Don Pratt, Chairman, Board of Directors

Don Pratt is President & CEO of Construction Education & Consulting Services of Michigan, LLC. In this capacity, he consults with attorneys, building owners, homeowners, and insurance companies regarding construction-related issues such as defects, workmanship, water intrusion, mold, and energy. He has appeared as an expert witness in over 600 cases. Don is also an industry educator, having developed and taught construction-related classes like Michigan's required 60-hour pre-licensure training. Don also has a deep background in codes, chairing the Michigan Construction Code Commission for nearly 13 years.

Robert Hanbury, Vice Chairman, Board of Directors

Bob Hanbury, a member of the NAHB Remodelers Hall of Fame, is President of House of Hanbury Builders, Inc., a full-service residential remodeling firm with 40+ years of transforming client ideas into inviting, usable spaces and improving the looks and livability of homes in the Greater Hartford, Connecticut, area. He also has a deep history in code development, as an ICC IEBC Development Code member for nearly 20 years.

Joe Hikel, Treasurer, Board of Directors

Joe Hikel is a Chapter Representative of the SBCA Board of Directors and has been involved in the association and the industry for over 40 years. In addition to his seat on the SBCA Board, Joe serves on SBCA's Finance Committee and is a Trustee of the SBCA Foundation & Endowment. Joe has also previously served on SBCA's Executive Committee, QC Committee, and as SBCA secretary and treasurer, followed by his term as SBCA President in 2011.

Troy Johns, Board of Directors

For the past 20 years, Troy Johns has been actively involved in the development, construction, and renovation of sustainable, healthy, highly energy-efficient homes in Clark County, Wash. As the largest builder in the Pacific Northwest, his company, Urban NW Homes, has established significant efficiencies among subcontractors in the region, allowing him to implement highly sustainable features for his homebuyers, while maintaining affordability. Believing that "green building" is just another way of saying smart and responsible building, Troy's mission is to cut energy consumption in the homes he builds by 50% above Energy Star standards. He holds leadership positions with the BIA of Clark County, the BIA's Green Building Council, and the BIA of Washington State.

Randy Noel, Secretary, Board of Directors

Since the ripe age of 12 when his home builder father placed a broom in his hand on a home site, Randy Noel has been involved in home building in some form or fashion. He worked his way through the ranks and ultimately became vice president of operations for his father's company. In 1985, he began his own custom building company, Reve Inc. He was president of the HBA of Greater New Orleans as well as the state association. He currently serves on the LHBA Self Insurance Workers Compensation Board of Trustees and the General Liability Indemnity Trust Board. He is an NAHB Life Member and has been on its Executive Board since 2008. He is the past chairman of the Louisiana State Uniform Construction Council, and member of the Institute of Residential Marketing in the state of Louisiana.

Bill Owens, Board of Directors

Bill Owens, a Worthington, Ohio-based, remodeler and home builder with more than 40 years of experience in the residential construction industry is NAHB's 2024 Second Vice Chairman. Owens is president of Owens Construction, a leading residential design/build firm focused on integrating seamless appearance, energy efficient technology and creating welcoming home environments.

Dean Potter, Board of Directors

Dean Potter serves as the vice president of quality at K. Hovnanian Homes.

Eileen Ramage, Board of Directors

Eileen O'Grady Ramage serves as NAHB's chief financial officer. A certified public accountant, Ramage has 10 years of experience serving as a CFO of a national trade association. Previously, she served in senior management positions in the private sector and as partner at a public accounting firm. She is also a certified association executive.

Sonny Richardson, Board of Directors

Dwight "Sonny" Richardson is a 2nd generation builder/contractor with extensive construction litigation experience. A 1970 Building Science graduate of Auburn University, Richardson is a licensed real estate broker, general contractor, home builder, master plumber/gas fitter & retired Lieutenant Colonel, US Army Corps of Engineers. He has twice chaired the NAHB Construction Codes & Standards Committee.

James W. Tobin III, CAE, Board of Directors

Jim Tobin is NAHB's president and CEO with 25 years of lobbying and association experience. Previously, he served as NAHB's EVP, government affairs and chief lobbyist, where he directed the federal, state, and local lobbying for NAHB. Prior to NAHB, he was senior legislative assistant to former U.S. Rep. Frank Riggs (Calif.) and former U.S. Rep. Gary Franks (Conn.).

