ABOUT CHERYL BRENNA, Realtor
The passion has been there from the start-that interest in the relationship between "house" and "home."
I suppose it was in the gene pool. My father, Herbert Cudd, started his construction company in 1950 and spent his entire career dedicated to building fine houses and solid neighborhoods where families could nurture a sense of belonging. My brother has continued that legacy, turning the Charles Cudd Company into one of the premier home-building companies in the country.
The lesson wasn't lost on me. Working in the family business, I developed an understanding of architecture, construction and home design. I carefully followed the building of Interlachen Woods and Marsh Creek, both of which I opened. I also have the inside track on Evergreen, the Villas on Powers Lake, and many other distinctive Woodbury neighborhoods. In fact, I've sold more than 500 homes there since 1987.
Now, with the Cheryl Brenna Group, my construction and design background provides a unique perspective, an insider's advantage, on Woodbury's most desirable areas.
I understand that buyers and sellers require someone with expertise, a dependable agent who has respect for the process and commitment to the community. They want a representative with the willingness to listen and the ability to hear. At the Cheryl Brenna Group, these convictions are always front and center.
And what about my personal surroundings? I still live in the same small university town where I grew up. It's home. My husband Jeffrey and I have two grown daughters several gorgeous grandchildren (ask me, I have pictures!).
I'm fond of that quote from author Jim Rohn: "Your family and your love must be cultivated like a garden. Time, effort, and imagination must be summoned constantly to keep any relationship flourishing and growing." The Cheryl Brenna 
Group knows that the same holds true for the larger community.
- Voted "Super Agent" in 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, and 2007, 2008,2009 Mpls.St. Paul Magazine
- Accredited Buyers' Specialist
- Accredited Relocation Specialist
- President's Club 2008
ABOUT JEFF BRENNA, Realtor
Phone: 651-730-2551
Cell: 651-894-2063
E-mail: jeff@cherylbrennagroup.com
Cheryl and I have been best friends since we were 12. We grew up in River Falls, went to the same school, and were closely connected to each others' family. We still live in that college town and have been happily married for 36 years. So it's no surprise that we finally decided to work together in 2006.
I ran my own company - J. Brenna's Rustproofing and Exhaust in West St. Paul - for 25 years. I had a loyal customer base that trusted me to steer them straight. People respected me for that and sent their friends my way. Like Cheryl, I built my business mostly on referrals. In the auto industry, as in real estate, integrity and trust are what set you apart.
I enjoyed running the business and helping customers, but I was ready for a change. Real estate was a natural choice, given Cheryl's passion for the business and her family's longtime involvement in home construction. In fact, her dad had encouraged me to join her in the business years ago. He thought we'd be great together. He was right.
Licensed in both Minnesota and Wisconsin, I serve clients in the eastern St. Paul suburbs and in River Falls and western Wisconsin - fast-growing areas that are in high demand.
I count myself lucky. I have a wonderful wife, two amazing daughters and incredible grandchildren. I get to work with my wife and daughter at something I'm really good at. I'm excited about using my business and people skills to help other families buy or sell their homes.
ABOUT JESS SMEED, Real Estate Assistant
Direct: 651-209-7110
E-mail: jess@cherylbrennagroup.com
They say there's no place like home - and they're right. I was born and raised in St. Paul and the surrounding suburbs. And no matter where life may take me, the Twin Cities will forever be home to me.
So I'm especially pleased to be a party of the Cheryl Brenna Group, and organization that has always valued that sense of "home." I appreciate the honest, open, meticulous way Cheryl conducts business, the second-to-none marketing techniques, her high energy and passion for this profession. It's a can-do approach that inspires and motivates.
If a home reflects one's personality, I've been working on my "personality" since purchasing my first home in 2006. Nothing is more comforting to me than walking through my front door into the space I share with my partner, Hareigh - an attorney - and our rambunctious little one, Carson.
Family free time is spent on outings to local museums, parks, concerts, and ball games. Harleigh and I love sampling area dining establishments, whether it's simpe fare or exotic cuisine. As long as I don't have to cook it, I'm a happy camper!
My position with the Cheryl Brenna group feeds a longtime interest in real estate. I rarely pass up a chance to tour houses - old and new - and attend home shows. Even at the St. Paul Art Crawl, you'll catch me spending just as much time looking at the lofts, condos, and apartments as admiring the artwork!
ABOUT SHERRIE KNAPP, Realtor
Cell: 651-261-1617
Email: sherrie@cherylbrennagroup.com
My parents raised me to value quality and to live my life with integrity. And that's what I offer my clients quality based on a foundation of integrity. I absolutely love working with people. It inspires me, motivates me, and keeps the words "can do" uppermost in my mind.
I came to the Cheryl Brenna Group from American Classic Homes (sister to the Charles Cudd Company Cheryl's brother's custom homebuilding firm), where I was a sales associate serving the eastern metro. That's where I first met Cheryl. Her love and passion for the business was contagious then and it still is.
I also worked in fashion as rep for a California designer clothing line. For me, style and real estate naturally go hand in hand. And it seems that the combination of an eye for quality and a keen sense of style has captured the attention of the many home sellers and buyers who remain loyal clients.
My husband a local businessman and I make our home in Hudson, Wisconsin. A bustling household filled with our teenage children and our beloved dog, an English setter named Sky, makes for a wonderful family life. We enjoy many activities or simply hanging out with each other and our friends.
I must say, the enthusiasm I have for my home life spills over into my work. It has been many years since I first recognized my passion for real estate. Now that my children are getting older and I can devote quality time to career, I have the chance to fulfill my dream and where better than with the Cheryl Brenna Group? We all share the same mind-set of giving our clients extraordinary service. I feel really fortunate to be part of the team.
ABOUT MOLLY JO SEVERSON, Marketing Manager
You know that old adage, "Like mother, like daughter"? Well, my mother Cheryl Brenna and I haven't always seen eye to eye on every little thing (case in point, my teenage years), but we do share an unflagging passion for anything related to real estate and home design.
So while Cheryl and Jeff are helping clients buy and sell homes, I handle the marketing activity for all the for-sale listings - the print ads, the signs, the brochures, etc. The work is exciting and challenging, and it taps into my creative side. It also affords me the opportunity to spend time with two very important facets of my life: real estate and my parents.
After taking a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Wisconsin, River Falls, I worked on a Master's of Art Education at Iowa State. Then I spent a couple of years with a graphic design agency before joining the Cheryl Brenna Group.
My husband Shawn and I are the proud parents of two young sons. Wonderful job, wonderful family. Life is great.
