Giuseppe Castrucci is the vice-president of sales and marketing for Laurysen Kitchens, an Ottawa based family-owned and operated kitchen manufacturer. Giuseppe graduated from the University of Ottawa with a B.A. in Arts as well as an Honours B. Sc. Political Science and a second major in History.

Giuseppe began his career with Laurysen in 1992 as the head of the Architectural Millwork Division and in 1994 was moved to the position of vice-president of sales and marketing.

A collection of positions held include: Active member of the Greater Ottawa Homebuilders' Association; 1994–1999 Sales & Marketing Council member; 1999–2003 Sales & Marketing Council chairperson; 2002–2003 Colonel Boss Award Person of the Year; 2005 & 2006 GOHBA president.

Other Activities include: 2006 Petro-Canada Award Outstanding contribution to FCA; 2009 Algonquin College advisory board member.

Giuseppe has also been involved within the Ottawa community in various events and organizations which raises money for Ottawa charities; 1990–2002 president of the Order of Italo Canadians–Ottawa; 2004–2008 president of the FCA Ottawa Chapter; 2005–present chair FCA Ottawa Ferrari Festival.

Jerry Costanzo brings 26 years of sales and marketing experience to the marketplace. He is a high-energy, goal-oriented, quick to learn and competitive individual. Jerry has provided leadership since childhood as an Eagle Scout, officer in the Marine Corps and every endeavour he embarks upon. He enjoys winning by outsmarting his competition.

Jerry is a rare combination of a highly analytical mind and sensitivity toward understanding human behaviour. Prior to real estate, Jerry worked with emotionally disturbed children and adults and started two agencies to meet the needs of this troubled population.

In 2000, Jerry started G.L. Costanzo & Associates, Inc. in order to serve the Developer and Builder community with the practical application of theoretical knowledge and expertise. During his career, while working directly for Builders and Developers, Jerry has had direct planning involvement in the delivery of over 25,000 homes representing over 2.5 billion in revenue in California, Colorado, Florida, Virginia, North Carolina, New York, New Jersey, Nevada, Montana, Idaho and Pennsylvania.

Lou Frustaglio began his renovation business in 1982 with the opening of DreamBuilders after getting his feet wet in the construction business working for his father's building company. The award-winning firm specializes in design build renovations and custom homes in the Toronto area. Lou believes in being very detailed with the project proposal and communication with the client is essential for a successful renovation project. While communication is the key to the process, Lou also stresses the importance of utilizing quality materials and experienced trades. It's a philosophy that has paid off over the years as many of the company’s business projects now comes from repeats and referrals.

A RENOMARK contractor who is commitment to their craft has not only netted DreamBuilders some very happy customers, but an assortment of honours including the Canadian Home Builders' Association prestigious Renovator of the Year award in 1992. Lou has been involved with the Home Builders' Associations at all three levels since 1985 when he attended his first renovation council meeting and has served on a variety of committees.

Lou has served as chair of the BILD Association's Reno Council; chair of OHBA's Renovators' Council and is presently the chair of the CHBA's Canadian Renovator's Council. "Not only is it important to inform and educate our members but also to educate the consumer on the renovation process and inform the public that there is a renovation council, that we are professionals and the consumer should be calling their local Home Builders' Association to find a professional renovator."

Ishan Ghosh is the executive vice-president strategic planning and partner of The Brand Factory. As head of strategic planning at The Brand Factory, Ishan has put his young organization on the map of the top Canadian marketing communication companies to rank #6 in "Strategy" (Marketing magazine's Top 100 Marketing Communication Companies 2006).

Ishan has an executive MBA from Queens University, Ontario and lectures in Branding at the Rotman School of Management, as part of the MBA program. He is a frequent speaker at several forums such as the Canadian Institute, Conference Board of Canada, The Indo-Canada Chamber of Commerce, and conducts workshops on consumer marketing and insights for several organizations. He is also a frequent commentator in many journals in the marketing industry.

The Brand Factory is a nine-year-old company and is one of the fastest growing brand communications firms in the country. It is one of the only branding companies in the world to specialize in the AEC (Architectural Engineering & Construction) market. The agency's client roster includes some of the largest builders, construction technologies, engineering and architectural firms in North America and the world. The company specializes in helping businesses and organizations discover their strengths and uniqueness to their competitive advantage. Ishan has been instrumental in developing the process, branded as 'The Idea Machine' and their 'Brand DNA' models. These proprietary tools are based on the principle of building your brand to build business.

Nancy Hall is vice-president of Business Development for Pacific Dimensions, Inc., an internationally recognized residential and commercial interior design firm located in El Segundo, California. Nancy has over 18 years experience in interior merchandising and marketing within the US home building industry. She is a graduate of California State University at Northridge and is a member of the California Building Industry Association, as well as sales and marketing councils in southern and northern California, Nevada and Arizona. She currently serves on the Urban Infill Committee of the Orange County BIA, Government Affairs Committee of the Los Angeles/Ventura BIA, and is membership chair/member-at-large for the board of directors of the Los Angeles/Ventura Sales & Marketing Council.

