About Us

Meet The Team

Larry Stokes

Born in Amarillo and raised in Tyler, TX Larry is a graduate from Arizona State University where he studied business and shortly thereafter joined his family operation in Tyler, Susan Robinson Fine Jewelry. After 15 years, Larry stepped out to assist Richard Eiseman, of Eiseman Jewels in Dallas’ NorthPark Center.

In addition to his experience Larry has extensive Swiss timepiece training and jewelry buying that include travels to Switzerland, New York, Israel, and Hong Kong. He is also a Gemological Institute of America (GIA) diamond graduate. Larry is committed to "The KORMAN Legacy" serving central Texas, while offering the very best and finest pieces in the world.

Kat Stokes

A native Texan, Kat grew up in Dallas and is a University of Texas graduate with a Bachelors of Arts in Economics and minors in business and Spanish. After spending some time in Aspen post graduation, Kat moved to New York City in March of 2007 to work for Citi in the Wealth Management Department.

A great learning experience, both personally and professionally, this adventure provided a great foundation for her to enter the jewelry industry after meeting her husband, Larry, in 2010. After spending time in East Texas working with Larry’s family jewelry business, Kat was so excited when the opportunity came up to move to Austin and serve this amazing community. “We are thrilled to be able to be a part of such a generous community.” With three young children and a growing business, Kat enjoys spending time at concerts, comedy clubs, playing tennis, needlepointing, and being on the lake.

Trey Gebhardt, WOSTEP, Watchmaker

Trey is a graduate of the prestigious North American Institute of Swiss Watchmaking where he received the highly respected WOSTEP (Watchmakers of Switzerland Training and Education Program) Certification. He is extremely excited to bring his knowledge and expertise to the Korman Team where he can pair this world-class training and education along with his passion of watchmaking to provide the highest quality service to each of our customers. Trey’s interests outside of work include fitness, attending live sporting events and supporting Austin’s diverse restaurant and bar scene.

Griffin Holbeck

 Born and raised in Michigan, Griffin moved to the Lone Star State in 2007 where he attended The University of North Texas. While studying Public Heath he began his career in Luxury Swiss timepieces and fine jewelry. Upon graduation Griffin transitioned into management, since then he has held various director roles both on the retail and wholesale sides of the industry. Prior to moving to Austin to join the Korman Family he served as the Midwest and Southern Sales Director for a wholesale diamond house located in Manhattan. Griffin is passionate about delivering the finest product to his client, while providing thorough education to ensure a memorable experience. In his free time he enjoys exploring Austin with his wife and son and taking advantage of the amazing live music and art scene!

Brooke Winfrey

Having grown up in West Lake Hills and graduating from The University of Texas, Brooke Winfrey is a lifetime Austinite. Her love of jewelry drew her to Korman in 1985, and she's never left.

Brooke truly enjoys getting to know her clients personally, educating them in all things diamonds and fine jewelry. When she's not at Korman, you can find her on the golf course or traveling the globe with her family.

Cristóbal Leon Fores

 Born and raised in San Juan, Puerto Rico, Cristobal recently transferred to the Austin area. He has a Bachelor Degree in Marketing and Masters in International Business.

Cristóbal brings 17 years of experience in retail, previously worked 5 years at the OMEGA Boutique in Puerto Rico where he acquired extensive training in high end timepieces. He is extremely passionate about the watch industry and loves helping clients on their quest to find the perfect timepiece.

