The Team

Who We Are

James Cooley

Co-founder, Director of Construction & Project Management

James grew up learning construction from his dad, where he not only picked up foundational construction skills but also developed a lifelong admiration for the science behind how things are built. To this day, he finds himself pausing to study the structure of a wall or the way a roofline comes together, captivated by the thought and craft behind it. That curiosity and respect for construction as both a science and an art shape the way he leads projects today.

After earning a degree in Molecular Genetics from The Ohio State University and an MBA in Finance from Capital University, James combined his scientific mindset and business training with years of hands-on experience from renovations and real estate investments. Alongside his wife, Tammy, he founded Cooley Construction with a simple mission: create spaces where people feel exactly how they want to feel, and make the process as seamless as the finished product.

For James, it’s about more than completing a project—it’s about building with integrity and delivering a quality that endures. Clients know him for his calm presence, clear communication, and commitment to treating every project like it’s his own home.

When he’s not on-site James enjoys long walks with Tammy, traveling to explore architecture and design, inhaling hot pot, and spending time at home with their four cats.

Tammy Yee

Co-founder, Director of Client Experience & Business Development

Tammy’s story starts with movement from a young age. From ballet, tap, and jazz at the New Albany Ballet Company to competitive Latin ballroom, she learned early the discipline and payoff of practice, and the importance of working in sync with others. Those lessons carried into her academic path at The Ohio State University, where she studied Biology and Women’s Studies, and later into cancer research and sales and business development in the life science industry.

She went on to co-own Studio Rouge, a pole and aerial fitness studio in Clintonville, where she shared the joy of dancing with others while learning the realities of business ownership and the pricelessness of working with others toward a shared goal.

Tammy’s eye for interiors and exteriors was sharpened through years of personal and business real estate investing with James, experience that now underpins her work as a Realtor with Styer Real Estate Professionals. That perspective directly informs her role at Cooley Construction, which she co-founded with James in 2023. She serves as the client’s advocate and the bridge between vision and execution—keeping communication clear, projects on track, and homes transformed in ways that balance function, beauty, and feeling.

Outside of work, you'll find Tammy making pottery, taking dance classes with friends, absorbing local real estate and architecture with James while traveling, and nerding out on proteomics tech. Most evenings end with a spooky podcast surrounded by her four vocal cats that she has no shortage of nicknames for.