Louis Howard has been actively involved in the new home and residential market since the late 1980s. For the past eight years, he has served as executive vice- president for John F. Buchan Homes. In this capacity, Louis oversees the sales, marketing and brokerage operation, which generates $300 million in annual sales. Louis is also involved in land acquisition, planning and architectural design for each Buchan neighbourhood. Louis not only focuses on the success of the company, but also coaches and mentors individuals to maximize their potential. Most recently, Louis became an approved Continuing Education instructor in Washington State.

His incredible insight combined with over 20 years of result-oriented success in residential real estate puts him at the top of many professional "Most Admired" lists. He also lends time and resources to the community through sponsoring events such as the annual Children's Ride and Auction benefiting Children's Hospital, the John L. Scott Foundation, Master Builders Association Care Foundation and the Annual Don James Classic benefiting the Kirkland Boys and Girls Club.

John has been involved in the housing industry for over a quarter century. He is well-known for his expertise in sales and marketing (he chaired the National Sales & Marketing Committee) and customer service. His company, Park Royal Homes, has won the coveted Alberta New Home Warranty Program Customer Choice Award 11 times in the last 12 years.

John has served as a director at all three levels of our association, past president of Edmonton and Alberta, a long time director and chairman of the board of Alberta's Warranty Program. Additionally, he has been an active community volunteer, most recently re-building the Whitemud Equine Centre in downtown Edmonton.

Gerhard Linse is chief designer and owner of Gerhard Linse Design & Building Consultants (Hardlin Holdings Inc.). A creative and idea rich design consulting and project management company providing services to both the new construction and renovation markets.

Gerhard Linse comes from a building family and draws on over 25 years of experience in the construction industry as a designer, developer, and former custom builder on a variety of projects ranging from urban infill to traditional estate homes and major renovation projects. He has travelled widely and worked internationally in Germany, Australia, Russia, and the Caribbean and is a graduate of Ryerson Polytechnic University, studying architecture and project management.

Gerhard's talents, expertise, and commitment to excellence have garnered him numerous industry awards at the local, provincial, and national levels for housing design excellence for projects he has designed or built, including a Governor General's Award for Design Excellence. He has also received several personal achievement awards for his outstanding contributions to the home building industry, is a past vice-president of the Ottawa-Carleton Home Builders' Association, a respected member of the local design and building community, and a member of the Association of Registered Interior Designers of Ontario.

Wally is the president and the driving force behind North Ridge Development Corporation. North Ridge currently generates revenues in excess of $75 million annually and employs 200 employees year-round, in addition to numerous seasonal staff. Wally is a graduate of the University of Saskatchewan and has 30 years experience in residential housing and land development.

Over the years, Wally has found the time to sit on a variety of boards, including the Canadian Home Builders' Association: second vice-president 2006-2007; Saskatoon & Region Home Builders' Association on the board of directors; New Home Warranty Program of Saskatchewan as director & chair; Junior Achievement Program in Saskatoon on the board of Governors and The Saskatoon Community Foundation.

For numerous years, North Ridge Development Corporation has been very active in the community donating money to support a variety of charitable organizations in order to provide a good quality of life for the citizens of Saskatoon. Wally's philosophy is that by giving back to the community, we ultimately strengthen the community and make it a better place to live.

Vince Molinaro began his career in residential construction at the age of 16 when he started to work as a general labourer for Matterhorn Construction, the family business. Raised in Stoney Creek, he was a student of Cardinal Newman high school before studying at McMaster University and Mohawk College. Vince is the president of the Molinaro Group, a Hamilton-based building and development company specializing in the construction of high-rise condominium projects. Over the past few years, he has played an integral role in the completion of several local projects of note, including the federal building in downtown Hamilton and many luxury high-rise projects along the lakeshore in Burlington such as Spencer's Landing, Bunton's Wharf, and The Baxter. His latest project, 360 on Pearl, is now under construction.

Burke Perry has been self-employed in the residential construction industry for nearly 30 years and is president of Burke Perry Master Builder Inc. and LOOK Homes Inc. Currently, Burke resides as the vice-chair of the Alberta New Home Warranty Program and previously held the president's position for the CHBA-Alberta in 2002 and CHBA-Edmonton in 1995.

Burke's companies and built fund raises homes for the Royal Alexandra Hospital and also Pediatric Cancer Research at the Cross Cancer Institute in Edmonton. He is a volunteer director of the Kid's With Cancer Society.

Burke and his wife Jody have five children: Brad, Jill, Kelsey, Morgan, and Maddy.

