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Professional Builder Benchmark 2007 - Meet The Speakers

   
BENCHMARK HOME
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MEET THE SPEAKERS
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Jason JenningsJason Jennings has spent his career founding and leading successful businesses and helping other companies achieve their full economic potential.

In 2001, his book “It’s Not the Big That Eat the Small … It’s the Fast That Eat the Slow: How to Use Speed as a Competitive Tool in Business” rocketed to the New York Times, Wall Street Journal and USA Today best-sellers lists. Jason followed that with “Less is More: How Great Companies Use Productivity as a Competitive Tool in Business,” a look at the successful operations of the world’s most productive companies. His latest book, “Think Big, Act Small: How America’s Best Performing Companies Keep the Start-up Spirit Alive,” profiles the leadership of a select group: the only 10 companies in the world boasting 10 consecutive years of revenue and profit growth exceeding 10 percent.

At one time, he was the youngest radio station group owner in the world, and his unique and legendary programming, sales and management strategies are credited with revolutionizing many parts of the broadcasting industry. He also founded a consulting firm that, within three years, became the world’s largest media consultancy.

In addition, Jason has produced videos on leadership, sales, management and customer satisfaction that have contributed to the success of more than 300,000 businesses around the globe.


R. KriegelRobert Kriegel’s bold, innovative strategies for keeping ahead of the changes and challenges in today’s business climate have led U.S. News & World report to call him —a leading authority on change and human performance.

Author of the national best-seller “If It Ain’t Broke … Break It!: And Other Conventional Wisdom for a Changing Business World,” Bob also wrote the Business Week best-seller “Sacred Cows Make the Best Burgers: Developing Change-Ready People and Organizations.” His most recent release, “How to Succeed in Business Without Working So Damn Hard,”focuses on innovation and out-of-the-box thinking.

Kriegel, a former all-American swimmer and pioneering sports psychologist, has coached Olympic and professional athletes. He founded one of the country’s first sports psychology institutes and was recognized by The New York Times for spurring a “revolution in performance practices.”

Bob amuses and inspires audiences with his unique strategies for keeping ahead of change, outpacing the competition, turning innovation into action and rounding up the sacred cows that waste money and inhibit creativity.


J. Walker SmithJ. Walker Smith is president of Yankelovich, a marketing consultancy specializing in consumer lifestyle trends and database marketing solutions. Walker is co-author of “Rockingthe Ages: The Yankelovich Report on Generational Marketing,” a highly-regarded assessment of generational marketing strategies. His latest book, “Coming to Concurrence: Addressable Attitudes and the New Model for Marketing Productivity,” leaves no doubt as to why Fortune magazine described him as one of America’s leading analysts on consumer trends.

Prior to Yankelovich, Walker was director of research for DowBrands, and he is a past vice president of the marketing research division of the American Marketing Association. He broadcasts a weekly commentary on public radio and contributes regular columns to Marketing Management magazine and Media magazine.


Jim HaugheyJim Haughey has more than 30 years experience as a business economist; more than 20 of those have been spent monitoring the building and construction industry. Today Jim serves as director of economics at Reed Construction Data, provider of the RS Means construction project cost data for the building industry. In that role, he prepares detailed construction market forecasts for the Associated Construction Publications 14 regional magazines as well as for Building Design & Construction, Construction Equipment and BuildingTeamForecast.com.

Prior to joining Reed Construction Data, Jim worked in the government, corporate and academic sectors, with teaching posts at the University of Michigan, Ohio University, Michigan State University and the University of Massachusetts. He holds a doctorate in economics from the University of Michigan.


John RymerJohn Rymer is the founder of Rymer Strategies marketing specialists and a leading authority on the strategic marketing and sale of residential real estate properties. He moderates Internet-based new-home sales training sessions for subscribers to NewHomeKnowledge, and is a regular contributor to Professional Builder magazine.

In his former role as vice president of national sales and marketing for Morrison Homes, sales increased 400 percent during his tenure to more than 3,500 annually. John also headed up national marketing efforts for Jack Nicklaus Development Corp. During his 20-plus years in the residential real-estate industry, more than $5 billion in sales was generated under his supervision.

Today, John is the vice-chair of the Residential Council of the Urban Land Institute, an active member of the NAHB and a frequent speaker at the International Builders’ Show.

John holds an undergraduate degree in economics from Florida State University and an MBA in marketing/finance from the University of Miami.


