IN THE NEWS

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Forbes

FORBES (April 29, 2025 ) “Secret’s out: Trade Work is Tomorrow’s Career Jackpot.” READ MORE

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ERT INSIGHT (April 2025 ) “Hayeden Private completed HBI’s Building Construction Technology program at the Hubert H. Humphrey Job Corps and is currently taking Advanced Plumbing in Arkansas..” READ MORE

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Daily News Network ( January 23, 2025 ) “Building Buzz with Carla Eddings of Home Builders Institute (HBI).” READ MORE

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Site Selection online ( January 23, 2025 ) “TRADE EDUCATION: Lay the Foundation, Build the Future.” READ MORE

13 news now logo habitat and hbi build home for single mother in Chesapeake

13 News Now wvec.com ( January 23, 2025 ) “Habitat for Humanity trains veterans to learn new construction skills while giving back.” READ MORE

Mass Nonprofit News LLc ( Dec 31, 2024 ) “Rebuilding Together Boston awarded $300,000 Liberty Mutual Foundation grant with St. Francis House and Home Builders Institute” READ MORE

The County(December 19 2024) “Loring electrical student lights the way to Vegas for all of Job Corps” READ MORE

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CareerSource Central Florida(December 13, 2024) “Cultivating Community Wholeness” READ MORE

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Inside Investigator(December 8, 2024) “Ratioed: How CT licensing laws contribute to the construction worker shortage” READ MORE
Builder Magazine
BUILDER Online(November 11, 2024) “How the Home Building Industry Is Supporting Veterans” READ MORE
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NAHB (Octoer 29, 2024) “HBI’s Schools to Skills Grant Application Now Open”  READ MORE

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Orlando Sentinel  (October 7, 2024) “Commentary: Nonprofit leaders tout importance of workforce development” READ MORE

Builder Magazine

Builder (October 3, 2024) “Five Takeaways From the Fall Construction Labor Report.”  READ MORE

AdventHealth (September 18, 2024) “AdventHealth awards $1.4 million to 6 nonprofits addressing urgent workforce needs in Central Florida” READ MORE
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NAHB (August 13, 2024) “The Home Building Industry Is Hiring”  READ MORE
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CAVAZOSSENTINEL (July 25, 2024) “HBI hosts ‘Bring a Kid to Work Day” READ MORE
Hole in the Wall Business Podcast

HOLE IN THE WALL BUSINESS PODCAST (July 23, 2024) “Empowering Trades: Inside HBI’s BuildStrong Academy with Alex Gomez and Joseph Hernandez” WATCH NOW

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KWTX.COM (July 18, 2024) “Home Builders Institute hosting ‘Bring Child to Work Day’ at Fort Cavazos”  READ MORE
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SHARKBITE (July 2024) “He was once an HBI student. Now he’s helping other start their plumbing careers.”  READ MORE 

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WCNC (July 3, 2024) “New training academy aims to fill open jobs and open opportunities within construction industry”  READ MORE

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NAHB (June 11, 2024) “New HBI Report Shows an Increase in Demand for Construction Labor”  READ MORE

 

Ground News (June 8, 2024) “New BuildStrong Academy Offers Complimentary Carpentry and Electrical Training.”  READ MORE

Builder Magazine

Builder (June 7, 2024) “Four takeaways from the HBI’s Spring 2024 Labor Construction Market Report.”  READ MORE

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The Mecklenburg Times (June 3, 2024) “New BuildStrong Academy Offers Complimentary Carpentry and Electrical Training.”  READ MORE

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GroundBreak Carolinas (May 29, 2024) “New BuildStrong Academy Offers Complimentary Carpentry and Electrical Training.”  READ MORE

Builder Magazine

Builder (January 22, 2024) “HBI Opens New BuildStrong Academy in Sacramento.”  READ MORE

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NAHB (January 22, 2024) “5 Engagement Strategies to Attract Students to the Trades”  READ MORE

ABC 10

ABC10 (January 18, 2024) “Free construction training program debuts in Sacramento.”  READ MORE

The Home Depot

Home Depot (January 18, 2024) “The Home Depot Foundation’s Nationwide MLK Week of Service: Transforming Communities and Empowering Students.”  READ MORE

The CEO Publication

The CEO Publication (January 15 , 2024) “Reviving the Construction Industry”  READ MORE

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NLC (December 19, 2023) “The Impact of Infrastructire and Workforce Challenges on Local Housing Supply.”  READ MORE

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ECI (November 28, 2023) “Top New Home Operations Tips for 2024.”  READ MORE

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Business Insider (November 20, 2023) “From construction workers to electricians, these are the infrastructure jobs set to boom in the next few years.”  READ MORE

Builder Magazine

Builder (October 20, 2023) “HBI: Construction Industry Needs 60,000 Hires Per Month to Keep Pace With Demand.” READ MORE

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CTE (October 16, 2023) “From construction workers to electricians, these are the infrastructure jobs set to boom in the next few years.”  READ MORE

LBM Journal

NAHB (August 16, 2023) “Habitat partners with Home depot Foundation”  READ MORE

stacker

Stacker (August 8, 2023) “Homebuilders are facing a massive labor shortage. Here’s why it won’t get better any time soon.”  READ MORE

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NAHB (August 7, 2023) “HBI’s Nearly 50-Year Partnership with Job Corps highlights Program’s Importance”  READ MORE

The Home Depot

Home Depot (August 2, 2023) “Addressing The Affordable Housing Crisis: The Home Depot Foundation Forms a Multi-Organization Partnership For Skilled Traded Training and Home Construction.”  READ MORE

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ProBuilder (July 24, 2023) “Skilled Labor Shortages Remain a Top Concern for Construction Industry”  READ MORE

Clarksville Now Logo

ClarksvilleNow.com (May 12, 2023) “Habitat Partners with Home Depot Foundation, Home Builders Institute to Support Job Training for Soldiers ”  READ MORE

IN THE NEWS

Contacts Us

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MARIO GONZALEZ
Vice President of Workforce Training & Employment
Mario joined HBI as a Regional Career Development Coordinator of HBI’s Military Services in 2019 and was promoted to Associate Vice President of WTE Community & Corrections Programs in 2022.
 
