IBS 2019 Scholarship Recipients
Twenty-one future industry leaders were selected to receive a scholarship to attend the 2019 NAHB International Builders' Show® (IBS), as part of our IBS Scholarship Program for NAHB members between the ages of 21-35.
Meet our incredible recipients!
Amanda Nadia Abdelsayed
Age: 30
Metropolitan BCA of New Jersey
A New Jersey native, Amanda’s passion for real estate began at the age of 19 when she purchased her first investment property. During her first full year as a real estate agent, she successfully closed over $20 million in real estate transactions, earning the highest level award for realtors, Circle of Excellence Platinum. Currently working at the Amanda Nadia Group at Keller Williams Metropolitan NJ, Amanda has received numerous accolades, media attention and is currently ranked in the top 1% of all realtors in New Jersey.
Amanda has personally purchased and renovated several properties and continues to hone her craft by investing in real estate education, learning construction best practices, and creative financing solutions. As a result, she is constantly educating her clients and connecting them with the right resources. In addition to real estate, Amanda has a passion for food, travel, and philanthropy. Most recently, she traveled to Guatemala to build homes in the Guatemala City Garbage Dump.
Amanda Nadia Group
Emily Adams
Age: 25
HBA of West Florida
Emily Adams currently works as a New Home Consultant—and youngest employee—for Holiday Builders in Melbourne, Florida. Holiday is an employee-owned home builder that has been in business for 35 years. Emily started her career in general real estate in 2014, but immediately found herself drawn to new construction. When the opportunity arose to work for Holiday Builders, she jumped on it.
Emily began her career with Holiday as a sales assistant, but quickly worked her way into a sales consultant position and proved herself as one of the company’s top producers. She has earned her way to Holiday’s annual Presidential Summit trip three years in a row, and is now on a path to management within the company. Emily is currently the youngest employee at Holiday Builders, and is thrilled to have this opportunity to attend IBS and further her career.
Holiday Builders
Brittni Audirsch
Age: 32
HBA of Northeast Louisiana
Brittni is an Outside Sales Consultant for the Kitchen & Bath Cottage in Shreveport, Louisiana. Brittni’s primary focus is marketing windows and doors to architects, general contractors and home owners, but her role also includes estimating and project management.
She has been actively involved in the residential and commercial building industry since 2006 and participates with multiple Builders Associations and is an active member of the Special Events Committee of her hometown HBA.
Brittni is very passionate about the building industry and enjoys learning about various trades. Outside of the office, Brittni enjoys spending time outdoors with family and friends, traveling and being entertained by her five dogs.
Kitchen & Bath Cottage
Brenton Bellomy
Age: 29
AHB of Greater Birmingham
Brenton Bellomy is a Lighting Specialist with Inline Lighting, an employee-owned electrical and lighting company in Birmingham, Alabama. Inline Lighting began in Huntsville back in 1988 and has grown exponentially since its conception.
Brenton has been in the lighting industry for two years, working as both an inside and outside sales representative for Inline Lighting’s showroom. Brenton enjoys working with home builders, remodelers, and the public on various lighting projects that range from one room to an entire house. He loves learning about the newest and greatest in lighting design because it is constantly morphing and changing.
Brenton is actively involved with his local Home Builders Association and currently serves as a young professional board member for the Greater Birmingham Association of Home Builders. Additionally, Brenton volunteers for Ronald McDonald House Charities of Alabama and serves as Marketing Chair for their Junior Board of directors.
Inline Lighting
Adam Breen
Age: 35
Salt Lake HBA
Over the past decade, Adam and Breen Homes have built everything from track housing to high-end custom homes valued at over $5,000,000. His passion not only shows in the quality of his work, but also in his contributions to the community through his involvement in the Salt Lake City Home Builder Association (SLCHBA) and local construction industry. In 2016 Adam became the youngest Parade Chair and in 2020 is set to become the youngest President the SLCHBA has ever had.
Adam is also an integral partner of the Utah Cribs Development Company where he works closely with a group of realtors and developers to fulfill his dream of building Utah’s future, one lot and house at a time. His ability to walk a client through the entire process, from the right land to design and then construction, has been a huge asset to professionals and clients seeking professional help in the industry.
Breen Homes
Trevor Brown
Age: 29
BIA Bay Area
Trevor is a project coordinator in the entitlement department of Trumark Homes in Oakland, California Trumark is an award-winning builder/developer with 30 years of development experience. They began in 2008 as a homebuilding division and are now one of the fastest-growing private builders in the country. Trevor has really enjoyed being involved he entitlement department, where he gets to experience the projects at the beginning stages and work alongside the project managers and other departments in helping to push them forward.
