Henry Cisneros
Executive Chairman, CityView

Henry Cisneros has been a builder all his life, building up communities in urban settings that others walked away from. As Executive Chairman of CityView companies, he works with the nation’s leading homebuilders to create homes average American families can afford. That partnership lies at the foundation of some 40 communities in 12 states, and has wrought more than 7,000 homes with an aggregate value of more than $2 billion.

As the first Hispanic-American mayor of a major U.S. city, Henry spent his four terms helping to rebuild San Antonio’s economic base, creating jobs through massive infrastructure and downtown improvements. From 1992-97 he served as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, initiating the revitalization of many of the nation’s public housing developments, improving the rate of home ownership and upgrading national strategies to reduce homelessness. Today he remains active in non-profit and civic leadership.

In addition to his service as an infantry officer in the United States Army, Henry earned Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Urban and Regional Planning from Texas A & M University, a Master’s degree in Public Administration from Harvard University, and a Doctorate in Public Administration from George Washington University, and is the recipient of more than 20 honorary degrees.

Neil Howe 
Founding partner, LifeCourse Associates

Neil Howe is a best-selling author, popular speaker, historian, economist and demographer. As a renowned authority on generations, Howe offers powerful insights into today’s generation; who they are, what motivates them as consumers and workers, and how they will shape our national future.

Howe is a founding partner of the consulting firm LifeCourse Associates, and marketing, personnel and government affairs consultant to corporate and non-profit clients. With graduate degrees in economics and history, he is a recognized authority on global aging, long-term fiscal policy and migration. He has written and spoken extensively on the collective personalities of today’s generations, and his book 13th Gen remains the best-selling nonfiction book ever written about Generation X. Neil Howe’s original insights will forever change how you look at the future.

Terry Jones
Founder, Travelocity.com

Terry Jones may be best known as the 1996 founder of Travelocity.com. Today he is the managing principal of Essential Ideas, a consultancy helping travel companies transition to the digital economy. He is a national expert on ecommerce and travel, with a world view on the power of long-term technology planning and partnerships.

How did Terry Jones go from being a travel agent in Chicago to launching a dot com with over $3.3 billion in bookings?

The back story is his 24 years at Sabre Inc., where he parlayed his experience in the travel industry and his expertise in computer services to become Chief Information Officer. When he took a small internal department at The Sabre Group with a staff of 20 and grew it into a nationally-respected brand with 1,600 employees, revenues over $300 million and profits of $16 million, Travelocity.com became a household name.

Tim Sullivan
President, Sullivan Group Real Estate Advisors

Tim Sullivan leveraged a degree in Economics and an MBA concentrating in Marketing and Finance to build a 25-year career developing growth strategies for the residential real estate market. His special talent lies in defining geographic market opportunities, conceptualizing community design and honing product, pricing and absorption potential.

Tim was senior manager with KPMG Peat Marwick’s National Real Estate Consulting Group prior to becoming principal of The Meyers Group. Today he serves as Program Committee Chair for PCBC and is the National Chair for ULI’s Residential Neighborhood Design Council. And he is a high-profile contributor to industry events and organizations, serving as a member of the NAHB Institute of Residential Marketing (MIRM), Builder Marketing Society, and a Subject Matter Expert (SME) for Research and Trends Training Module for National Council on Senior Housing (NCOSH).

Tony Avila
Senior Advisor, Americrest Homes

Tony Avila is a senior advisor to Boca Raton, Fla.-based Americrest Homes, a start-up builder with $500 million in equity capital focused on finding opportunities in distressed land in Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, Texas and the Mid-Atlantic states.

He was previously head of home building investment banking at JMP Securities in San Francisco. Before that, he worked as a specialist in putting together home building industry merger and acquisition deals, first at Montgomery Securities and later for Bank of America Securities. He represented D.R. Horton in the public builder’s $1.6 billion acquisition of Schuler Homes, the second-largest home builder M&A transaction in history.

Tony holds a bachelor’s in political economy and business administration from the University of California, Berkeley.

Jamie Bigelow
President, Bigelow Homes

Jamie Bigelow is a second-generation land developer and home builder who learned the industry at the knee of his father, Perry.

The company was one of the first developer/builders in the U.S. to bring to the market affordable, neo-traditional communities. Bigelow Homes embraced green building back in 1978 and designed its first traditional neighborhood development 12 years later. Its demonstrated discipline, values and innovation have enabled Bigelow Homes to expand into two additional states in the midst of the current building industry crisis.

