IBS 2018 Scholarship Recipients

Wood Castle Homes

Age 32

Kristi Allen was lucky to grow up in the home building industry as the third generation of family-owned home builder, McArthur Homes, where she gained over 13 years of experience in new home sales and marketing.

In 2011-2012, she was responsible for a complete overhaul of the McArthur Homes website and online marketing strategy. Following the changes, online leads accounted for over 50% of all new home sales. In 2012, Kristi created the My Home's Story program, an app that allows builders to update buyers while simultaneously generating website traffic, social media interactions and most importantly, more sales. The My Home's Story app is now used by builders across the country to increase customer satisfaction and drive more sales.

Kristi has been a contributor to articles in Professional Builder magazine and was named to their 2015 Top 40 Under 40. She was a speaker at the International Builders' Show in 2014, 2015 and 2017, where she enjoyed sharing her experience in successfully using technology to cultivate more new home sales.

Last year, Kristi began her biggest home building adventure yet when she and her brother started WoodCastle Homes. It’s been more fun and more challenging than she ever expected!

WoodCastle Homes: Facebook | Instagram

McBride & Son Homes

Age 27

Temba Chiwanga is an ambitious architectural intern at McBride & Son Homes, an employee-owned company building homes and neighborhoods in St. Louis for over 70 years. Each and every member of McBride & Son has a vested interest in its success, leading to constant innovation and unprecedented quality.

McBride & Son is ranked the 39th largest privately owned builder in the country and the 64th largest overall, according to Builder magazine. Temba takes pride working for a company serving approximately 50 communities in the S.t Louis area. Since January 2017, he has added his enthusiasm to the architecture department, helping to design and complete new and innovative homes, as well as addendums for St. Louis and Illinois communities.

Temba is currently attending Lewis and Clark Community College and will complete his architectural degree in the spring of 2018. Through continued education, he strives to bring innovation, functionality and creativity to the company, and the world. He is appreciative for every opportunity and looks forward to his future success and progression.

McBride & Son Homes: Facebook | Instagram |Twitter

Four Points Construction, Inc.

Age 24

Lynch Christian is passionate about creating better communities. He works for Four Points Construction Inc., as a construction and development manager in Berkeley County, West Virginia.

“Communities we imagine today will influence nearly every aspect of people’s lives for years to come. Where people work, shop and relax; how much time they spend getting from here to there; and a multitude of other variables relating to their quality of life are determined by the work of builders and developers,” Lynch says.

Lynch has worked directly on multiple master planned communities, assisting in delivering both turnkey homes and finished lots. His development interests include multiuse zoning, with its integration of residential, commercial and industrial properties into high-density, mixed-use developments that promote the creation of sustainable communities—economically, environmentally and socially.

“Technological advances in the field of building components and systems have made the combination of multi-use spaces aesthetically pleasing, convenient, and most importantly, safe,” he says.

Lynch is an active member of the Eastern Panhandle HBA and gives his time to the Berkeley County Building Code Appeals Board as contractor representative. In his free time, Lynch enjoys exploring local hiking trails and outdoor events with his canine wingman, Goose.

Oak Tree Homes Inc

Age 25

Dan Darnold is the project development manager for Oak Tree Homes Inc, a design-build renovator and ultra-high efficiency home builder in Wilton, Iowa. He works with clients to maximize home potential and develop unique spaces tailored for each and every customer.

Combining green building practices with an unabating eye for detail, Oak Tree Homes personalizes the design-build process to fit each client’s needs. Dan’s business role is to help clients design, source products and organize mandatory information to produce green homes and remodels that are delivered on time and on budget.

In our ever-changing industry, Dan likes to take a student-first approach with everything that he does and takes pride in exceeding client expectations. He is pleased to accept a scholarship and looks forward to attending the 2018 Builders’ Show to learn more about his craft.

Oak Tree Homes: Facebook | Instagram |Twitter

DaSilva Homes

Age 35 

Gabriel DaSilva is founder and president of DaSilva Group Inc., a privately owned group of real estate investment and development companies specializing in residential redevelopment. His firm specializes in the analysis, acquisition, renovation, management and disposition of residential real estate in specific markets in New Jersey.

Prior to forming his firm, Gabe held several positions with both public and private financial institutions in the greater New York City area. He specialized in conducting complex financial valuations and analyses on large scale real estate development projects.

Since forming his firm, Gabe has gone on to create a variety of related real estate companies that support the building industry.