Prior to working with Trumark, Trevor was with a smaller builder, Lenox Homes, where he got his start in the industry, after moving back to California from the East Coast. There he had the opportunity to learn about the various aspects of building and development. He’s also involved in the Bay Area BIA as part of the New Gen program, where participants learn about various aspects of the development cycle from peer presentations and networking.
Trumark Homes
Brian Dulay
Age: 34
Wayne Pike BA
Brian is a second-generation builder who is versed in all facets of residential construction from sales to site preparation and completion. Specializing in modular construction, David Dulay Homes of Honesdale, Pennsylvania, has built hundreds of homes since the 1980s.
Brian has been involved in the construction of homes since his childhood, taking on project management upon receiving his BS from the University of Scranton. Brian is also certified as a PA SEO to effectively navigate the evolving demands of site preparation. His interest in continuing professional development is evident through his multiple designations obtained from NAHB including Certified Graduate Builder, Certified Green Professional, Certified New Home Sales Professional, and Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist.
Brian is Deputy Chief of the Honesdale Fire Department, dedicating countless hours to this volunteer organization. Married to Dr. Sandra Shaffer, Brian and Sandy make their home in historic Bethany, Pennsylvania, in a custom Cape Cod home designed by Brian.
David Dulay Homes
Sherry Ferguson
Age: 29
HBA of Greenville
Sherry’s love for remodeling and home building started at a young age. She and her husband Mark own Ferguson Builders in Greenville, South Carolina, which specializes in residential remodeling and custom home building. Sherry originally grew up on a farm in Wisconsin. There she was able to work with her father, a master plumber, install septic systems and remodel her childhood home.
Being a former educator, Sherry is passionate about the professional development and training of all team members at Ferguson Builders. She has developed an eight-week project management course and continues to plan further training. She is also responsible for business and system development, marketing, and many other tasks that come with being a small business owner.
As the team at Ferguson Builders grows, Sherry is excited about better developing people and systems so that Ferguson Builders can best serve their clients. She looks forward to attending 2019’s IBS to bring back new insights to Ferguson Builders.
Ferguson Builders
Andrew Hayes
Age: 31
Southern Arizona HBA
Andrew Hayes is the Vice President of Operations for family-owned and operated Hayes Construction, Inc. in Tucson, Arizona. Hayes Construction specializes in custom home construction and unique and challenging builds. As a true custom builder, Andrew has learned to incorporate many different products, techniques, and technologies into each new home to create a more comfortable, efficient, and individualized product. Andrew manages client care, scheduling, bidding and financial management. He takes projects from initial meeting through design development and on to contract signing before handing the project over to the Hayes’ construction team.
Andrew is an active member of his local HBA sitting as the chair of the Custom Builders’ Council and former chair of the Green Build Council. He is excited to attend IBS 2019 and learn as much as he can about the new building techniques, material, and technology that can be used to improve the final product delivered to his clients.
Hayes Construction
Jen Haywood
Age: 29
HBA of Greater Des Moines
Jen is founder and owner of Texturious Designs, a home remodeling and virtual consulting business in Des Moines, Iowa. She enjoys helping her clients visualize the finished space and showing them that interior design can be easy, organized, and inexpensive.
Prior to founding Texturious Designs, Jen earned a Master of Arts degree in Interior Design from Iowa State University and worked as a project coordinator for various software companies. Her experience and passion for overseeing every detail of a project have translated well in an industry where several players must come together with one common goal.
Jen is very involved in the HBA of Greater Des Moines and serves on the executive council for Professional Women in Building, the Home and Remodeling Show committee, and the Remodeling Council. She also plays golf in the chapter’s summer league.
Texturious Designs
Edward Hunt
Age: 22
Park City Area HBA
Edward works as a carpenter for Jorgenson Builders LLC in Heber, Utah, building custom homes. He enjoys the new challenges that come with building and is always looking to increase his knowledge to better himself and increase the quality of homes he builds.
Within his first year of becoming a laborer for Jorgenson, Edward proved himself a hard worker, shortly becoming a carpenter and transitioning in to an assistant superintendent role. He is on his local Park City Area HBA’s Board of Directors and has been heavily involved with building challenging projects. His biggest so far has been setting steel at a custom home, all which had to be set in exact locations to avoid altering any of the home’s future plans. The $2 million dollar home is now complete, and he is “proud every time I see that house.”
