Will Sheils: Owner
Will is an Annapolis native. He grew up sailing and continued the sport while on the off-shore sailing team at St. Mary’s College of Maryland. After graduating from St. Mary’s Will started a small residential paint company in 2007. He saw a need for a small dependable painter to service Annapolis, and that is when Blue Star was born. In 2011, Will went back to get his MBA at University of Maryland Global Campus. While Will was getting his MBA, he saw the need to offer renovation services to fit with his clients growing needs. Will still lives in Annapolis with his wife Carolyn and their son and daughter. Will still loves to sail and watch sail boat races from his powerboat.
Rebecca Ramsay: Business Operations Manager | Kitchen and Bath Project Manager
Coming all the way from New Jersey, Becca made her way to Maryland for college. She studied Business at Towson University and decided to stick around Maryland and joined the Blue Star team in 2018. Becca handles business operations at Blue Star as well as being a project manager for many of our bath and kitchen renovation projects. While on the job Becca has developed an eye for the small details a client can add to their kitchens and bathrooms to make each project the best it can be. Becca’s favorite part about working at Blue Star is pulling in ideas from personal experiences. Becca now lives in Annapolis and enjoys visiting family back in New Jersey and getting together with friends all across Maryland.
Sebastian Franco: Paint Project Manager
Sebastian resides in Crofton, MD, but is originally from Cali, Colombia. He made his way here for his success in racquetball. As an avid racquetball player, Sebastian has great energy and focus which he also brings to his job here
at Blue Star. Sebastian is now a project manager for the paint side of Blue Star, but has had project management experience in the past. His background was in multi-unit construction. His energy and smile always brightens up
the day whenever he is in the office or on a job site. Sebastian loves spending time with his wife Sam and their son
and daughter. When Sebastian is not at Blue Star or spending time with his family, he still plays racquetball.
Shawn Blakely: Paint Project Manager
The newest addition to the Blue Star team is Shawn. For years, Shawn has run his own business Blakely Painting on the Eastern Shore. Shawn has joined the Blue Star team after wanting a change of scenery from running his own business. Shawn’s greatest strength at Blue Star so far is his hard work to help us grow. All of his previous clients know his craftsmanship and quality of work and he is bringing all of that trust over to this side of the bay. When Shawn isn’t in Annapolis with the team he is running from different activities for his kids or relaxing at home with his family and dogs.
Ty Vaughan: Office Administrator
Coming down from Pasadena, Ty is the newest member of the Blue Star team. Since joining the team back in April, Blue Star has become a well oiled machine. Ty has a background in HR and has lots of experience keeping things and people organized. She also works in the wedding industry so she knows a thing or two about organizing events and schedules. On top of her job at Blue Star, Ty is working towards her bachelors degree in business administration at University of Maryland Global Campus. In Ty’s free time, she enjoys spending time with her son and watching his football games on the weekends.
Darden Pickall: Carpentry Project Manager
With strong family roots in Annapolis, Darden joins the Blue Star team from Easton. Darden attended St. Mary’s College of Maryland. During his time at St. Mary’s, Darden was a member of the rugby team and sailed on the off-shore sailing team, where he met Will. Darden’s love and skill for woodworking came from his father. He has a passion for carpentry and problem-solving which you can see in his final work. Darden’s addition to the company helped Blue Star expand their service offerings and allows Blue Star to be the company you know it as today. He prides himself in incorporating client wants and needs into the plans and final design of a project. Darden now lives in Wye Mills with his partner Charlotte where they foster dogs.
John Emrick: Carpentry Project Manager
Another asset to the Blue Star team is John. He has lived in Annapolis all his life and knows the area well. John has gained previous experience in commercial renovations and residential kitchen and bathroom renovations before starting at Blue Star. John’s extensive experience, knowledge of materials, and calm approach makes him an essential part of Blue Star. He is a project manager and handles many of our carpentry projects. In John’s free time, you may see him bartending at the local American Legion or spending time with friends and family outdoors.
Ellen Hagerty: Marketing & Development Coordinator
Ellen joins the Blue Star team from Columbia, MD. Ellen graduated from Towson University in 2023 and started working for us full time after her graduation. That was not the start of Ellen’s work at Blue Star. During her time at Towson, Ellen worked part time here at Blue Star handling our social media accounts and other marketing efforts. Now, Ellen handles everything from the Instagram stories to coordinating with features in magazines. When Ellen is not getting pictures to post on @bluestarpaintproperty, she enjoys watching comedy specials and attending concerts with friends and family.