• DaSilva Homes: A luxury home builder and remodeler specializing in custom residential construction projects including rehabs, renovations, additions, add-a-levels and even new construction.
• Learn & Earn: A proprietary real estate investment education program which came about as the result of a convergence of three passions; Real estate, entrepreneurship and education.
• Silva Supply Company: A niche building material importer that passes through savings to local builders and investors.

Gabe is passionate about the real estate business and the building industry in particular. He especially enjoys networking and developing relationships with his peers.

DaSilva Group, Inc.: Facebook

Precision Homecrafters, LLC

Age 33 

Joshua Dean is a licensed home builder from Alabama. He was introduced to construction and developed his craft by working in a custom cabinet shop. It was there that he grew to appreciate the complexities and challenges of both residential and commercial remodeling. Today, Joshua focuses on sales, estimating, marketing and the overall operations for Precision Homecrafters, LLC, a 20-year-old design/build/remodeling firm.

Joshua and his wife Jennifer have five children—a teenage daughter (Erin) and four boys all under the age of 6 (Samuel, William, Gabriel and Jake). Joshua is active in the Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders' (GBAHB) Remodelers and Young Professionals councils. He speaks conversational Spanish and was awarded the 2016 Young Professional of the Year award by the GBAHB. The Dean family lives north of downtown Birmingham, and when he’s not working or spending time with his family, Joshua enjoys raising rabbits and beekeeping on his 2.5-acre homestead and being a backcountry hunter.

Precision Homecrafters, LLC: Facebook

Habitat for Humanity of Kent County

Age 29

Brandyn Deckinga is the Director of Construction for Habitat for Humanity of Kent County. Habitat Kent’s team of staff and volunteers build around 15 homes and perform critical repairs to over 30 homes per year in the heart of Grand Rapids, Michigan. Habitat Kent builds both single family and multifamily units to LEED for Homes and Energy Star standards for affordable homeownership.

Growing up in a family-owned general contracting and carpentry business, Brandyn learned the ins and outs of home building from his dad, grandpa and uncle. In college, he became more interested in high performance building, which led him to Habitat. He has continued his studies, becoming a LEED AP for Homes accredited professional, as well as a Certified Passive Haus Builder. Modular and prefabrications, which he believes to be the future of residential construction, are his most recent studies.

Brandyn is a board member for the HBA of Greater Grand Rapids and serves on the advisory council for the local Academy of Design and Construction.

Habitat for Humanity of Kent County: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

MonGroup Properties, Inc.

Age 25

Eleanore Decos is the marketing and social media coordinator for MonGroup Properties, Inc., a leader in building green urban communities throughout New Jersey.

Eleanore joined the company in 2015 and is proud to work for Dean Mon, NAHB’s 2017 Third Vice Chairman. Her role at MonGroup is to design brand engagement programs, develop sales and marketing collateral and enrich the company’s online presence through its websites and social media platforms.

It is very important that everyone from residents to employees, suppliers, trade associates and the community knows and trusts the MonGroup brand. Eleanore takes significant responsibility engaging stakeholders in the MonGroup brand, contributing to the overall success of the company.

Being a member of NAHB has given Eleanore access to valuable resources, helping her become a more strategic marketer. Through educational seminars, networking events and newsletters, she has learned much about marketing within the housing industry and developed relationships with peers.

Eleanore is proud to be a part of an industry that plays an important role in the economic well-being of our great nation while providing people with housing. She looks forward to the industry’s future and her contributions towards it.

MonGroup Properties, Inc.: Facebook |Instagram

Crabbe Homes

Age 33 

Anna Fosmire is a Project Manager for Crabbe Homes in Clarksville, Tennessee. She recently acquired a second market center in Bowling Green, Kentucky and serves on the market expansion team for Crabbe Homes and GC Land Development. She obtained her Bachelor's in Business Management in 2008 while living in Arizona.

Anna has been with Crabbe Homes since 2015 and has been involved in all areas of the firm, including pre-construction services, market acquisition, warranty, and sales. She has a passion for customer service, and has received several accolades from clients and vendors.

In her free time, Anna enjoys kayaking and traveling with her husband and two children.

Crabbe Homes: Facebook |Instagram |Twitter

Magleby Construction

Age 26

Krystofer Gardner is the systems manager at Magleby Construction, the 2016 NAHB Custom Home Builder of the Year. He began his professional career in construction as a superintendent for a production home builder after graduating from Brigham Young University in 2014 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Construction Management. His college and field experience helped him grasp the big picture, and also provided insight into the day-to-day details of construction.