Jamie worked in all departments of home building after attending Eastern University in St. Davids, Pa., and recently completed the executive M.B.A. program at Harvard Business School. He is an active member of Urban Land Institute, North West Housing Partnership, Home Builders Association of Greater Chicago and other professional and community organizations
 
Bigelow Homes has been recognized as a Professional Builder Builder of the Year and ranks among the nation’s most forward-thinking, innovative builders. Jamie has followed in his father’s groundbreaking footsteps, taking up the mantle as a strong proponent of environmentally and socially sustainable communities.

Paul Cardis
CEO and Founder
Paul Cardis founded AVID Ratings in 1993 to help home builders measure, understand and change their organizations to improve customer delight and increase company profitability. A graduate of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, Paul holds master’s degrees in both research methods and psychology.

Christian Caswell
General Manager- Canadian Operations
As general manager of Canadian operations, Christian Caswell oversees sales, marketing and customer Service for AVID Ratings’ Canadian initiatives. He also co-writes articles with AVID Ratings CEO Paul Cardis on customer loyalty in several industry magazines such as Ontario Builder and Home BUILDER Magazine.

Before joining AVID Ratings in 2006, Christian had seven years of extensive experience in the residential construction industry, plus three years of management experience in the commercial, institutional and industrial industries. As an achievement-oriented leader, he specializes in marketing, educating and supporting the best process-improvement programs the residential building industry has to offer.

Christian is studying Architectural Technologies at Southern Alberta Institute of Technology and working toward his master’s from Athabasca University. He has a marketing degree from University of Lethbridge and a marketing diploma from Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.

Jan Coulis has eight years of experience working at Minto Communities, the largest Ottawa-based low-rise home builder in Canada’s capital. As customer experience manager, Jan’s mandate is to align business processes with customer needs to deliver an extraordinary customer experience for every new home purchaser. By taking an analytical and data-driven approach, Jan works with division executives, management and front line staff to formulate and implement various customer satisfaction initiatives that focus on all aspects of the home buying process, from sales and marketing through the end of the warranty period. 

Jan is an active participant in the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association Customer Service Committee, and she holds a bachelor’s of commerce with specialization in marketing from the University of Ottawa.

Joe Donahoe
President, JPD Group

Before establishing his consulting firm, JPD Group, Joe Donahoe held upper management positions with Cambridge Homes, Lexington Homes and Pulte Homes, where he developed numerous programs designed to satisfy today’s high-demand customer expectations and deliver customer satisfaction. He was also division quality assurance manager for Centex Homes, where he oversaw all aspects of quality; customer service; trade selection; and product evaluation and selection.

A passionate believer in education, Joe is a senior instructor in a University of Illinois-sponsored educational program for the home building industry. He is a tireless customer advocate, understanding the complexity of dealing with today’s home buyers on a rational as well as emotional basis.

David Drees
President and CEO, The Drees Company

Carrying on the homebuilding legacy begun by his grandfather Theodore in 1928, David Drees represents the third generation of the Drees family steeped in building communities in and around Cincinnati and northern Kentucky.

Beginning as a Division Coordinator in 1983, he rose to Vice President of the Cincinnati region by 1989, was named President of The Drees Company in 1994, and Chairman in 2000. During that time the company has doubled in size, growing from 500 to 1,000 employees and under David’s leadership has made six acquisitions and expanded into 10 markets to become the eighth-largest privately-owned homebuilder in the United States.

David Drees holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business and Residential Construction from Trinity University in San Antonio, and a Master’s degree in business from Xavier University. He has served as President of the Northern Kentucky Home Builders Association and is active in the Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce and the Greater Cincinnati Chapter of the Young President Organization.

Jack L. Haynes
Executive Vice President, National Builder Division, Countrywide

Before joining Countrywide, where he serves the financing needs of builders and buyers nationwide, Jack L. Haynes was employed by Hearthstone Advisors, where he was responsible for the investment of institutional capital in home building projects throughout the western United States. He has more than 25 years of mortgage industry experience, having also held positions with Weyerhaeuser Mortgage and GMAC Mortgage as well.

Haynes holds degrees in economics, political science and law. He is an active member of the NAHB and a prolific speaker at industry events, including the International Builders’ Show and Pacific Coast Builders Conference.

Jim Hilliard has worked in the residential construction industry for more than 25 years and has built a reputation of excellence in effectively managing both internal and external customers to maximize divisional and corporate success. Frequently known by colleagues as the “Fix-It Guy,” no managerial challenge has ever defeated him. A visionary leader and natural communicator, Jim is proficient in team building; staff management; policy and procedure development; and creative conflict resolution.

