NAHB Names Outstanding Educator, Professionals of the Year
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) honored seven individuals who have excelled in teaching NAHB education courses and who have displayed notable professionalism as NAHB educational designation holders, naming them the 2022 Educator and Designees of the Year. The awards were presented during the 2023 NAHB International Builders’ Show® (IBS) in Las Vegas.
“We are extremely proud to honor these industry professionals who have committed the time and effort to enhance their skills and have helped bring awareness to the education programs offered by NAHB,” said NAHB Education Committee Chair Jim Carr, CGP, GMB.
The honorees are:
Builder Designee of the Year. Tag Gilkeson, CAPS, CGA, CGB, CGP, CGR, CMP, CSP, GMB, Master CGP, Master CSP, MIRM, is the owner of Tag & Associates, LLC, a design/build company located in Carrollton, Texas. Gilkeson got his start in the real estate and construction industry in 1999 after obtaining his Texas REALTOR license. With a primary business focus in investment real estate, it was easy for him to transition into buying properties and flipping houses which led to Gilkeson starting his own general contracting company. With more than 20 years of experience, he consistently utilizes the resources around him to gain more knowledge in his field and is committed to sharing that knowledge and expertise with other industry professionals.
CAPS Designee of the Year. Scott B. Roberts, CAPS, CGP, is the owner of Creative Architects located in Garland, Texas. He is an industry veteran and a true professional with an incredible knowledge of the architectural industry and has designed and planned a variety of projects since establishing his firm 1982. Over the course of his career, Roberts has designed both residential and nonresidential structures to include elderly housing, recreational facilities, as well as single and multifamily housing. He has also served as a judge for many design competitions, spoken at seminars, written articles for magazines and has been an active leader in the Dallas Builders Association and the City of Garland, Texas.
Green Professional of the Year. Matt Mitchell, CAPS, CGB, CGP, CSP, GMB, Master CGP, is the owner of James Andrews Custom Homes, LLC in Dallas. Mitchell has been a builder and REALTOR since 2002 and has been actively involved with the Dallas Builders Association since he joined in 2011. His quest for knowledge has earned him several college degrees, including an Associates of Arts and Science degree in Construction Management from North Lake College.
HCCP Designee of the Year. Ronnette Smith, HCCP, is a senior trainer with Zeffert & Associates, a nationwide leader of affordable housing compliance and training services, in St. Louis. With 20 years of industry experience, Smith has overseen more than 30 communities at varying levels. She is an affordable housing expert across multiple funding restrictions and training disciplines and is now widely considered a "must-have" for properties that require teams with proficiency in compliance. Her students boast designation pass rates amongst the highest in the nation because of her unique ability to make otherwise complicated information easy to understand.
Remodeler Designee of the Year. Philip A. Calinda, Jr., CAPS, CGB, CGP, CGR, GMB, GMR, is the sole proprietor of Millennium Custom Homes LLC, a design/build firm in Livingston, N.J. Calinda is a third-generation builder who oversees all new construction, renovation and remodeling projects at his company. He credits mentoring from others in the industry and NAHB education courses as essential to his success. He helped his local home builders association become a destination for professionals seeking NAHB designation courses. The New Jersey Builders Association, Metropolitan Builders & Contractors Association of New Jersey and the New Jersey Association of Realtors have recognized his company with honors and awards.
Sales & Marketing Designee of the year. Nicolas Ray Ream, CAPS, CGA, CGB, CGP, CGR, CSP, GMB, Master CGP serves as the senior vice president of sales and marketing, project manager and director of research and development at Montana Heritage Home Builders Inc., an award-winning family owned and operated luxury design/build company in Columbia Falls, Mont. Ream is actively involved with NAHB—including participation in the National Sales & Marketing Council—the Montana Building Industry Association (MBIA) and the Flathead Building Association (FBA). He is also in the process of becoming an education instructor for NAHB and earning NAHB’s Graduate Master Remodeler (GMR) designations.
Educator of the Year. Gail Stocks, CAPS, is the founder and principal of EZ Way To Stay in Montclair, N.J. As an occupational therapist and accessibility specialist, she has decades of experience working with clients of all ages and abilities. Since earning the CAPS designation in 2017, she has promoted the designation and its benefits in her community and among industry peers. With a master’s degree in occupational therapy from NYU, Stocks is an advocate of the aging-in-place community and has created a home study course focused on home modifications.