ORLANDO, Feb. 15 - Members of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) elected four Senior Officers to top leadership positions within the federation today during the association's International Builders' Show in Orlando.
With more than 800 affiliated state and local home builders associations (HBAs) and 235,000 members across the country, NAHB is the "voice of the housing industry" representing the interests of the nation's housing professionals through advocacy, education and research efforts. Its members construct about 80 percent of the new homes built each year in the United States. All together, housing-related goods and services account for approximately 16 cents out of every dollar spent in the U.S. economy.
Taking the helm as NAHB president this year is Sandy Dunn, a second-generation West Virginia home builder who has provided affordable housing to Mountain State residents for more than three decades. Dunn is president of Point Pleasant, W. Va.-based B.J. Builders, Inc., a company founded by her father in 1953 that specializes in single-family, entry-level homes.
"Our primary objective in 2008 will be to work with the nation's lawmakers and administration to implement policies that will resolve the credit crunch in housing finance markets and revitalize home building as the engine of economic growth," said Dunn. "Concurrently, we will strive to ramp up the political involvement of our 235,000 members so that home builders and their affiliates have the strongest possible voice in Washington during this election year and beyond."
Also moving up on the association's leadership ladder during NAHB's Orlando board meeting was Tulsa, Okla.-based home builder Joe Robson, who was elected by unanimous consent to the position of NAHB First Vice President. A leader in the Tulsa area home building and development industries for more than 25 years, he is the founder and president of The Robson Companies, Inc., developers of residential communities and commercial properties.
Meanwhile, Bloomfield Hills, Mich.-based home builder Bob Jones was elected to the post of 2008 NAHB Vice President and Treasurer. As president of Robert R. Jones Homes, he specializes in land development and the design and construction of single-family luxury homes throughout metropolitan Detroit. During Jones's 35-year career, he has earned a reputation for excellence and established a continuing commitment to the home building industry across the local, state and national levels.
Reno, Nev.-based builder Bob Nielsen joined the NAHB leadership ladder with his election to the post of Vice President and Secretary. Nielsen has over 25 years of experience in the industry and has overseen the development of more than 45 new home communities housing 4,500-plus families. He is president of Shelter Properties, a building and development company headquartered in northern Nevada that has constructed communities across the state as well as in California.
2007 NAHB President Brian Catalde, from El Segundo, Calif., remains on the leadership ladder as Immediate Past President. A driving force in the Southern California home building industry for more than 30 years, Catalde is president and chief operating officer of Paragon Communities, which develops and builds single-family and multifamily communities as well as commercial properties.
Rounding out the association's leadership is NAHB Executive Vice President and CEO Jerry Howard, from Washington, D.C. Howard heads up a professional staff of more than 300 working out of the National Housing Center in Washington. After previously serving as the association's chief tax counsel, Howard was promoted to EVP/CEO in February of 2001.