Josh Davenport

 Originally from Richmond, Virginia but has called Austin home for the last 12 years. Josh has a career spanning 22 years in fine jewelry with a particular passion for antique and estate jewelry. Paired with his love for fashion and history, Josh is an expert in all things luxury and a firm believer that the gems of our past tell the story of today in the most beautiful way. Whether he’s traveling to London to adore the Queen’s crown jewels, or spending time in a local museum, you can always find him learning or sharing about all the treasures from our past

Scott Carpenter

 Born and raised in Indiana, Scott is a 6 year veteran of the U.S. Navy. During his time in the Navy he developed a love for Swiss watches and began collecting. In 2014 he began his career in Bloomington, Indiana working for Luxury Bridal and Rolex Jewelers. In his experience he has gained a great wealth of knowledge in diamonds, colored gemstones, Swiss watches and jewelry design. He is also an alumnus of The Gemological Institute of America. Over the course of his career Scott has dedicated himself to becoming an expert in his field and finds great joy in helping people celebrate the moments that make life special. In his off time you’ll find Scott enjoying Austin’s comedy, bar, and food scene, breaking a sweat in the gym or running a trail in the green belt.

Eric Freund

 Originally from Georgia, Eric has lived in several different regions of the United States. He’s now thrilled to call Austin home. Eric began his Jewelry career in 2002, specializing in bridal jewelry and helping the dreams of couples in love come true. He finds it incredibly satisfying to search for and find the perfect diamond for the most important ring she’ll ever wear. He’s had the pleasure of managing some amazing people in jewelry stores in Seattle, WA and Austin. “Although I’m relatively new to the Korman family, from the first moment I sat across from Larry in the interview, I knew I had found a home where I could provide the best for my customers.” When he’s not working, you’ll find Eric enjoying what Austin has to offer: live music, paddle boarding, running around town lake, and of course the great cuisine.

Sierra

 With a passion for connection and celebration, Sierra made the jump from dental hygiene to fine jewelry. When not celebrating with the Korman team and Clients; you can find Sierra outside with her Husky, Rumple or writing in a local coffee shop.

Jeanie Collier

Jeanie Collier has been a part of Korman Fine Jewelry for over 30 years. Growing up in Austin, she began working for the company part-time in high school. After graduating from Westlake High School, she went on to pursue two Merchandising degrees. Her creative eye and attention to detail has allowed her to become a valuable member of our sales team at Korman. Stanley Marcus referenced the art of salesmanship “to be able to visualize something for someone and make them see it”. At Korman Fine Jewelry, we strive to create a shopping experience for every customer, that allows them to envision that special piece of jewelry or timepiece as part of their personal life story.

Sara Ramirez

Sara, a proud Austin Native graduated from Texas State University. She started working at Russell Korman in 2009. Sara enjoys sharing her knowledge about watches and spends most of her time overseeing watch repairs.

In her free time Sara likes to travel, spend time with family and friends, and cheer on the Houston Astros. Sara loves the local and friendly vibe the store provides and is excited for the future of Korman Fine Jewelry.

Nina Hanson

Nina joined the Korman team in 2001 with six years of fine jewelry, watch and Aloha experience from the island of Maui. “I was thrilled to discover a family-owned store that was reputable, gracious, fun and still had a chill Austin vibe”. Nina specializes in Swiss timepieces and designer jewelry. She recently attended Rolex service training and will take care of your watch or jewelry repair like it was her own. Assisting clients in selecting the perfect timepiece or picking a wonderful gift for a loved one is her passion. “I love getting to know the customers and seeing the confident look when the right watch is placed on their wrist. That happiness and connection makes my day”. Nina will help give you the best Korman experience that you deserve.

Kaylee Benavides

 Kaylee is a Marketing Coordinator at Korman and a graduate from The University of Texas. She fell in love with Austin throughout college and is here to stay! With a background in journalism and management, she’s a storyteller who loves connecting and communicating with others. On weekends, you can find her at Zilker park with her dog Ladybug, paddle boarding, or shopping around the Domain.

Brittany Folgate

 Brittany Folgate is a Marketing Director who is responsible for driving market demand and further growing the Korman brand. Prior to joining the Korman family, Brittany spent six years as a Community Relations and Events Manager in the Austin area. She has a deep-rooted love of relationship building, developing strategy, and creative marketing. Brittany enjoys traveling with her husband, taking her dog Bear to Town Lake, and checking out the latest movie at her favorite place, Alamo DraftHouse.

