The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) honored five individuals who have excelled in teaching NAHB education courses and who have displayed notable professionalism as NAHB educational designation holders, naming them the 2020 Educator and Designees of the Year.
"We commend these industry professionals who have taken the time and effort toward continuing their education in their respective fields and who have chosen to become approved to instruct others in the industry," said NAHB Education Committee Chair Curt Kiriu, CAPS, CGR. "These accomplished individuals have proven that they are dedicated to improving their own craft, and also encourage others in the industry to do the same."
The honorees are:
Builder Designee of the Year. Joseph Irons is the president and general manager of Irons Brothers Construction Inc., a design-build firm in Shoreline, Wash. His commitment to his clients, the community, his employees, business partners and the building industry has led to a 21-year track record of success. In addition to being past president of the Master Builders Association of King & Snohomish Counties (2016) and current Building Industry Association of Washington (BIAW) vice president, Irons is also a published author and accredited educator in Washington. He is committed to continuing education and enjoys training fellow builders, architects, designers, OT/PTs and other professionals. Irons became the second BIAW Certified Builder in 2018 for Washington. In 2019 his firm received the NAHB Safety Award for advancing safe work practices and creating strong safety programs
CAPS Designee of the Year. Chris Moore, CAPS, CGR, founded Solid Rock Enterprises Inc. in Salem, Va., to provide quality building, remodeling and consulting services to his customers. Moore is an expert on using universal design principles to build and remodel homes to help seniors age in place; he performs comprehensive home evaluations to measure his clients' abilities against the features of their homes in order to recommend home modifications customized for each client's unique situation. Moore teaches the CAPS curriculum through NAHB and speaks to groups on aging in place, universal design, home modification and home safety. He is the author of Housing Matters, a column that appears monthly in Senior News, a member of the Age Safe® Advisory Team, serves on the Advisory Council at Good Samaritan Hospice and is a recognized expert on aging in place matters at www.caring.com.
HCCP Designee of the Year. Matthew Rayburn, HCCP, is the deputy executive director and chief real estate development officer for the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority (IHCDA) in Indianapolis. As part of the IHDCA's executive team, he oversees the agency's Real Estate Development department which handles allocations and compliance for the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit, Housing Choice Vouchers and other programs as well as planning and training for the Indiana Supportive Housing Institute and other supportive housing initiatives. A recognized expert in the industry, he has years of experience in affordable housing management, auditing and training.
Remodeler Designee of the Year. Leo Lantz, GMR, CAPS, GMB, CGP, CGR, is the owner of Leo Lantz Construction in Glen Allen, Va., which specializes in design/build remodeling services for kitchens and bathrooms. Lantz's experience in the remodeling industry began at an early age when he and his brother would perform various maintenance tasks at his father's real estate properties. Throughout the years, Lantz has positioned himself as an expert in his field by continuing to educate himself through programs at his local association and NAHB. He has attained multiple industry designations and was named 2018 NAHB National Remodeler of the Year, which recognizes superior business management, exemplary NAHB involvement at all levels and outstanding contributions to the remodeling industry.
Educator of the Year. Steve Hoffacker, CAPS, is the founder of Steve Hoffacker & Associates LLC in West Palm Beach, Fla. As a widely respected aging-in-place, universal design and visibility advocate, instructor, author and consultant, he has more than 30 years of industry experience. In 2007, he launched the Remodelers Council at his local home builders association and began teaching the CAPS designation courses. Since then, he has enjoyed helping a variety of professionals attain their credentials to work more effectively with their aging-in-place clientele. Hoffacker also has served as a frequent resource on aging-in-place and universal design topics for journalists writing newspaper and magazine articles and for public presentations to both consumers and professionals.
To learn more about the NAHB, visit nahb.org.
