Wayne LeChase was named Chairman Emeritus in 2024. In that role, he continues as a board member and serves as an ambassador for the company.

When Wayne succeeded his father as president and CEO of LeChase in 1981, the change in leadership introduced a fresh management style that reinvigorated the company and attracted an abundance of extremely qualified construction professionals. In 1997, he added managing partner to his title and in 2007 he assumed the role of chairman – appointing William (Bill) H. Goodrich as CEO and – in 2008 – also naming Bill managing partner.

Prior to joining LeChase, Wayne practiced law at the offices of Johnson, Reif & Mullan, and later worked as a partner at the law firm of LaDuca, Offen & LeChase.

In addition to being a consistently effective leader and entrepreneur, Wayne has always believed in the importance of civic responsibility and has been a champion of many important community initiatives. He is a former member of the Greater Rochester Chamber of Commerce (formerly Rochester Business Alliance) and is also a Life Trustee of the University of Rochester, Emeritus Trustee of St. John Fisher College and McQuaid Jesuit High School, and the former chairman of Greater Rochester Enterprise.

Wayne’s education includes a B.S. degree in business administration from John Carroll University and a J.D. degree from University at Buffalo Law School. He was awarded the Herbert W. Vanden Brul Entrepreneurial Award by Rochester Institute of Technology’s College of Business in 2004. In 2005, he was inducted into the Rochester Business Hall of Fame, a program created to recognize exemplary leaders who have made outstanding and enduring contributions to business and community in the Greater Rochester region. Wayne also received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Builders Exchange of Rochester in 2013. In 2018, the Rochester Business Journal presented him with an ICON Honors award ­in recognition of his career achievements and strong leadership both within and outside the construction industry.

A self-described extrovert, he exemplifies the principles of honesty, trustworthiness and integrity, and is extremely generous with his time, knowledge and resources. Wayne is the standard bearer for the characteristics essential to LeChase and the firm’s ongoing commitment to its clients, employees and communities.