2022 Education Awards Winners

The 2022 NAHB Designees and Educator of the Year awards honors housing professionals who have displayed notable professionalism as NAHB designation holders and those who have excelled in teaching NAHB education courses. “We are extremely proud to honor these industry professionals who have committed the time and effort to enhance their skills and have helped bring awareness to the education programs offered by NAHB,” said NAHB Education Committee Chair Jim Carr, CGP, GMB.

Builder Designee of the Year

Tag Gilkeson, CAPS, CGA, CGB, CGP, CGR, CMP, CSP, GMB, Master CGP, Master CSP, MIRM, is the owner of Tag & Associates, LLC, a design/build company located in Carrollton, Texas. Gilkeson got his start in the real estate and construction industry in 1999 after obtaining his Texas REALTOR license. In 2009, he turned his attention to gaining more knowledge in his field by earning an associate degree in architecture and bachelor’s degree in construction management. A believer in lifelong learning, Gilkeson is passionate about education and works diligently as an NAHB Education approved instructor, educating his industry peers while doing what he loves best, teaching. He is also an active member of the Dallas Builders Association.

Certified Aging-in-Place Specialist (CAPS) Designee of the Year

Scott B. Roberts, CAPS, CGP, is the owner of Creative Architects located in Garland, Texas. He is an industry veteran and a true professional with an incredible knowledge of the architectural industry and has designed and planned a variety of projects since establishing his firm in 1982. Over the course of his career, Roberts has designed both residential and nonresidential structures to include elderly housing, recreational facilities, as well as single and multifamily housing. He has also served as a judge for many design competitions, spoken at seminars, written articles for magazines and has been an active leader in the Dallas Builders Association and the City of Garland, Texas.

Green Professional Designee of the Year

Matt Mitchell, CAPS, CGB, CSP, GMB, is the owner of James Andrews Custom Homes LLC in Dallas, Texas. Mitchell has been a builder and realtor since 2002 and has been actively involved in the Dallas Builders Association since he first joined in 2011. Mitchell has held various leadership roles in the Dallas Builders Association, including his role as 2020 – 2021 president. His quest for knowledge has earned him several college degrees, including an associate of arts and science degree in construction management from North Lake College. Mitchell also uses his designations when speaking to groups and encouraging individuals to increase their knowledge base by taking classes and earning designations to show proficiency in their profession. He also lists his designations on his resume/bio and website for clients to review.

Housing Credit Certified Professional (HCCP) Designee of the Year

Ronnette Smith, HCCP, is a senior trainer with Zeffert & Associates in Saint Louis, Mo. With 20 years of industry experience, she has overseen more than 30 communities at varying levels and has garnered a vast depth of knowledge from multiple vantage points. As an affordable housing expert across multiple funding restrictions and training disciplines, she is now widely considered a “must-have” for properties that require teams with proficiency in compliance. A rising star in the field, she started her career in Low Income Housing Tax Credit as a Compliance Coordinator, then branched out as a Sales and Marketing Manager. She is now a much sought-after Trainer. Her students boast designation pass rates amongst the highest in the nation because of her unique ability to make otherwise complicated information easy to understand. Smith is a motivated, energetic, and goal-oriented trainer, which makes her a great asset to the Affordable Housing industry.

Remodeler Designee of the Year

Philip A. Calinda, Jr., CAPS, CGB, CGP, CGR, GMB, GMR, is the sole proprietor of Millennium Custom Homes LLC, a design/build firm in Livingston, N.J. A third-generation builder who oversees all new construction, renovation, and remodeling projects at his company. He credits mentoring from others in the industry and NAHB education courses as essential to his success. He helped his local HBA become a destination for professionals seeking NAHB designation courses. The New Jersey Builders Association, Metropolitan Builders & Contractors Association of NJ and the New Jersey Association of Realtors have recognized his company with honors and awards. Very involved in all aspects of the building industry and in his community, Calinda constantly looks for ways to improve and grow.

Sales & Marketing Designee of the Year

Nicolas Ray Ream, CAPS, CGA, CGB, CGP, CGR. CSP, GMB, Master CGP, serves as the senior vice president of sales and marketing, project manager and director of research and development at Montana Heritage Home Builders Inc., an award-winning family owned and operated luxury design/build company in Columbia Falls, Mont. Specializing in social media, advertising and marketing, Ream educates individuals at the HBA of Metro Denver annual meeting regarding the designations he has earned and the benefits of those designations. He also promotes earning NAHB designations at the University of Denver Burns School of Real Estate and Construction Management. He is actively involved with NAHB—including participation in the National Sales & Marketing Council—the Montana Building Industry Association and the Flathead Building Association.

Gail Stocks, CAPS, is the founder and principal of EZ Way To Stay in Montclair, NJ. As an occupational therapist and accessibility specialist, she has decades of experience working with clients across the spectrum of ages and abilities. Since earning the CAPS in 2017, she has promoted the designation and its benefits in her community and among her industry peers. With a master’s degree in occupational therapy from NYU, Stocks is an advocate of the aging-in-place community and has created a home study course focused on home modifications. She volunteers for organizations such as Rebuilding Together as a logistics coordinator, AARP as their Lead NJ Presenter for HomeFit as well as a member of their speakers’ bureau. She is currently working on her Post Professional Doctorate in Occupational Therapy at Touro University.