Doug Friesen has more than 30 years of home building and design experience. Born and raised in Canada, Friesen was one of five children, and spent his youth working at his family's community newspaper -- a family tradition that had spanned five generations.

Determined to chart his own path, Friesen spent several years building energy-efficient homes in Canada before visiting Boston in the 1970s. Drawn by America's "tremendous opportunity," he decided to stay, becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen and founding his design/build company, Duxborough Designs in 1985.

Friesen and his wife, Lois, live in southeastern Massachusetts, where he is actively involved in his church and community life.