Now serving as Vice president of WTE (2024), he oversees the daily operations of HBI’s WTE Community & Corrections, Military Services, & Academies programs, working with partners to advance HBI’s expansion and enhance job placement opportunities for graduates. Mario serves as the liaison between HBI and external stakeholders to include military installations. He ensures successful outcomes for HBI graduates from transitioning service members & veterans to justice involved adults & youths. Internally, he provides strategic operational perspective to HBI’s senior leadership team.
 
Prior to joining HBI, Mario served for 21 years in the U.S. Army across multiple locations globally & nationally and has an MBA from Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville, TN.
 
Mario resides in Tennessee with his wife and children and spends time in Texas where his mother, adult children, and grandchildren reside. He enjoys the outdoors and serving in his community. 
JOSEPH F. LANDERS
Executive Officer of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Massachusetts

Joseph F. Landers, 71, is the Executive Officer of the Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Massachusetts having assumed that role in 2018 with a mandate from the Board of Directors to harmonize the five MA local associations, increase communications from the state to the membership, increase the public profile of the association, create a path to financial stability and elevate the states lobbying efforts. Prior to taking on the challenging state association role, Joe was Chief Executive Officer and founder of Customized Structures Inc., a custom manufacturer of single-family, multi-family and commercial modular and panelized structures which began operations in 1984. Joe has been involved in the building industry, both site-built and factory-built, since 1973 and has worked in all phases of construction from development through design and production including on site management and sales. Customized Structures produced on average 330 single family homes per year, had an employee base as high as 180 and was known as the innovator in the production and design of modular components.

 

After the sale of Customized Structures Inc. to a private equity firm in 2003 Joe remained on the Board of Directors of the Company and functioned as a consultant to the CEO. He further took on the role of helping failing building systems companies return to profitability and successfully oversaw the sale of those companies. Mr. Landers has lectured frequently on the benefits and utilization of systems-built construction to building professionals around the country and has utilized his substantial professional and industry background to provide consultation services to both national and foreign companies interested in the processes and pitfalls of building and developing utilizing building systems components.

Joe attended Northeastern University and St. Anselm’s College graduating with a B.S. in 1972. 

Joe has been a member of the National Association of Home Builders since 1974. He is past president of two local Home Builders Associations and has served two terms as President of the  State of NH Home Builders Association. Joe is also a past president of the Modular Building  Systems Council of the NAHB, has been Chairman of the National Building Systems Council (BSC)  and has served five terms as a Trustee of the BSC during which time he created the BSC logo and  wrote the brochure “Most Frequently Asked Questions about Modular Homes”. 

In 1989, Joe received the National Pacesetter Award in recognition of his outstanding leadership  and contribution to the housing industry and in 1991 was awarded the title of Builder of the Year  by the Home Builders Association of N.H. In 1992 he was appointed by the Governor to the NH  Board of Fire Control within the Department of Safety and since then was reappointed three times.  He has served as a member on the State of New Hampshire Building Code Review Board and was  appointed by the Governor of NH to the Shore Land Protection Commission. Joe was selected to  receive the 2000 S. A. Walters Chairman’s Award, the premier award in the U.S. Systems Built  Housing Industry and was installed to the New Hampshire Housing Hall of Fame for his significant  and lasting contributions to the housing industry in the State of New Hampshire.  

Joe is a Senior Life Director of the National Association of Home Builders; he is served six terms on the NAHB Budget & Finance Committee serving as Vice Chair for four of those years, he has served  as Chairman of the Resolutions Committee, the International Housing Committee and the Building  Products Issues Committee of NAHB serving on the NAHB Executive Committee multiple times. 

In 2001 Joe was elected an Area Vice President of the National Association of Home Builders  representing builders through out the northeast. 

Joe is active in his community having served as finance chairmen of his church, is a member of the  International Order of Odd Fellows, and has served on multiple boards and committees on a  volunteer basis.  

Joe and his wife, Denise, reside in Plymouth, MA, they have two children, Jessica and Brad and two  grandchildren, Lily and Jack ages 13 and 11.

Seth Appleton
President of U.S. Mortgage Insurers

The Honorable Seth Appleton is President of U.S. Mortgage Insurers. In this role, he leads USMI’s efforts to enable sustainable access to affordable mortgage credit for borrowers while protecting taxpayers. Seth previously served as President of MISMO, the real estate finance industry’s standards organization. Prior to that, Seth served as the Assistant Secretary for Policy Development and Research at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD),
a position for which he was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate. In addition to his service as Assistant Secretary, Seth concurrently served as the Principal Executive Vice President of Ginnie Mae, a government corporation guaranteeing the timely payment of
principal and interest on more than $2 trillion in mortgage-backed securities.


Before joining HUD, Seth worked on Capitol Hill, including serving as Chief of Staff for U.S. Congressman Blaine Luetkemeyer for more than eight years. A native of Missouri, Seth is a graduate of Stanford University and is a co-chair of the Bipartisan Policy Center’s Housing Council.

Zach Harris Story Card - HBI Build Strong Academy New Orleans Graduate