Every year the outgoing GHBA president selects association members who have supported them throughout the year. These individuals have shown a tremendous amount of loyalty and a commitment to the association through their interaction with other members, their willingness to share their industry experiences, and this year, their positive outlook through challenging times.
Outgoing 2020 President Rob Hellyer, CAPS, CGR, GMB, Premier Remodeling and Construction LP, chose five GHBA members for the Presidential Citation honor. Hellyer announced his picks virtually. Watch the video
“2020 was a particularly challenging year, and due COVID-19’s impact on events and meetings, these members often worked behind the scenes,” said Hellyer. “I was honored to work with these members through a tough year, and am even more honored to thank them with Presidential Citation Awards.”
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The first two citations go to members who, over the years, have established themselves as membership rock stars.
DEBBIE PAGE – 1st Infiniti Enterprises, Inc/1st Texas Fire Protection
Debbie is a long-time associate member of the GHBA who volunteers for numerous jobs behind the scenes in a variety of areas. Debbie serves on the Retention, Membership and Ambassador committees, and the Associate Council board. She served as Associate Vice President as well as the Retention Committee chair in 2020. Debbie has been the Retention Spike of the Year for four years running and has tied for New Member Spike of the Year two years in a row.
“Debbie works tirelessly for the GHBA. Her contributions are usually behind-the-scenes and significant, and she is very humble,” said Hellyer. “It is members like Debbie who may not be in the spotlight but are the gears that keep the GHBA moving through the good years and the challenging ones.”
E. L. CRAINE – BRPS Title a Brookfield Company
E. L. has been a member of the GHBA for six years and in that time, has brought in the most REALTOR members in the organization’s history.
E. L. teaches sales and marketing classes to the REALTOR community and always positions the GHBA front and center within his curriculum. He also highlights the GHBA on his weekly radio show. He is a staunch advocate of bridging the gap between builders and REALTORS and it shows.
Needing two half spikes to make one spike in the REALTOR world, he has been Spike of the Month five times in the past three years. (If you do the math, he has to work twice as hard to get those numbers!)
The Sales and Marketing Council is proud to have E. L. as its supporter. He really stands out for the GHBA with his loyalty, energy and commitment.
D’ANN BROWN, CGA CGP – StrucSure Home Warranty
D’Ann has been an associate member of the GHBA since she started with StrucSure in 2001. StrucSure is a GHBA Pinnacle Partner.
D’Ann has proven her commitment to the industry and to the GHBA through her numerous roles. These include Membership Committe chair from 2018 to 2020, member of the BABA and CBC boards, TAB Membership Committee member and GHBA TAB director. She also served on the GHBA CEO Search Committee, is a GHBA board member and is on the Executive & Finance Committee.
D’Ann has been involved in almost every area within the association through not only these roles, but also with her attendance and planning for events such as the annual Fishing Tournament, Adopt-a-Family Project, and many Volume Builders Committee events. Thank you D’Ann for all you do for our association and our industry!
MIKE DISHBERGER, GMB – Sandcastle Homes
Mike has an incredible resume of accomplishments within the homebuilding industry and the GHBA. He chairs the Government Affairs Committee and has for years. He led the efforts with the City of Houston and Harris County toward responsible and affordable regulations. He has also been involved with the Codes and Standards Committee, the Inner-City Task Force, the City of Houston Planning Commission and the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets.
“Mike took the lead on the CEO Search Committee while I was away, and played a major role throughout the process,” Hellyer said. “And as a past president himself, he has also been a mentor to me throughout my role as president.”
Mike is an NAHB Life Delegate and a TAB Life Delegate, and has recruited more than 200 new members to the Texas Association of Builders while serving in various leadership positions. He is a past president of BABA and was the 2011 GHBA board president. On the charitable front, Mike was a HomeAid Houston board member and was also a builder captain for two veterans’ remodel projects for HomeAid.
DON KLEIN – Chesmar Homes
“Don was an instrumental leader on the GHBA CEO Search Committee recently, and I appreciate his experience in the industry and his leadership,” said Hellyer. “Don has impacted the homebuilding industry, not just through his numerous roles as a leader in the GHBA, but also his commitment to giving back to the community.”
Don was a volunteer chairperson of the GHBA’s Benefit Homes Project for six years and while doing that he also constructed four Benefit Homes. In late 2020, Don and his “Chesmarians” broke ground on their 7th Benefit Home in Lago Mar.
Don has been a GHBA board member, was president of the GHBA in 2018 and works tirelessly within the government affairs arena to advocate for our industry and through his contributions to HOME-PAC.
He is also working with the Home Builders Institute (HBI) to establish construction education programs for disadvantaged youth within our community with donations from the Chesmar Foundation. He continues to lead his entire company to support the GHBA, whether through attendance at events, industry mentorships with local students, and fundraising additional scholarship dollars.
Congratulations to the 2020 Presidential Citation honorees! And thank you for your steadfast dedication to the GHBA.
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