Jim’s extensive experience with top national home builders, including Centex & Pulte Homes, has allowed him to excel at creating collaborative team environments, regardless of staff limitations or market conditions. He has authored multiple articles and training modules that focus on talent management, employee development and succession planning.

Jim’s diverse background in the home building industry ranges from construction management at an operational level to strategic HR enhancement. His professional successes are a culmination of his passion for customer service and a vision for uniting individuals towards a common goal of excellence.

Scott Himelhoch
Executive Consultant

Scott Himelhock joined AVID Ratings in January 2008 as executive consultant after spending five years with Pulte Homes, one of the largest home builders in the United States. As Pulte’s director of customer relations, he managed a team responsible for more than 850 closings a year. Prior to working in the home building industry, Scott worked in the auto industry as a project manager and consultant to large-scale exhibit manufacturers. Scott received his bachelor’s degree in business management from Florida State University and his master’s — with an emphasis in customer satisfaction and total quality management — from the University of South Florida. Scott is based in Chandler, Ariz.

John Hrynkow has been involved in the housing industry for 29 years. He established his own company, Park Royal Homes, in 1989 and serves at its chief executive officer. 

Park Royal Homes builds single-family homes in the Edmonton, Canada, region and is recognized as an industry leader in customer care. The company’s commitment to provide the best home buyer experience is reflected in its winning the coveted Customer Choice Award 12 times.

As a longtime industry volunteer, John has been involved at all levels of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association. He is a former president of the CHBA –  Edmonton Region and of CHBA – Alberta. He was a director of the Alberta New Home Warranty Program for 10 years and held the position of board chairman for 2000 and 2001. At the national level, John served as chair of the former sales and marketing committee for two years and continues to be an active participant in the national marketing committee. He was appointed to the CHBA’s executive board in 2006.

John was born and educated in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. He and his wife, Corinne, live in the Edmonton area.

Allan J. Klassen
President and Managing Partner, Albi Homes

Allan J. Klassen serves as the president and managing partner of Albi Homes. Albi Homes is in its 25th year building luxury homes in the Calgary, Canada, market and is one of the most recognizable brands in the area. Over the past 3 years, Albi has built about 180 luxury homes averaging $900,000.

Allan has been in the housing industry for 17 years, starting in 1991 as a sales representative for Albi Homes. Over his career he enjoyed a variety of roles including CEO for Homes by Avi of Calgary and became Albi Homes’ first non-family president and CEO. Allan and his partners purchased Albi Homes in 2004, and it has focused on providing world-class products and services to their customers, employees and partners.

He has been involved with several builders’ associations, once serving as president of the Calgary Region Home Builders’ Association and as well as president of the Alberta chapter of CHBA. Klassen has been recognized over the years with numerous association awards, including the Rookie of the Year, the Beaver Award, the President’s Award and the George Frieser Award, the highest level of recognition given for a volunteer at the provincial level for his leadership in gaining local and provincial support of the One Voice – One Industry initiative. Additionally, in 2004 Allan was recognized in Alberta Venture magazine as one of the 50 most influential people in Alberta.

Allan is an accomplished speaker and often addresses topics such as hiring the right people, the growing pains of success and remaining successful in a competitive market.

Ken Knorr
CEO, Buildtelligence Web Solutions

Ken Knorr is a recognized search engine expert (“seologist”), author, speaker and champion of applied technology in the home building Industry. Today he is the founder and president of Buildtelligence Web Solutions. Buildtelligence (www.buildtelligence.com) delivers search engine optimization and search engine marketing services to companies of all types throughout the United States, Europe and Australia to help them lead their respective industries in developing effective and dominating Internet presences.

A Systems Engineer by trade, Ken began his venture into the residential home building industry as a director of information technology for a burgeoning retirement developer. After he automated sales systems, created back office solutions, deployed online construction scheduling and led the company to a dominant online presence that generated tens of thousands of leads and thousands of sales, he rose to vice president of operations. Later, he returned to his entrepreneurial roots, bringing his experience to other home builders and developers nationwide.

Of note, Ken also has a heart for non-profit organizations and dedicates 10 percent of his company’s resources to developing non-profit Websites that are as effective as their commercial counterparts.

Jill started in the sales and marketing department at Mattamy Homes, but her customer-centric attitude quickly led her to Mattamy’s Customer Care Department. With a relentless focus on customer satisfaction, today she heads up Mattamy Homes’ East GTA Division Customer Care Department as director of customer care.

Jill has taken an active role in promoting a superior level of customer service at Mattamy — one not often seen in the home building industry today. She has worked extensively with AVID’s Solutions side of the business to bring about changes that build upon past successes to ensure even greater successes in the future. Jill holds a bachelor of arts in forensics and psychology from McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.