Edward’s favorite things to do, other than spend time with his lovely wife, is mountain biking, fishing, hiking and Green Bay Packers games.
Jorgenson Builders LLC
Cassidy Jones
Age: 34
New River Valley HBA
Cassidy is the lead designer for Slate Creek Builders (SCB), a Design/Build firm in Blacksburg, Virginia. Cassidy was SCB's first recruit after joining an NAHB Remodeler 20 Club (Club R9) in 2014.
Since then, Cassidy has assisted SCB by managing the pre-construction process from initial client meetings through concept refinement, selections and contract presentation, and she plays a key role in the entire SCB client experience. Cassidy also guides SCB's marketing activities and is active in SCB business development and lead generation through her extensive community involvement. Most recently, Cassidy’s creativity helped SCB earn the annual Design Excellence award from the New River Valley Homebuilders Association (NRVHBA) for Best Remodeled Home.
Upon graduation from The College of William and Mary, Cassidy completed her Master’s in Housing Studies at Virginia Tech. She decided to stay in the Blacksburg area and launched her design career in 2008. As adjunct faculty, she teaches the university’s Advanced Kitchen and Bath Design course. She’s also a key member of the NRVHBA, serving on the Board, the Education Committee, and as Co-Chair for their annual Home Expo.
Slate Creek Builders
Kameron Klimes
Age: 26
HBA of Greater Kansas City
Kameron got his start in the trades as an apprentice carpenter in his hometown of St. Louis. In
2015, he committed to a year of service as an AmeriCorps National member with Habitat for Humanity of Kansas City. After his service, he stayed with Habitat as a construction supervisor. Through a generous lumber donation to his jobsite Kameron was introduced to McCray Lumber & Millwork. The opportunity presented itself to join McCray Lumber as an outside sales rep, and he made the leap.
Though he no longer wears a tool belt, Kameron enjoys the visceral connection he has to his work. To see the jobs he supplies go from a stack of material to a usable space keeps him motivated. When Kameron isn’t selling building materials he enjoys spending time with good friends and eating good food. Kameron recently married his high school sweetheart who he met, ironically, on a Habitat mission trip.
McCray Lumber & Millwork
Matthew Lane
Age: 30
BIA of Central Kentucky
LexGen Investments LLC
Matt gained a nationally-recognized qualification after completing a four-year carpentry and joiner apprenticeship in England. During that time he was part of many projects from renovations and restoration works to new home builds. Now living in central Kentucky, he has worked with local remodelers as a project manager and has recently started his own company, LexGen Investments LLC, focusing on contemporary design with an emphasis on energy efficiency, comfort and durability.
Combining his interest for building science and the utilization of new products and practices, Matt has delivered residential remodel projects that have seen a significant reduction in their energy usage.
With older homes in the area in need of extensive remodels to bring them up to current codes, Matt hopes to pass on his knowledge and attention to detail to the next generation through a personally-developed training program focusing on practical and theoretical skills needed when remodeling homes.
LexGen Investments LLC
Taryn McQuown
Age: 28
HBA of Metro Denver
Originally from central Pennsylvania, Taryn moved to Colorado in 2014 shortly after completing her degree in Building Science and Sustainable Design at Penn State. She’s been a Product Designer with Thrive Home Builders for the past four years. Thrive is a niche production home builder in the Denver market specializing in healthy, efficient, and local homes and has received awards like 2017 Builder of the Year from Professional Builder Magazine. In addition, Thrive is a six-time Grand Winner of the Housing Innovation Award from the US Department of Energy.
Taryn is most excited about creating attainable entry level homes for young professionals. She intends to seek out innovative products and network with others about potential design solutions at IBS.
Taryn is an enthusiastic volunteer with the Penn State Colorado Alumni Chapter. She is also active in her local Professional Women in Building and Young Leaders chapters. On the weekends Taryn camps, hikes and snowboards in the Rockies with her English setter Annabelle.
Thrive Home Builders
Jordyn Croom
Age: 23
HBA of Metro Denver
With a hunger for knowledge and a passion for home building, Jordyn was the first associate to be selected for Oakwood Homes’ unique Accelerated Leadership Program in 2018. In this program, Jordyn will work in four different departments within Oakwood, a builder/developer that constructs single family and multifamily homes throughout Colorado and Utah. She is putting her University of Denver degrees in real estate and the built environment to work in purchasing, sales/marketing, construction and land development/acquisition.