Active in the residential real estate industry since 1971, Nestor Repetski, along with his partner Stuart Winick, are principals of Winick Repetski & Associates, Marketing and Advertising Consultants, and Winick Realty Corp. Real Estate Broker and have been responsible for the marketing, advertising and sale of tens of thousands of residential units, both freehold and condominium, all over North America. Their practice is the only fully-integrated marketing, advertising and sales firm in Canada.

Having grown up in the renovation business, it was inevitable that Joel Scopelleti would continue the family tradition of running Carick Home Improvement established in 1975.

Joel has a wealth of knowledge in all aspects of the renovation field and demonstrates a hands-on approach with a record of high-quality work. Presently, Joel is chairman for the Renovation Council of Greater Toronto Home Builders' Association (GTHBA) and was involved in developing the RENOMARK program. Carick Home Improvements was given the prestigious Renovator of the Year 2004 award by GTHBA. His expertise in the renovation industry has lead to numerous interviews in the major Toronto newspaper and television outlets.

Joel also has a passion for travel, which has led him to experience the Amazon jungle in Brazil, trek the mountains of Nepal and enjoy the beaches of Africa.

After receiving her diploma for Business Administration and Marketing from SAIT, Christine joined the family business, Avalon, in 1995. Since that time Christine has earned her Master Builder status from the Professional Builder Institute of Alberta. Under Christine's leadership, Avalon has earned a very impressive eight customer service awards including three provincial awards. Avalon was also the first multi-family builder to be certified under the Built-Green™ Alberta program.

Looking to the future, Avalon is working on technology that will allow the company to build a net-zero home and will implement this technology throughout Alberta. Christine has volunteered at all levels of our association, locally as president of the Central Alberta Home Builders' Association, provincially as marketing chair and nationally on the "Vision for the Future Task Force" and the "Corporate Social Responsibility Task Force."

Michael Senz is the vice-president of his family-owned renovation and design company, A & H Renovations. After spending his teenage years working with the family business, Michael graduated from the Nova Scotia Community College in 1990 with his diploma in construction administration technology and began working full-time with his father to help make this award–winning company one of the most highly recognized and respected renovation companies in Halifax. A & H Renovations have been recognized locally, provincially and nationally for the quality of their workmanship, including Nova Scotia Home Builders’ Association's Renovator of the Year (2007).

Michael not only prides himself in the work he does as a renovator, he is also dedicated to raising the level of professionalism in the residential construction industry. Some of the current highlights of his work include chairing the NSHBA Training & Education Committee, serving as NSHBA's second vice-president; member of the NSHBA Renovators' Council, member of the Atlantic Home Building and Renovation Sector Council, member of CHBA National Education and Training Committee and member of the Nova Scotia Community College Planning Advisory Committee for the carpentry program, to name a few.

Outside of his renovation business and committee work, Michael coaches a youth soccer team. Michael is married with three children.

Since 1988, Naum Shteinbah has maintained an active and integral role in the development and construction industry both in Alberta and internationally. Naum holds a wealth of experience with municipal and urban development engineering firms, commercial contracting in the Arctic region and municipal government; plus, he has a Masters degree in Civil Engineering and is recognized as a professional Engineer in the provinces of Alberta and British Columbia.

His role with Streetside Development Corporation includes land acquisitions, project feasibility, concept planning, government relations, and legal and corporate issues. Naum is an active member of the Subdivision Development Approval Board with the City of Calgary and within his community.

Chuck is the founder and president of Outlook Construction and is responsible for overseeing all construction, land development, and design work. Chuck has over 25 years of diverse construction industry experience including both the design and construction of residential and commercial properties. As a home builder Chuck has designed and built homes ranging from $100,000 to $1,500,000. Since the early '80s Chuck has owned and managed two successful construction companies, including Outlook Construction and a construction manufacturing business.

Early in his career Chuck managed an urban architectural office in Boston. Chuck has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Architecture from Pratt Institute in New York City.
 

Since 1990, Derek Thorsteinson has been president and general manager of Parkhill Homes, which builds award-winning custom residential houses. Previously, Mr. Thorsteinson served as corporate accounts manager for Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce from 1979 to 1986.

Mr. Thorsteinson has been affiliated with several industry related organizations including the Manitoba Home Builders' Association as president in 1993 and 2003. He also chairs the Technical Research Committee of the New Home Warranty Program of Manitoba Inc., and is also a fellow member of the Institute of Canadian Bankers and a member of the Canadian Home Builders' Association. In 1979, Mr. Thorsteinson received a Bachelor of Commerce degree with honours from the University of Manitoba. Additionally, he has a Master Builder certification, is a certified R2000 builder and a certified housing professional.

Derek A. Thorsteinson and his wife Lori A. Thorsteinson have four children, Erin, Jeff, Jamie and Jasmine, as well as one grandson Evan who is 16-months-old. Mr. Thorsteinson enjoys golfing, fishing, downhill skiing and old-timer's hockey.