NAHB Honors Industry Legends with National Housing Center Awards

Several industry leaders were recently honored for their contributions to the housing industry during the National Housing Center Awards Ceremony on June 6 in Washington, D.C. The ceremony recognized the recipients of the Exemplary Service to Home Building Award and the 2023 inductees to the National Housing Hall of Fame.

Exemplary Service to Home Building Award

The National Housing Center Board of Governors recognized four individuals with the Exemplary Service to Home Building Award. These recipients were honored for their outstanding accomplishments in service to the home building industry, including contributions that have a broad impact on housing development and home building, as well as the many businesses and services that support housing.

• Don Beal, Senior Life Director of Urbandale, Iowa
• David Crowe, former NAHB Chief Economist of Afton, Va.
• David Ledford, former head of NAHB's Housing Finance and Regulatory Affairs Group, of Catonsville, Md.
• David Seiders (posthumously), former NAHB Chief Economist, of Springfield Va.

National Housing Hall of Fame

In addition, the Board of Governors inducted five individuals into the National Housing Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame was established in 1976 to recognize individuals whose spirit, ingenuity and strength of character have changed our nation's housing for the better. Their determination, resourcefulness and hard work has improved home building and the quality of life for all Americans.

The 2023 inductees include:

2016 NAHB Chairman Ed Brady

Brady is a home builder and developer from Bloomington, Ill., and the current CEO of the Home Builders Institute (HBI). A second-generation home builder, he has been involved in the development of single-family homes and communities across Illinois, and more recently of the nation’s residential construction skilled trades workforce. Brady has been active in the NAHB leadership structure at the local, state and national levels throughout his career. He continues to advocate for the home building industry through building up the future workforce of our industry through HBI.

Stillman Knight

As president and CEO of the Knight Company, Knight built his family and career in Alabama and enjoyed many successes in both. His career was dedicated to achieving excellence in the multifamily housing industry for over 30 years. In 2003, Knight was appointed by President George W. Bush to serve as deputy assistant secretary for Multifamily Housing Programs. He was an active, engaged leader within NAHB for almost 50 years, serving as a tireless advocate for housing and a strong proponent of our industry. Knight was inducted posthumously and his family accepted the honor on his behalf.

2017 NAHB Chairman Granger MacDonald

MacDonald, a proud Texan, became a partner in his family’s home building business with his mother Jean, as he saw a need to begin providing for the unmet housing needs of Texas. In 1993, MacDonald developed his first multifamily community. By the early 2000s, The MacDonald Companies was a prolific developer of multifamily communities in suburban and rural communities throughout Texas. He spent countless hours and traveled the state and the country on behalf of the Texas Affiliation of Affordable Housing Providers, Texas Association of Builders and NAHB. MacDonald was inducted posthumously and his family accepted the honor on his behalf.

Dwight Schar

Schar, a native of rural northeast Ohio, founded NVHomes, known today as NVR, in 1980. Along with his dedicated team, he has built NVR into the fourth largest home building company in the country. After stepping down from his roles as CEO and chairman, his focus turned to philanthropy. He established the Inova Schar Cancer Institute, the George Mason University Schar School of Policy and Government and the Ashland University Dwight Schar College of Education.

2015 NAHB Chairman Tom Woods

With a construction career spanning nearly 50 years, Woods has focused on improving the communities he has lived and worked in, including serving as mayor of his hometown, Blue Springs, Mo. He expanded his various building enterprises across state lines, and has been a leader at all levels of the NAHB Federation. In 2009, he formed a not-for-profit, Builders Development Group, to renovate single- and multifamily housing for assisted living and workforce housing.

The National Housing Center Board of Governors also recently voted to induct former NAHB President and CEO Jerry Howard into the National Housing Hall of Fame during a special induction ceremony at the 2024 International Builders’ Show.