Kevin Woodward, Board of Directors

Jim Zengel, Board of Directors

Jim's experience in construction begins at age 12, working on job sites for his grandfather's business. As a teenager, pitching in to provide manual labor gradually became a labor of love. Jim acquired experience in all aspects of homebuilding — carpentry, masonry, concrete, plumbing, electric, painting — and applied his skills in and around the Dayton community.

Jim officially joined the Zengel family business full-time in 1979, honing his expertise in a variety of roles within the company. In 2011, Jim became a Certified Green Professional (CGP), followed by recognition as a Certified Graduate Builder (CGB) in 2014, and Certified Graduate Remodeler (CGR) in 2019.

Jim successfully created the Zengel Group, Building and Remodeling in 2012 as a natural extension of his home building background in order to provide clients with a professional remodeling and home addition choice that provides unmatched customer service and craftsmanship.

Ed Hudson, MBA, Director, Market Research

Ed leads the Market Research division of Home Innovation. He and his staff conduct a wide array of both qualitative and quantitative marketing research supporting the development and commercialization of new building products and technologies. He has over 30 years of experience conducting research in the home construction industry, as well as on-site construction experience that gives him unique insight into the industry's processes and needs. Ed earned his BSBA in Marketing from Fairmont State University before achieving his MBA in Marketing from George Mason University. 

Chris Steuble, Associate Director, Market Research

Chris has been in the market research industry for over 30 years and has managed Home Innovation's Builder & Consumer Practices Survey (BPS/CPS) program for close to two decades. Chris develops building materials demand data using expertise in conducting nationwide surveys, analysis of building industry activity, construction technologies, and data computational modeling. The scope of his work includes new home construction, home remodeling, and non-residential building construction in both the U.S. and Canada.

Jon Violette, Manager, Marketing Research

Jon Violette is Manager of Marketing Research. He has nearly 40 years of marketing and advertising research experience. Working at some of the nation’s leading corporations (American Express), advertising agencies (Grey Advertising, McCann-Erickson) and marketing research firms (Oxtoby-Smith, The NPD Group), Jon has designed and analyzed qualitative and quantitative research projects and studies for many of the world’s most influential brands, including American Express, AT&T, General Motors, and Kraft Foods, to name just a few. He double majored in Marketing and Management at the University of South Carolina, where he received a BS in Business Administration. Jon has been with Home Innovation Research Labs since 2013.

Zach Summy, Research Analyst & Program Manager

Zach has over a decade of experience working in construction and operations. He is responsible for execution and analysis of various market research projects, including time and motion studies, surveys, and more. 

Sasha McAlpin, Survey Programmer & Analyst

Sasha has 10 years of experience in market research and data analysis for the construction industry. In her role managing our Construction Pro Research Panel, she is repsonsible for survey programming, analysis, and communications with our survey participants. 

Ryan Taaffe, Senior Market Research Analyst

Ryan has over a decade of experience in market research, as well as a background in real estate. He manages both qualitative and quantitative research projects for Home Innovation's clients. He earned his BBA in Marketing and Hispanic Studies from the College of William & Mary. 

John Peavey, PE, Director, Building Science

John leads a broad range of projects in support of DOE, NAHB, HUD, USDA FPL, and other agency initiatives to improve the performance, safety, and affordability of housing. His team conducts performance assessments of new housing systems in the field, new construction technologies, construction best practices, universal design methodologies, construction codes and standards development, energy efficiency, and field assessments of existing residential construction. John and his team help to demonstrate how new technologies can be commercialized and codified in the construction marketplace. 

David Mallay, Manager, Analytics & Research

David conducts research and engineering analysis on residential systems for Home Innovation. He is the primary analyst responsible for cost analysis in the residential construction space and has significant experience in modeling and systems analysis. Dave is also a BPI Certified Building Analyst Professional and a BPI Certified Envelope Professional.

Tynica Stefun, Project Manager

Tynica is an experienced project manager responsible for planning, implementing and monitoring projects from start to finish. Her proven track record of meeting high expectations, managing complex tasks, and successfully delivering projects on schedule is an asset to the Building Science team. She is skilled in communicating with private and government clients and providing data analysis to produce and deliver on all reporting requirements.

Kevin Kauffman, Standards & Testing Coordinator

Kevin is involved in a variety of projects for Home Innovation in support of HUD, DOE, NAHB, USDA Forest Products Lab, and other agency programs. His work spans both the Building Science and Laboratory divisions and includes residential regulations and code issues, product standards, technology innovations, and construction systems, which affect the affordability, safety, and livability of homes.