Jordyn has been involved with NAHB since she joined her university’s chapter and competed in the 2017 NAHB Student Competition. She was then selected to attend the 2017 NAHB Student Symposium, received three NAHB scholarships in 2017/2018, and spoke at the 2018 NAHB Meeting of the Members at IBS. She has since become a member with the HBA of Metro Denver and joined Professional Women in Building and the Sales and Marketing Council.
Oakwood Homes
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Tyler “TJ” Snyder
Age: 23
HBA Greater Cleveland
TJ grew up doing hands-on work for his father as a framer, landscaper and carpenter, so when it came time to select a future career, it was a no-brainer that he would be in construction. But what kind?
In 2015, TJ Joined JEMM Construction and was quickly thrown into the field doing high-end remodels with the help of his mentors, Josh Edgell, Mark Maltry Jr. and supervisor Chuck McClintock. TJ has earned his way to becoming the Warranty Manager due to his knowledge and customer service communication with new home and remodeling clients. Next was becoming a Project Manager, running numerous smaller projects ranging from $20,000-60,000.
“The best thing about this industry is I’m doing something that I love,” says TJ. “Seeing a customer’s face once the job is complete is absolutely priceless.”
JEMM Construction
Taylor Stout
Age: 25
Utah Valley HBA
Taylor is an Assistant Project Manager in the Estate Homes Group at Magleby Construction. He grew up around construction as his father was a general contractor. Taylor spent his summers pouring concrete and framing and also doing excavation/mining on some family-owned land.
Taylor has been drawn to the residential custom home sector as it will continue to give him the opportunity to build people’s dreams. He loves knowing the field aspect of construction and is enjoying the management aspect while learning all he can. He is very excited to learn more through the IBS and to see what more there is to offer in construction and build his network in the industry.
Taylor and his wonderful wife have a 7-month-old boy, and by the time IBS is here, Taylor will have graduated with a Bachelor’s of Science in Construction Management from Utah Valley University—congratulations, Taylor!
Magleby Construction
Eric Visser
Age: 33
Anchorage HBA
Construction and home design are in Eric’s blood. His father has owned a paint contracting business in Iowa for almost 30 years and his sister Marie owns an interior design firm. His uncle even owned a construction company on the Caribbean island of Grand Cayman, so it’s no surprise that Eric founded Visser Construction in Anchorage, Alaska.
Eric is the secretary of the Board of Directors for the Anchorage HBA, and has also been appointed to the CTRSC, BCSSC, and Energy and Green subcommittee of NAHB. He supports community volunteer projects through the Anchorage Home Builders Care Endowment Fund, and also advocates for intelligent regulation by participating in Anchorage assembly meetings and traveling to the state capital, Juneau, on behalf of the home building industry. Eric works to improve building practices through constant education and research into the most advanced building techniques.
Visser Construction
David Wilson
Age: 24
Tampa Bay BA
David Wilson is an entrepreneur who has made forays into the worlds of both technology and real estate. Currently working as a land acquisition analyst with Meritage Homes, David specializes in real estate investment and land acquisition/development. In his first year he has worked through 15M+ in land purchases and is a service-oriented professional who always seeks to create long-term strategies to meet organizational objectives and establish deep-rooted relationships.
Based out of Tampa, Florida, David is a civic-minded individual who volunteers his time and energy for his community with pride. He is a member of the Hillsborough County Affordable Housing Advisory Board, and former Chairman of the Metropolitan Planning Organization’s Citizen Advisory Committee. In addition, he is on the Board of Directors for the Women’s Resource Center of Tampa Bay, a nonprofit organization that provides supports women and families for long-lasting success. Filled with an over-arching urge to give back and do more, David seeks out opportunities to help people as they develop and grow personally and professionally.
Meritage Homes
Tony Wolff
Age: 33
Greater Fort Worth BA
Tony is the Outside Sales Manager for EnergyGuard Foam Insulators, a company that prides itself on doing things the right way. “The foam industry gets a bad rap at times” by helping build energy-efficient homes “we are trying to turn that around”, says Tony.
The company has been in business in Houston for 13 years, but 2017 brought on a new challenge: opening a division in Dallas-Fort Worth. Tony was a big part of the growth in a very competitive market without the company’s physical presence. After a year and a half, EnergyGuard DFW is running three full crews a day with 18 employees, and still growing.
Tony is very involved with the Greater Fort Worth Builders Association. He is the chair of the YP Committee and was awarded Associate of the Month. He’s really enjoyed getting to know different people within the industry and has made both personal and business relationships that will last a lifetime. His wife Autumn and their dog enjoy camping, four-wheeling, fishing and hunting.
EnergyGuard Foam Insulators