After a couple of years in the field, Krystofer moved to the Magleby Construction office, where his passion for adopting new technology grew. He feels fortunate to have found a builder whose passion aligns with his—his role at Magleby is to seek out and adopt technology that improves and streamlines business and construction processes.

In his free time, you can find him playing with his wife and newborn baby, hiking, mountain biking, or riding Harleys in the mountains of Utah.

He looks forward to building rich relationships at IBS 2018!

Magleby Construction: Facebook |Instagram

Fairfield Homes, Inc.

Age 29

Stephanie Greco graduated with a Bachelor’s in Interior Design from the Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago. For as long as she can remember, design has always been a passion of hers, and while she has also explored event design, she eventually returned to residential design, her true passion. She has been in the design field for almost 10 years and has worked in every position—from color consulting, kitchen and bath design, floor estimating to design assistant.

Stephanie has collected a wealth of knowledge from past positions, allowing her to excel in her field and become the designer that she is today. She feels very fortunate to be able to use her talents and creativity as the interior designer for Fairfield Homes, Inc., a custom home builder in Arlington Heights, Illinois. She adds her unique touch to every aspect of the design process from start to finish, and not only assists clients with their selections, but also styles Fairfield Homes’ spec houses.

Translating her ideas from paper to staging a final walk-through, there’s nothing more satisfying to her than seeing the transformation of a space through her client’s eyes.

Fairfield Homes, Inc.: Facebook 

JASCO Custom Homes LLC

Age 34

Amberly Gutierrez is the owner and chief operation officer of JASCO Custom Homes LLC. In 2003, she moved to Austin, Texas and worked as the business manager for various construction companies until she decided to branch out on her own. Since 2009 she has built and sold custom homes in and around the Central Texas area, and in 2014, she incorporated.

JASCO’s namesake originates from Amberly’s immediate family—her husband Joshua, and their two Shih Tzu fur babies Sophie and Coco—Joshua, Amber, Sophie, COco.

As a former member of Austin's board of Realtors and a current member of the Greater Austin HBA and NAHB, Amberly has had access to the best tools and contractors in the business. She oversees every operational aspect and works closely with her clients to design, plan, build and remodel dream homes. Amberly’s love and pride is evident and shows in every home that she builds.

JASCO Custom Homes: Facebook |Instagram

Dan Ryan Builders

Age 29

Sarah is the brand manager/account executive of corporate marketing for Dan Ryan Builders, the 13th largest private home builder and 31st overall home builder in the nation. Dan Ryan Builders serves the Midatlantic region with operations in six states (Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina and South Carolina) and ten metro markets. Today, Dan Ryan Builders is one of the country’s few privately owned, large regional home builders—building townhomes, villas, duplexes, single family, and estate homes.

With a background in graphic design and integrated marketing, Sarah joined Dan Ryan Builders in 2010 and has been involved with many facets of the company’s marketing initiatives including a company-wide rebranding, website redesigns, social media, content creation, print/digital advertising and media relations.

Sarah is a board member of the Frederick County BIA Sales & Marketing Council (SMC), serving as SMC president from 2016-2017, as well as a member of the Membership Committee.

Dan Ryan Builders: Facebook | Instagram |Twitter

Sterling Properties

Age 32

Nick Hollenbeck serves as director of sales and marketing for Sterling Properties. Sterling is a Livingston, New Jersey-based residential property developer whose portfolio includes a combination of luxury rental and for-sale properties with projects in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania.

Nick’s primary responsibilities include working with the advertising, PR and interior design teams to brand and market Sterling’s projects, assisting the site acquisition process, and aiding Sterling’s architectural and engineering teams with unit mix, floor plan design and amenity programming. Nick also manages Sterling’s onsite professionals and assists them in all capacities of the sales and leasing process. Nick is a graduate of The George Washington University and resides in Springfield, New Jersey with his wife, Casey, and daughter, Lola.

Sterling Properties: Facebook |Instagram

Willowood Homes

Age 29

Dayson Johnson is a third-generation home builder. At a young age, he spent summers working on jobsites doing everything from driving tractors to sweeping more floors than anyone should ever sweep in a lifetime. Those summers taught him many life lessons about hard work and responsibility.

After graduating from the University of Utah, he was presented with the opportunity to work alongside his dad, who immediately relied on him to reorganize the technology and jobsite management components of the company he worked so hard to build. Dayson streamlined their day-to-day responsibilities, created a more organized workspace and increased productivity. Four years later, Dayson now oversees and manages all functions of their small, but efficient home building company, Willowood Homes.