Lex Flores

 Lex is an Austin native through and through! She loves to share her sense of style with her clients and has fun styling pieces in store! When she isn’t dressing up Korman girls in gorgeous jewels, she loves kickboxing, swimming, and staying active alongside her family and friends!

Abigail Flannery

 Abigail has a passion for people and celebrating life’s special moments with them! From Colorado, she’s an outdoors girl who loves running, biking, and pickle balling! If she’s not at Korman, you can find her on a boat or traveling to new places!

Shelly Holstine

 Shelly was born and raised in Southwest Austin and began her career in the jewelry industry in 2009 as a timepiece department manager. Shortly after, she became Diamond Council of America certified and has continued to build her passion for jewelry throughout the years, taking on many various roles in the industry. She utilizes her creativity and resourcefulness to help make every Korman client’s dream come true, in both their time frame and budget. Like most Austinites, Shelly is a live music lover who enjoys attending concerts with her husband and two teenage sons.

Rafael Garcia

 A proud Texan and Texas Aggie, Rafa has been an Austinite since 1997. He is a graduate of the Watchmaker Education Program at Paris Junior College and has taken a circuitous path to watchmaking from the automotive repair industry. With a fascination for all things mechanical, he appreciates working on every watch that comes across his bench and strives to enhance the Korman experience through his efficiency and expertise. Outside of servicing watches, Rafa enjoys spending time with his family and riding his bicycle all over the Austin area.

Katherine Farmer Thornhill

 As a former University of Texas Cheerleader, celebrating everyday is Katherine’s specialty. With a BA in Fine Arts, she uses art to express herself through acting, painting, interior design and her fine jewelry! From her signature diamond hoops to her daily necklace stack, Katherine loves wearing pieces that represent special moments to her, and she encourages clients to do the same. An Austin native, Katherine loves giving back to her hometown and a variety of community organizations. In 2019, Katherine was named “Woman of the Year” by The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She is also a member of the UT Beautification Council, a Pi Beta Phi Alum and a volunteer at Waterloo Greenway Conservancy. You can spot her attending all UT sporting events with her husband and former Longhorn pitcher, Nathan, or spending time outdoors hiking, biking and exploring with friends and family.

David Ziegmann

 David is a proud born and raised Austinite. After graduating from Westlake High School, he attended Park University, earning his Bachelor’s degree in Accounting. With over 10 years experience in both Public and Private Accounting he’s glad to call Korman his home. He and his wife Caroline, who is also a native Austinite, are proud parents to their two daughters Presley and Adeline. David has always been a huge lover of both watching and playing sports which gave him an appreciation for the value of teamwork. You can almost always find him and his family wearing burnt orange supporting their beloved Texas Longhorns! He also enjoys doing open mic night at comedy clubs, playing baseball and golf on the weekends, and of course enjoying the great city of Austin!

Elijah Davis

 Originally from Florida, Elijah’s love for luxury fashion truly sparked during his time living in Italy. Beginning his career in the industry as a professional stylist, it’s safe to say his favorite thing is styling his clients! With experience styling streetwear to high end fashion, he testifies that diamonds pair well with anything. When he’s not creating the perfect look for his clients, Elijah enjoys traveling, running, hiking, and spending time outdoors.

Brittney Chubb

 A born and raised Austinite, Brittney is a lifelong organizer! She often studied and organized her grandmother’s jewelry box as a child, foreshadowing her future career in jewelry inventory. She began her career in the jewelry industry in 2006, and gained vast experience working at many notable jewelry stores throughout her career. Brittney is glad to have found her home at Korman, where she says the modern and welcoming atmosphere truly makes every day a celebration. Brittney enjoys attending Austin FC matches and watching Manchester United games with her husband and two children during her free time, and planning trips to England when she can!