Deanna Seale, PE, Director, Laboratory Services

Deanna, a licensed professional engineer with nearly two decades of experience in structural and civil engineering, oversees all of Home Innovation's Laboratory Services. Her expertise encompasses design, testing, construction, and forensics of various structures. Leading a team of engineers and technicians, she oversees a diverse range of laboratory testing on construction materials and assemblies. As a recognized leader in the field of product testing and standards compliance, Deanna holds key roles in industry organizations and committees. As Lab Director, she ensures all testing and certification services comply with ISO 17065, ISO 17025, and ISO 17020 standards.

Joe Alascio, PE, Test Engineer

Joe, a licensed professional engineer specializing in Fire Protection Engineering, brings extensive experience in independent product testing within an ISO 17025 accredited laboratory setting. Serving as a Laboratory Test Engineer at Home Innovation, Joe conducts fire testing for various materials and assemblies. He studied at the University of Maryland, graduating Magna Cum Laude with bachelor's and master’s degrees in Fire Protection Engineering. Additionally, he coauthored research published in Fire Safety Journal.

Michael Ermer, Lab Programs Manager

Michael has extensive experience in the testing and evaluation field and is commited to quality management and process improvement. He is responsible for the management of Home Innovation's structural, plumbing, insulation, and other product certification programs. His prior experience includes regulatory testing and evaluation in electromagnetic compatibility as well as combat vehicle and military standard testing. 

Chase Bowman, Lab Technician

Chase is responsible for conducting product testing for both R&D and product certification in our accredited product testing laboratory. 

Cindy Wasser, MBA, Senior Manager, Green Building Programs

Cindy leads technical oversight, advocacy, and manufacturer engagement for the NGBS Green certification program. Prior to Home Innovation, Cindy was a consultant with ICF where she supported the implementation of EPA’s residential labeling programs, including ENERGY STAR, Indoor airPLUS, and WaterSense. Previously, she provided sustainability technical assistance at the National Association of Counties and engaged communities for long-range planning within the City Planning Department of Montpelier, VT. Cindy holds an MBA in Sustainability from Bard College and a B.S. in U.S. Environmental Policy from Rutgers University.

Pranav Phatak, NGBS Green Building Scientist

Pranav is a mechanical engineer supporting the NGBS Green team. He is an EIT and LEED - Green Associate with specific skills in MEP, building commissioning, CAD, and manufacturing, and extensive knowledge of HVAC and thermal systems, renewable/non-conventional energy, and power plant equipment operations.

Elina Thapa, NGBS Green Building Engineer

Elina has expertise in various building codes and standards, disaster resilience policies, and retrofit techniques. After graduating with a Civil Engineering degree in 2016, Elina worked in the reconstruction project where she mostly inspected the construction of houses in a rural village in Nepal. Having worked closely with builders, homeowners, and engineers, she understands the need of sustainability in construction and is a valuable part of our NGBS Green reviewer team.

Katie Dorn, NGBS Green Program Associate

Katie is Program Associate for the NGBS Green program, assisting with day-to-day program management, including certification reviews, verifier support, advocacy efforts and ESG development. She has prior experience in the green building industry, previously interning for one of our verifiers. Katie holds a BS in Environmental Science and Policy from the University of Maryland.

Owen Hotaling, NGBS Green Program Associate

Owen assists in the administration of the NGBS Green certification program. He recently graduated from Hobart and William Smith Colleges with a double major in Physics and Environmental Studies, and a minor in Economics.

Shreya Thapa, Energy & Sustainability Analyst

Shreya has experience in energy projections for residential properties, energy modeling, sustainable development, and disaster resilience. She worked on the client side of the NGBS Green certification program prior to joining Home Innovation in 2024 and is currently pursuing her Master's in Environmental Management from the University of Maryland. 

Joanne McAlpin, NGBS Green Program Associate

Joanne works with the NGBS Green certification program assisting in day-to-day certification administration as well as acting as lead for Home Innovation’s training programs, including the Verifier accreditations, NGBS Green PRO, and the AIA and ICC continuing education opportunities. She also assists the Green Certified Products program and our advocacy and research efforts.

Lynda Mosteller, Program Administrator

Lynda is the Certifications Administrator for Home Innovation’s NGBS Green certification program, which means she manages our extensive program database and all the daily interactions with NGBS Green Verifiers as well as other program partners. She has been working at Home Innovation for decades and has been involved with NGBS Green since its inception.