The Texas Association of Builders swore in its 2018 Directors and Senior Officers before handing out its 2017 “Of the Year” awards at the Excellence in Leadership Celebration on November 17.

The directors and senior officers are responsible for the member programs, representations, and education of the association. The role of the directors will be developing relationships for the betterment of the home building industry, be an active participant and to set the pace for the rest of the membership.  The senior officers are the core leaders of TAB. They are charged with upholding the bylaws and policies of the association.

The “Of the Year” awards are given annually to recognize exemplary service and leadership contributions to the home building industry by its members.

2018 TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF BUILDERS SENIOR OFFICERS

President: Justin MacDonald, MacDonald Companies — Kerrville, Texas

First Vice President: Robert Wood, Custom Homes by Robert Wood — Lubbock, Texas

Vice President/Secretary: Randy Bowling, Tropicana Homes— El Paso, Texas

Treasurer: Brett Martin, Tilson Home Corp. — Houston, Texas

Immediate Past President: Rick McGuire, McGuire Builders, Inc. — Lubbock, Texas

 

2017 “OF THE YEAR” AWARD RECIPIENTS

J.B. Sandlin Builder of the Year: Victor Drozd, 2 D Homes – Bryan, TX

Developer of the Year: Terry Weaver, Sterling Development Company – Midlothian, Texas

Associate of the Year: Sue Pinger, Pinger and Company, LLC – Austin, Texas

Philanthropist of the Year: Michael Biggerstaff, Biggerstaff Homes, Inc.– San Angelo, Texas

Ted Schlossman Lifetime Achievement Award: David Miller, McDougal Construction – Lubbock, Texas

Co-Local Association Accomplishment of the Year: Hill Country Builders Association and Greater San Antonio Builders Association

 

2017 “OF THE YEAR” AWARD WINNERS
J.B. SANDLIN BUILDER OF THE YEAR | Victor Drozd, 2 D Homes – Bryan, TX
Victor is dedicated to all levels of the home building industry – local, state, and national. He has rarely missed a board meeting for any of the three associations in over 20 years. He was named a Texas Association of Builders (TAB) Life Director in 2008, and a National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Senior Life Director in 2013. At the Greater Brazos Valley Builders Association (GBVBA), he has served as President four times and has chaired the Parade of Homes, Golf Tournaments, Bylaws, Long Range Planning, Education, Codes, and Government Relations Committees. For 10 consecutive years, he was named GBVBA Builder of the Year and received their Builder Emeritus award in 2003. His committee service at TAB includes Legal Affairs, Bylaws, Codes & Standards, Contracts, Building Standards Task Force, Executive Committee, and Texas Housing Hall of Honor Board of Governors.  At NAHB, his focus has been in the codes arena, and he has served on many committees and sub-committees.

TED SCHLOSSMAN LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD | David Miller, McDougal Construction – Lubbock Texas
David has served the federation and home building industry for the past 31 years. Over the years, he has served on virtually every committee at the West Texas Home Builders Association (WTHBA).  The WTHBA has awarded him with: Builder of the Year, Presidential Distinguished Service, and he is a three-time Best of the Best Presidents Award winner. He travels the State of Texas representing the residential construction industry at local home builders associations, city council meetings, school district meetings, state legislative hearings and business forums.  Since 2011, David has served as a Trustee of the Texas Builders Foundation and has been its Fundraising Chairman since 2016. He has always been an advocate for construction trades training and has worked to promote the home building industry as a professional career choice.  David has served on his local school board for over 10 years. He is a Texas Association of Builders (TAB) Life Director and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) Director, plus a strong supporter of HOMEPAC and the Texas Builders Foundation. David serves on numerous committees at the state and national levels. He is the current Chairman of TAB’s Association and Long Range Planning Committee, where he works with the leadership and staff to develop a future road map for the association.

PHILANTHROPIST OF THE YEAR | Michael Biggerstaff, Biggerstaff Homes, Inc.– San Angelo, Texas
Mike is extremely involved in his community and home builders associations, and his generosity in supporting multiple charities and organizations is boundless. Within his community, he has sponsored hundreds of underprivileged young men through the local Youth Boxing Club, many of whom became National Junior Olympic and Silver Glove Champions. He is a major supporter of CASA – Court Appointed Special Advocates, Habitat for Humanity, Operation FINALLY HOME, and the Historical Society, to name a few. This gentleman is a native Texan and third generation home builder and remodeler whose love of the industry is evidenced not only by his diverse portfolio of building related companies but his devotion to his local HBA, the Texas Association of Builders, HOMEPAC and the Texas Builders Foundation. Most recently, he spearheaded the campaign to bring a construction trades training program to his community. He spent hundreds of hours working with city and college officials, and was instrumental in raising over $800,000 to build and equip the new school. The groundbreaking ceremony was held on October 5th for the Howard College-San Angelo Construction Trades Center of Excellence. Each of the 25 students in the first class that will begin in March 2018 will receive full scholarships to the eight-month program. This man currently serves as Chairman of the Texas Builders Foundation. He personally established the Foundation’s first $25,000 endowment and is responsible for the establishment of four additional endowments totaling $200,000. In addition, he regularly donates trips – benefiting HOMEPAC – to his Colorado cabin where he hosts fly-fishing and elk hunting expeditions.

