March 6, 2020 | Upper Marlboro, MD
Home Innovation’s Cindy Wasser Announced as One of Professional Builder’s 40 Under 40 Class of 2020
Honorees Nominated for Accomplishments Achieved Before Turning 40
This week, Professional Builder magazine unveiled its annual 40 Under 40 list of rising stars in the home building industry and Cindy Wasser, Senior Program Manager for Home Innovation Research Labs’ NGBS Green Certification program, is among the honorees profiled in the March 2020 issue.
This year’s class of 14 women and 26 men were selected from more than 100 nominations submitted from all regions of the United States.
This year’s 40 Under 40 Award winners are an outstanding group of smart, determined, and innovative young housing industry leaders,” according to Professional Builder’s Editorial Director Denise Dersin. “Whether they went to work for an established company, joined a family firm, or started their own business right out of high school, they have achieved remarkable success in their chosen careers while also dedicating time and energy to community and charitable endeavors.”
The backgrounds of these honorees run the gamut, including entrepreneurs who started building houses after their high school graduation; builders who survived the Great Recession by redirecting their strategy at more promising target markets; and managers who rose to success after starting their careers as laborers and sales assistants. Many excelled by developing or implementing systems and procedures that boosted production or back office tools that increased website traffic, appointments, and ultimately sales and market share.
Cindy Wasser was nominated by Home Innovation's Executive Management Team whose members all agree that she is a young professional who exemplifies the work ethic, acceptance of responsibility, and willingness to be held accountable that define an effective leader. Originally hired at Home Innovation in 2013, Cindy provided strategic support to the NGBS Green program, helping it grow to become the largest green building certification program in the country. After a stint away from Home Innovation, honing her technical skills working at ICF and earning her master’s degree in the process, she returned in 2019 at a critical juncture in the development of the 2020 National Green Building Standard. In preparation for the next version of the NGBS and implementation into NGBS Green Certification, Cindy has led diverse teams of engineers, researchers, and building scientists in developing new program features – such as NGBS Green+ Badges; 2020 NGBS Green Certified Products offerings; and all the new scoring spreadsheets and tools that will be used by hundreds of NGBS Green Verifiers and participating builders across the country.
Michael Luzier, Home Innovation President & CEO, summed up Cindy’s worthiness of this recognition by saying, “Without a doubt, she is a leader here at Home Innovation and well deserving of recognition as one of the most important and influential 40 under 40 in our industry.”
To learn more about all members of the extraordinary 40 Under 40 Class of 2020, see their profiles in the March 2020 issue of Professional Builder.
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ABOUT: Home Innovation Research Labs, located in Upper Marlboro, Md., is a full-service research, testing, and consulting firm determined to improve the quality, durability, affordability, and environmental performance of single- and multifamily homes and home building products – in short, we aim to perfect the home. Founded in 1964 as a subsidiary of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), our team has been integral in solving many of our client’s most difficult product and technology issues, and helping to introduce some of the most groundbreaking innovations in construction. Through an interdisciplinary research approach – including market research, building science analysis, laboratory testing, and standards development – we help to find a home for innovation in the construction industry.
NOTE TO EDITORS ON STYLE USAGE: To identify this company and its work correctly, first reference should be "Home Innovation Research Labs." In subsequent mentions, “Home Innovation” should be used; we are not identified by an acronym. Prior to February 12, 2013, the company was known as the NAHB Research Center.