Shirley Wiseman

Shirley McVay Wiseman served as president of NAHB in 1989, the first woman to serve as president. A home builder from Lexington, Ky., and Lake Wales, Fla., Wiseman is the president of Wiseman Construction & Development Co., Inc., of Lexington, and of Wiseman Homes of Florida, Inc. She served as the HUD deputy assistant secretary for single-family housing in 1983 and 1984, and in 1984 and early 1985, she was HUD’s general deputy assistant secretary for housing/federal housing commissioner.

Wiseman has served as an NAHB national vice president and became a life director in 1979. She has served on the board of directors of the Home Builders Association of Kentucky and was named their Builder of the Year in 1980. Wiseman was president of the Home Builders Association of Lexington in 1975, served on its board of directors from 1972 to 1978, and was named its Builder of the Year in 1978.

She founded the Home Owners Warranty Corp. of Lexington and served as its first president in 1976. Wiseman is also a founder and an officer of Lexington Housing for the Handicapped Inc. and was appointed to the Florida Developmental Disabilities Council by Gov. Robert Martinez.