In 2017, Dayson was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma; a type of blood cancer that affects lymph nodes throughout the body. When he attends IBS 2018, he will have completed 12 chemotherapy treatments and will be cancer free! Going through an experience like that has given him the drive to become an expert in his field. IBS creates ways for young professionals to achieve top level success and Dayson is thankful to be selected as one of the 2018 scholarship recipients.

Willowood Homes: Facebook | Instagram

Southern Window Supply

Age 35 

Zeke Keel is a millwork outside sales associate with Southern Window Supply, a local area dealer of custom windows, doors, skylights and interior moulding, in Birmingham, Alabama.

Zeke has been in the industry for 14 years, working in various roles including operations manager, purchasing, inside sales and inventory control. In his current position, he enjoys working with home builders and remodelers on projects requiring the highest level of detail and quality. Zeke’s knowledge of building products and millwork trends enables him to work on jobs of virtually any scope and size.

Actively involved with his local HBA, Zeke is currently the 2017 chair of the Birmingham Remodelers, one of the most active remodelers councils in the nation. He is also serving a one-year board appointment and is a member of the recently formed YP of Birmingham.

Quality Homes of Port Charlotte, Inc.

Age 27

Robert (Bo) Owens is happily married to his wonderful wife Breann and has two daughters, Madison and Blakely. He is the superintendent for Quality Homes of Port Charlotte Inc. in Florida. Quality Homes has over 25 years of building experience with a primary focus on custom residential homes.

Bo didn’t start off in the construction industry. After graduating with a Bachelors in Business
Management from East Tennessee State University, he went to work at Tennessee State Bank. After about two and a half years he worked his way up from a teller to a loan customer service representative with the plans of becoming a loan officer. Life happened for the better and Bo met his wife, moved to Florida and started flipping homes for his father-in-law. After about a year, Bo was hired by Quality Homes and was quickly thrown into the field. He was mentored by his boss Jim Weisberg who was tremendously helpful throughout the process.

The thing that Bo loves most about this industry is that it always presents challenges, is always changing and never gets boring. Bo is passionate about his career and enjoys the great sense of accomplishment when he completes a home.

Quality Homes of Port Charlotte, Inc.: Facebook | Instagram

McCray Lumber & Millwork

Age 27

Stanton Ragland works for McCray Lumber & Millwork in the Kansas City area. He has held various roles within the company—he started off pulling lumber loads, then progressed to inside sales and now works in outside sales.

McCray has proudly served the greater Kansas City area for 70 years with an emphasis on “serving the professional builder," but also working with general contractors and individuals on smaller to large projects. Stanton’s concentration is on lumber sales, but he also sells millwork, windows and provides other services to builders.

Stanton is looking forward to attending IBS and is grateful to be receiving a 2018 young professional scholarship.

McCray Lumber & Millwork: Facebook | Twitter

Spanjer Homes

Age 32

Dana Spanjer is a second-generation home builder in Fort Collins, Colorado. She has proudly worked beside her parents at Spanjer Homes for the last six years. She is passionate about preserving and promoting their 39+ year reputation of building quality custom homes in Northern Colorado. By being active in NAHB and attending events such as the International Builders’ Show, Dana has developed a strong understanding of industry best practices and building science, which is invaluable knowledge in her role as the director of sales and marketing.

Dana is the 2017 Chairperson of Builder 20 Club, 6-“The Doors” and she previously served as the 2016 builder representative for Northern Colorado HBA Sales and Marketing Council. As a licensed Realtor, Dana is a member of the local Board of Realtors and a voting member of the Government Affairs Council. She is extremely proud to affect change and growth in her community, as well as in the home building industry.

Spanjer Homes: Facebook

EYA

Age 24

Kelly Whelan is a development analyst at EYA, Washington D.C.’s leading developer of innovative urban and transit-oriented properties. Since 1992, EYA has built more than 4,000 homes in more than 30 neighborhoods across the Washington metropolitan area, tackling some of the region’s most challenging sites along the way.

As part of the land acquisition and development team, Kelly is involved in initial and ongoing investment evaluation, as well as the entitlement and development processes. She is involved with ULI Washington as a member of the Young Leaders Community Service Committee and enjoys attending the various panels and events hosted by that organization.

A 2015 Harvard graduate, Kelly studied Economics and competed as a varsity athlete. Outside of the office, she keeps busy exploring Washington D.C. restaurants, running with her dog, and dreaming up her next travel adventure.

EYA: Facebook | Instagram | Twitter