Mattamy Homes was founded in 1978 on a principle of building homes that reflect the needs of the families living in them. Since then, Mattamy has built more than 30,000 homes, with customer satisfaction at the heart of the company. With Canadian Divisions in five major urban centres (East GTA, Halton, Peel, Ottawa and Calgary), along with four U.S. Divisions (Minnesota, Florida, Arizona, and North Carolina), Mattamy continually listens to homeowners and finds ways to improve their service — while building approximately 5,000 homes per year.

Jack Marshall
Senior Quality Advisor
Jack Marshall joined AVID Ratings in August 2007 as senior quality advisor, assisting the entire AVID team from a builder’s perspective. Jack has been a professional in the home-building industry for almost three decades, working as a general contractor and as a quality-assurance manager for two of the largest residential builders in Chicago. He was instrumental in the creation of the customer service department for the active-adult community Carillon at Cambridge Lakes. Jack has extensive experience training customer service managers and field personnel in customer satisfaction, referrals, proper building practices and quality assurance.

Serge Ogranovitch
Senior Partner, The Potomack Group

Serge Ogranovitch is an international management advisor who provided companies with customized management solutions that help save them money while they increase effectiveness and customer satisfaction. 

Serge has been intensely involved with the housing industry both as a judge for the National Housing Quality Award and as an advisor to some of the leading home builders in the US and Canada. He works closely with the NAHB-Research Center for the development and implementation of the NHQ quality management systems for both builders and trade contractors.

In this role, Serge draws upon his experience implementing and auditing quality assurance and quality management systems, his expertise in strategic planning and project management as well as techniques for re-engineering industries and government agencies. He has incorporated various management tools into one corporate-effective system designed to streamline management and improve effectiveness.

Alan Parrow
President and CEO, Bull Free Solutions
Alan Parrrow heads a firm specializing in sales and operational turnaround consulting and management for distressed home builders and developers. It’s a bit of a detour for this social psychologist who holds doctorate from Duke University.

Alan began his career as a management consultant for Fortune 500 clients and various government agencies. One assignment had him developing more than 40 state licensing examinations for engineers, architects and construction trades.

Later, he would segue into real-estate. After several years as a top producer, he formed two real-estate firms: one designed to revitalize struggling communities and another that pioneered in selling real-estate over the Internet. The companies grew into regional powerhouses and eventually were sold to competitors. It set Alan up to become CEO of an employee-owned regional home builder. During his nine-year tenure, it grew from $22 million to more than $140 million, logging the company’s biggest year ever. He attributes the company’s rise in a deeply declining market to continuous improvement in marketing strategy, production efficiency, product quality and customer satisfaction.

Ultimately, Alan decided to return to his first love — consulting — and works to ensure the survival of mid-size home builders he considers the backbone of the housing industry.

Sarah Peck
President and Owner, Progressive Housing Ventures LLC

Armed with a B.A. degree from Yale and a Master’s degree in Urban Planning from the London School of Economics, Sarah Peck blazed a career in real estate development that —after 30 years—shows no sign of abating.

She began as a Senior Market Analyst with the Oliver T. Carr Company and Gladstone Associates in Washington, D.C., where she analyzed market and financial feasibility of major commercial real estate projects and properties. As a Project manager at Toll Brothers for three years she secured land development entitlements and ran the company’s mortgage banking operation. Her next stop was Rouse/Chamberlin Homes in suburban Philadelphia where, during her 15-year tenure as President and CEO, she built nearly 2000 homes in 20 communities and achieved 15 consecutive years of profitability and annual revenues in excess of $40 million.

Today Sarah is president and owner of Progressive Housing Ventures, a real estate development and homebuilding company developing new housing in infill and older suburban locations ripe for residential redevelopment. She sits on the Board of Directors of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh. And among her many distinctions, she is the founding president of a non-profit home ownership organization for low and moderate-income families, and co-founder of the Commercial Real Estate Women Philadelphia and the Commercial Real Estate Women National Network.

Nancy Schuette
Executive Strategy Manager
Nancy Schuette is executive strategy manager, actively participating in the Executive Leadership Team and supporting the strategic initiatives of AVID Ratings. Nancy joined AVID Ratings in February 2006. She has a varied background supporting senior executives and their management teams; growing support staff skill sets; and managing projects. She is an honors graduate of Madison Area Technical College.

