California home builder Brian Catalde was elected as the 2007 president of the 235,000-member NAHB during the association's 63rd annual International Builders’ Show in Orlando, Fla. on Feb. 9.

A driving force in the Southern California home building industry for more than 30 years, Catalde is president and chief operating officer of El Segundo-based Paragon Communities, a company he founded in the early 1980s. Paragon specializes in single-family homes ranging from entry level to luxury, and builds multifamily condominiums and commercial projects.

“This year will be a critical turning point for the nation’s housing industry,” said Catalde. “We expect the worst of the housing downturn is behind us and that we will see some gradual improvement in home sales over the months ahead. I look forward to leading this association forward as we navigate a course for success through these changing times.”

Many of the same issues that were priorities for NAHB in 2006 will continue to be pivotal for the association’s advocacy agenda this year, including efforts to reform oversight of the housing government sponsored enterprises, securing federal funding for key housing programs, expanding the availability of workforce housing and injecting greater fairness and certainty in federal regulations designed to protect the environment.

Catalde first became involved with NAHB through his state home builders association and served as president of the Building Industry Association of Southern California in 1996 and president of the California Building Industry Association in 1999. In the interim, he earned “Builder of the Year” honors from his local BIA.

Through his state and local leadership capacities, Catalde quickly understood the value of participating in this national association, where he could “access resources and talk to other builders who offered incredible insight and knowledge” from across the country and where he could promote national housing priorities in the halls of Congress, in the federal regulatory arena and in the nation's courtrooms.

With a commitment to government affairs issues, Catalde became part of the NAHB Federal Government Affairs Committee, which paved the way for a position on the 2,000-member NAHB Board of Directors. He has also served as an NAHB national vice president and is a trustee of NAHB’s respected political action committee, BUILD-PAC.

As for his leadership style, Catalde says that he prefers to encourage a teamwork approach to solving issues as they evolve. “It’s not about me,” he says. “It’s about giving the team the right information and encouraging them to make the right decisions for NAHB’s future.”

In his home state, Catalde has been active in civic and local government endeavors, including serving as commissioner of the Los Angeles County Tax Board from 1996-2002. He is also the co-founder of the Gary Troy Foundation, which provides services to teenagers suffering from drug and alcohol abuse problems, and he is active in the Boys and Girls Club of Santa Clarita as well as in the YMCA of San Fernando Valley.

Brian and his wife, Michelle, have two sons, Jay and Scott. [ return to top ]