LaMesita; and serves as a Board of Director for Gateway Commercial Bank and several of its executive committees.