Rick HeastonRick Heaston is the founder and president of R.A. Heaston and Co., a sales training and marketing firm specializing in programs geared to today’s customers. He is the author of the seminar training and workbook program TouchPoint Interview Selling™, which has been proven to produce more sales, happier customers and higher margins.

Rick has a many industry awards to his credit, from Rookie Salesperson of the Year and Salesperson of the Year with one of Denver’s leading home builders to numerous regional sales and marketing honors. A career highlight came when he was recognized by the NAHB as the National Marketing Director of the Year.

A dynamic speaker and writer, Rick is a regular contributor to Professional Builder as well as Housing Giants magazines.



Breakout Session Panelists

Supply Chain Panel

David HanrahanDavid Hanrahan, Co-CEO
Arthur Rutenberg Homes
Eleven years ago, David Hanrahan joined Arthur Rutenberg Homes charged with redesigning its legacy computer systems. He quickly moved up to director of information technology and was made a vice president just a year later. Next Hanrahan became executive vice president for Franchise Services, responsible for IT, advertising, design, custom design, back-office services and purchasing and sales support. From there he served as chief operating officer until moving into his current role as co-CEO.


David C. HunihanDavid C. Hunihan, Steward and President
Fidelity Homes
In 1991, two years out of Boston College, David Hunihan left New Jersey with his marketing degree and headed to Florida to pursue a career in general real-estate. By the next year, he had become a state-licensed real-estate salesman and instructor and shifted his focus to the home building industry. Within a few years, he became president of one of Sarasota's top local home building companies. And by 2000, he opened the award-winning home building company, Fidelity Homes.

Since then, Hunihan has developed more than five popular communities in Sarasota and Manatee counties. His company's commitment to excellence, service and the greater community has placed Hunihan and Fidelity Homes among the leaders in the Southwest Florida home building industry and has sparked national recognition.

Hunihan is a lifetime member of the National Sales and Marketing Council Million Dollar Circle Award; has been recognized as one of the Tampa Bay Business Journal's "40 Under 40;" and is a lifetime Spike Member of the NAHB Member 50 Spike Club.


Glenn SingerGlenn Singer, CEO
Builder Partnerships
A 40-year veteran of the residential construction industry, Glenn Singer brings a world of experience to the Supply Chain Management panel. As CEO of Builder Partnerships, Singer actively promotes builder/manufacturer relationships by facilitating direct interaction.

During his 14-year stint with CertainTeed where he was director of building science, Singer was responsible for all customer programs and strategies as well as building-science support. He developed and implemented the Insulation Contractor Certified Program and the CertainTeed building science technology strategy.

Singer has served on the NAHB Executive and NAHB Energy and Research committees; has been a member of the NAHB Research Center's Board of Directors; and is a past chairman of the National Council of the Housing Industry. He also served as a member of the PATH Industry Steering Committee and the Urban Land Institute.

Currently, Singer is a member of the Building Materials Issues committee; is an NCHI trustee; and is chairman of the NCHI Technical committee on mold. He has received the coveted Member of Distinction award from NCHI for his continuous leadership and contributions to NCHI and NAHB.



New Technology Panel

Glenn SingerChristopher Luter, Director of Information Technologies
Veridian Homes
As director of information technologies for Veridian Homes, Chris Luter has developed a custom CRM solution with integrated ERP and QMS controls that improve customer satisfaction. His efforts contributed to Veridian Homes' winning the National Housing Quality Award and the Innovative Housing Technology Award.

Luter is a contributing editor of the "Executive Guide to Understanding and Implementing the Baldwin Criteria" and a frequent speaker on IT strategy, alignment and execution of quality systems. A charter member of the Information Technology Association of Wisconsin (ITAWi), Luter brings to the panel 20 years of management experience with biotech, government agencies and privately held companies.


Craig SchweikartCraig Schweikart, Vice President, Builder 360
Constellation HomeBuilder Systems
Craig Schweikart brings to the panel a unique combination of technical skills and industry knowledge. He got his start in the building industry more than 25 years ago as a programmer/developer on the first fully-integrated software developed specifically for production builders. As a result of his extensive work with many software providers evaluating and improving their software packages, Schweikart is adept at helping builders understand the multitude of software available to their organizations and often consults with them on system selection as well as process and profit management.

Schweikart has presented seminars nationwide to production homebuilders on topics including: value engineering, using CADD in the production process, improving profitability, purchasing, managing the change order process, variance control, field audits to control profit leaks and managing costs using ratio analysis.