DEVELOPER OF THE YEAR | Terry Weaver, Sterling Development Co. – Midlothian, Texas
Terry has contributed to the Texas Association of Builders (TAB) in many facets. He represents developers within the association and at the State Capitol, votes on legal affairs matters, and co-chairs a statewide educational effort on the Texas State Water Plan. With his guidance, Texas now has more home builders taking a proactive approach to ensuring the state has adequate access to water in the future. Terry is actively involved with HOMEPAC, serving as a past chairman, and his legacy ensures that TAB will have a successful PAC. He is a true representative of an association member willing to adapt to and fulfill any role. His dedication to the home building industry and passion for helping others was evident in every position that he volunteered for on behalf of TAB and the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

ASSOCIATE OF THE YEAR | Sue Pinger, Pinger and Company, LLC – Austin, Texas
Sue Pinger has been a member of the Texas Association of Builders (TAB) Finance Committee for eight years and, for the past four, she has served as the association’s Treasurer and Finance Committee Chair. In that role, she works with TAB staff on a daily basis to manage the budget and finances. With her expertise in finance and tax matters, she chairs TAB’s Tax Task Force and interprets franchise and property tax initiatives for the government relations team, fellow task force members and the Government Relations Committee. Additionally, Sue works with TAB and the Comptroller’s office during the rule making processes.  Sue is a Trustee of the Texas Builders Foundation and in the past year as Chair of the Investment Committee has worked closely with association staff, financial professionals and the Foundation’s board to develop financial and investment policies that have put the Foundation on sound financial footings

CO-ASSOCIATION ACCOMPLISHMENT OF THE YEAR | Hill Country Builders Association and Greater San Antonio Builders Association
The Hill Country Builders Association (HCBA) has worked extremely hard to promote the construction trades as a professional career choice to area high school students. The HCBA sponsors a “Tradesmen Are Real” campaign. The campaign is geared toward 8th – 12th grade students and gives them a real world view of the lives that the men and women in the trades lead: fun, successful, profitable and meaningful lives. In 2016, HCBA’s Highland Lakes Division solidified its partnership with a local ISD’s Career and Technology Education (CTE) Program by launching a student chapter at the high school. This construction trades partnership makes skilled craftsmen available to the CTE program, where they provide professional training and mentorship to students. Under the mentorship of its Wine Country Division builders, a 14 by 40, 560 square foot home was completed at Fredericksburg High School last year. The tiny home was auctioned off in April 2017 for almost $70,000, with all proceeds going to the Casa Über Alles project that benefitted the Fredericksburg High School Building Trades Program.

The Greater San Antonio Builders Association (GSABA) has also worked closely with several schools in its area to ensure a pipeline of workers into the residential construction industry, as well as to provide students with the opportunity to give back to their community. Under the guidance of the HBA’s builders, the 50-plus student chapter at one local college undertook community service projects in and around their city to restore homes of families in need. Students received hands-on experience in roofing, plumbing, electrical, framing, fire restoration and general maintenance. In 2017, the HBA launched another student chapter within a university’s Construction Science Management Department, and those 40 student chapter members competed in a playhouse design/build competition as part of the College of Architecture’s 15th Anniversary Celebration. One of three playhouses was donated to the Battered Women’s and Children’s Shelter, and the remaining two were sold to benefit scholarships and start-up costs for the new student chapter. Following the devastation left by Hurricane Harvey in August, this same Student Chapter identified a family in need in Aransas Pass, Texas, and volunteered their time over two weekends in October to complete a roof replacement. Members of the HBA donated nearly $4,000 in materials to the project. In 2018, the HBA will send a fully prepared team of students to compete in the International Builders’ Show® Residential Construction Management Competition. Additionally, the HBA announced a multi-year $100,000 endowment at the university’s Construction Science Management Department. The HBA has also partnered with an area ISD’s Construction Careers Academy, a magnet school that prepares students for careers in the construction industry. The association’s Education Foundation will provide grants for tools and equipment to the school, as well as scholarships for graduating seniors.

