Eric Schaefer

Eric Schaefer is Chief Business Development Officer at Fading West Development, a vertically integrated design, development, modular manufacturing, and construction company headquartered in Buena Vista, Colorado. He leads strategic partnerships with developers, nonprofits, housing authorities, and government agencies to advance attainable housing through innovative offsite construction. Since the opening of Fading West's modular manufacturing facility in 2022, Eric has helped advance more than 30 projects and the production of over 1,000 housing units across the western United States. During his tenure, Fading West has been recognized as one of TIME's 100 Most Influential Companies, received NAHB Manufacturer of the Year honors, and earned national attention for its role in addressing housing shortages through industrialized construction. Eric has testified before Congress on housing innovation, modular construction, and strategies to increase housing supply. Most recently, he helped lead Fading West's rapid deployment of modular homes for families displaced by the Lahaina wildfires in Maui, demonstrating the potential of offsite construction to meet urgent housing needs. In 2024, Eric received the Modular Building Institute's Volunteer of the Year Award. He holds a B.S. in Communication from Florida State University and a Master of Divinity from Columbia Theological Seminary.