Most recently, Schweikart joined Constellation Homebuilder Systems leading the efforts of the Builder 360 product team.


Noelle L. TarabulskiNoelle L. Tarabulski, CEO
Builder Consulting Group
After earning an M.B.A. with an emphasis in real estate and industrial marketing from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, Noelle Tarabulski started her career as a field operations manager for home building giant Toll Brothers. That role gave her the opportunity to work closely with the company’s president and executive officers while she performed market research; purchased land; built model homes; and contracted and managed site improvements, home construction, and all other aspects of the home building process.

Four years later, Tarabulski launched her consulting career as the founder and president of Builder Consulting Group, a technology and operations consulting firm specializing in the improvement of management practices in the home building and development industry.

Tarabulski has worked with many home builder software systems, including F.A.S.T., TOM Software, Timberline, NewStar Software Systems, BuildSoft, CDCI, GC/Works, BuildSoft Enterprise, BuildTopia, BuilderMT, Punchlist Manager, JD Edwards and OptionWiz, a Design Center software application developed specifically for the design center and option environment.

An active member of the NAHB Management & Information Technology Committee, Tarabulski is also a council member of the Residential Neighborhood Development Council–Gold Flight of the Urban Land Institute and a regular speaker before NAHB, NARI, HBAs Builder 20  members and many state home builder conventions.



Green Building Panel

Michael DickensMichael Dickens, Partner/CEO
IBACOS and BuildIQ
As CEO and founder of BuildIQ, the leading online educator for best practices in home building, Michael Dickens is responsible for the company's strategic direction and business process improvement programs with builder clients.

Previously, Dickens was the CEO of BuildIQ's sister company, IBACOS, an advanced research and consulting company he co-founded in 1991 to reinvent the way homes are designed, built and used. Throughout the 1990s, Dickens and IBACOS played a pioneering role in helping the U.S. Department of Energy create its successful Building America program, which is working toward zero-energy homes. IBACOS was an outgrowth from GE, where Dickens directed the Living Environments program, a collaboration of leading manufacturers focused on new systems approaches to building American homes.

Dickens is a long-time member of several housing industry organizations, including the NAHB and the Urban Land Institute. He has spoken about innovation in home building at many prominent events including the Professional Builder Benchmark Conference, Builder 100, The Presidential Seminar, NAHB's International Builders' Show, PCBC, The Remodeling Show™ and many regional HBA events. He is a regular contributor to Housing Giants magazine and has appeared on the "Today Show," CNN, the Discovery Channel, HGTVPro Weekly, the DIY Network and the "Oprah Winfrey Show," among others.

Dickens earned a bachelor's with honors in industrial design from England's Manchester Polytechnic and a postgraduate diploma in automotive design from the Royal College of Art in London.


Jim GleesonJim Gleeson, AIA, Principal
Jim Gleeson/Design Integration
You may know Jim Gleeson as the founder of Smart@Little, the sustainable design initiative at Little Diversified Architectural Counseling, one of the nation's top A&E firms. He was also lead designer and sustainable design consultant for the University of South Carolina West Quad Living Learning Center - believed to be the first LEED-certified project designed with Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology - earning it a LEED Silver rating and helping it become the first LEED-certified campus in the U.S. Gleeson has been a LEED-accredited professional since 2001.

Gleeson's work in the area of object-based 3-D technology has been highlighted in Architectural Record and Cadalyst magazines. While at Little he led the Revit Technology Early Adopter Pilot Program and is currently consulting with Autodesk to help augment the sustainable design functionality of its leading software Revit Building.

Today, Gleeson's firm, Design Integration, helps clients understand and incorporate the business-case metrics of high-performance building design into their building proformas. He is currently working on economically competitive green custom homes and recently completed construction documents for the first green Habitat for Humanity house in North Carolina.


David MilnerDavid Milner Sr., Vice President Field Operations
Haven Properties
A second-generation home builder, David Milner Sr. has spent the last decade in various roles with Haven Properties, including as superintendent and area project manager before becoming Haven Properties' vice president field operations and EarthCraft/Energy Star coordinator.

Prior to coming to Haven Properties, Milner served as area manager for D.R. Horton's Atlanta Division as well as for Atlanta builder Cottage Properties. He is a former entrepreneur, having once owned his own home building and remodeling company in central Texas.


 

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