 

2018 TAB SENIOR OFFICERS
PRESIDENT  |  Justin MacDonald, MacDonald Companies – Kerrville, Texas
Justin MacDonald was born into the home building industry. His grandmother, Jean MacDonald, was inducted into the Texas Housing Hall of Honor in 2010, and his father, Granger, is one of the most well respected pro-housing voices and builders in the nation. MacDonald Companies is family-owned and specializes in developing, building, and managing multifamily neighborhoods across Texas. Justin, President and Chief Operating Officer, is a third generation builder. He’s a NAHB director, committee chairman and state representative and has served as President of the Hill Country Builders Association twice. At the Texas Association of Builders (TAB), he has served on the Executive Committee and Finance Committees since 2009. Justin led the Government Relations Committee through one of TAB’s most successful legislative sessions in 2015. Justin has three degrees. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Visual Communications from Angelo State University (2003), followed by a MBA in Finance from the University of Texas-San Antonio (2006) and a Managerial Leadership Certificate from UT’s Red McCombs School of Business (2015).

FIRST VICE PRESIDENT |  Robert Wood, Custom Homes by Robert Wood – Lubbock, Texas
In 2002, Robert began fulfilling a life-long dream of being a home builder as he opened the doors to Custom Homes by Robert Wood. Prior to starting his own business, he worked as a supplier to home builders for more than 20 years. This partnership between supplier and builder allowed him to see the importance of being engaged at the local and state levels of the home building associations. Robert served as the 2011 President of the West Texas Home Builders Association and became active in the Texas Association of Builders. For the past six years, he has served on TAB’s Executive Committee and is a State Director. Since 2010, he’s been a member of TAB’s Government Relations Committee, HOMEPAC Trustees and Membership Committee. Robert also served as 2016 Sunbelt Committee Co-Chair. All of Robert’s professional engagements rank second to his commitment to his community. His hands-on approach has allowed him to work directly with the Lubbock Make a Wish Foundation, March of Dimes, Highpoint Village and Lubbock Homes for Heroes. The Albuquerque, N.M., native considers Lubbock his hometown and is proud that he raised his family there and gets to watch his grandchildren grow up there as well.

VICE PRESIDENT/SECRETARY | Randy Bowling, Tropicana Homes— El Paso, Texas
Randy Bowling is the President of Tropicana Homes in El Paso, Texas. Tropicana Homes and its affiliates have been building homes and apartments in El Paso since 1950, and have built over 10,000 homes since that time. After spending the last 23 years building residential properties, Randy has become an expert on land acquisition and development, residential construction in Texas and New Mexico, residential lending, and assisting his brother with navigating the ever-changing complexities of the Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program. In addition, Randy has served his association as a member of the Board of Directors of the Texas Association of Builders (TAB) since 2004, the Chairman of TAB’s Government Relations Committee, HOMEPAC, Codes & Standards Committee, and is a member of TAB’s Executive Committee. In 2016, Randy was named a Life Director of TAB. Among numerous awards and honors, Tropicana Homes has been recognized by the El Paso Association of Builders four times as the Builder of the Year, and by TAB as Developer of the Year and Builder of the Year three times.

TREASURER  |  Brett Martin, Tilson Home Corp. — Houston, Texas
Brett has been involved with the building industry for the last 18 years. The first 11 years were spent providing construction financing to builders and permanent financing to homeowners. The last seven years he has served as Vice President of Real Estate Operations for Tilson Homes. Brett has served on the Audit and Finance Committees for the Texas Association of Builders (TAB) the past five years. He has served as TAB’s Audit Committee Chairman and on TAB’s Executive Committee the past two years. Born in Pecos and raised in Lubbock and Houston, Brett graduated from Abilene Christian University with a BBA in Accounting and became a CPA. Brett started his accounting career as an auditor with Arthur Young & Co., specializing in finance, real estate and construction.

IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT  |  Rick McGuire, McGuire Builders, Inc. – Lubbock, Texas
Rick has been building homes in Lubbock since 1982. A family business, McGuire Builders, Inc., specializes in building custom homes in all price ranges, apartment construction, light commercial work and property management. Rick previously sat on the state board responsible for maintaining the performance standards that addressed warranty issues required by the Texas Residential Construction Commission. In that capacity Rick stayed abreast of industry standards that affect all facets of home construction and continues to do so through his involvement in the Texas Association of Builders (TAB) and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). He served as TAB’s president in 2017, was named TAB’s "Builder of the Year" in 2009 and earned Life Director status in 2008. Rick is entering his 11th year on TAB’s Executive Committee and eighth on the Government Relations Committee. He also serves on the NAHB Board of Directors. Prior to his building career, Rick worked as a Certified Public Accountant and audit manager for a large, international accounting firm. His clients included Fortune 500 manufacturing companies and bank holding companies.