Ryan Scott
CEO, Avalon Master Builder

As chief executive officer of Avalon Master Builder of Calgary, Canada, Ryan Scott is a pioneer in eco-smart building. He has committed the company to building a demonstration house every year to test the newest technologies in environmentally sustainable and energy-efficient home building. Today, every home built by Avalon Master Builder is a Built Green home. In fact, Avalon’s mission is — by 2015 — to build 100 percent of its homes at net-zero energy at no additional cost to the consumer while creating homes people love to live in.

Ryan is the chair of the Professional Home Builders Institute of Alberta as well as Alberta's representative on the National Education and Training Advisory Committee of the Canadian Home Builders’ Association.

Charles Sheron

Charles Sheron’s career in building started in 1963, when he entered the Atlanta property market employed by one of Atlanta’s largest property families. His responsibilities were acquiring and selling undeveloped land.
After a stint as a general manager for a large Atlanta builder and developer, in 1966 he formed Charles Sheron Builders, which became the largest speculative and custom home builder in the Atlanta region. As the upper-end market grew, Charles Sheron Builders evolved into The Sheron Group, which became the holding company for its subsidiaries. Offices are in Atlanta; Fort Lauderdale, Fla.; London; Lódź, Poland; Ireland; and Istanbul, Turkey. The Sheron Group has received both regional and national industry awards for achievements, including Professional Builder’s Professional Achievement Award for Market Perception.

The Sheron Group has been involved in developing and building everything from multi-family rental communities to single-family homes to shopping centers.

Charles is member of the National Association of Home Builders, whose board serves on as a Life Director; the International Council of Shopping Centers; and the British Council of Shopping Centers. He is a past president of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association and was honored with its Builder of the Year award.

In addition to Charles’ involvement in the property industry, he has been involved in other international business ventures, including ownership in commuter airlines; a security and alarm company; and parking systems.

Chuck Shinn
Principal, Shinn Consulting

Armed with a B.A. in economics from Ohio Wesleyan University and an M.B.A.
and Ph.D. from the College of Business Administration at The American University in Washington, D.C., Chuck began his career as the assistant director of economics for the National Association of Home Builders and quickly advanced there and at other organizations, with director, educator and program coordinator among his roles. After a return to academia, he founded a company to build and remodel homes, earning him Professional Builder’s Builder of the Year award for 1985 and the Colorado Industry Man of the Year for 1987. 

Chuck’s depth of experience in the home building industry uniquely qualified him to establish Shinn Consulting to better serve the management and organizational needs of the home builders in areas of general management; production; purchasing and estimating; sales and marketing; finance and accounting; technology; human resources; and corporate strategy. He also serves as president of Lee Evans Group and is the founder of Builder Partnerships, organizations that offer educational opportunities and increase communication among builders and manufacturers. 

Chuck has served on or chaired numerous committees for local and national builders’ associations and has also been an active consultant and industry educator, participating in numerous educational programs and seminars for NAHB, state conventions and local associations. 

Anne Vitale
Director of Client Services
Anne Vitale joined AVID Ratings in February 2006 as client services manager and was quickly promoted to director of client services the same year. Anne’s current role consists of supervising the management of our client base to ensure satisfaction and overseeing our research operations and internal operations to maintain efficiencies. Before coming to AVID Ratings, Anne successfully managed internal operations of IT data systems, IT technical support desks as well as served in leadership roles involving customer service, credit management and billing administration. Anne attended Madison Area Technical College.

Steve Wall
President and CEO, Wall Homes

Steve Wall worked for several large national home builders before founding Wall Homes in 2005.  In just two years, the company has grown to more than 40 neighborhoods in five major Texas cities --- Austin, Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio — and is widely known for pioneering affordable housing throughout Texas and Georgia.

Steve’s first experience in construction was assisting his father, a brick layer. After completing his education and gaining invaluable experience through intensive apprenticeships with builders in the Midwest and Southwest, Steve returned to his native Arlington, Texas, to explore sales for an expanding privately held home builder. While there, he worked his way up to regional vice president and eventually served as the company’s chief operating officer, president and chief executive, completing the Harvard Business School Executive Advanced Management Program along the way.  Under Steve’s leadership, the organization rose to number 18 among the largest U.S. home building companies.

Steve saw this as the perfect time to pursue his lifelong dream of creating his own company.  He pointedly focused on creating innovatively designed homes with architectural flair while fostering the concept of attainable luxury and with this vision opened the doors of Wall Homes in 2005. Just two years later, Wall Homes nearly doubled in size when it purchased the assets of the Dallas-Fort Worth Division of Newmark Homes, a subsidiary of Technical Olympic USA. He was also named Housing Giants’ CEO of the Year for 2008.