Six Homebuilding Leaders Named to California Building Industry Hall of Fame
February 22, 2006
Contact: Gail Grimm, Executive Director
(916) 340-3340
ggrimm@cbif.org
(Note to Editors: High-resolution photos of the inductees may be downloaded from the California Building Industry Foundation Web site, www.cbif.org.)
SACRAMENTO - Six homebuilding leaders from around California will be inducted later this year into the California Building Industry Hall of Fame.
Named to the Hall of Fame were Keith and Brenda Christopherson, Co-Chairs, Board of Directors, Christopherson Homes, Inc.; Colleen Edwards, President/Market Strategist, EMC; Jonathan Jaffe, Chief Operating Officer, Lennar Corporation; Michael Towbes, Chairman of the Board, The Towbes Group; and Lawrence Weinberg, Founder, Larwin Company.
The Hall of Fame, now in its 22nd year, is composed of 150 men and women whose contributions have resulted in the long-term advancement of homebuilding, construction, development, marketing, finance or related services within the building industry in California. The honorees are also involved in public service, civic, social and philanthropic organizations in their communities.
"All six of this year's inductees are truly giants in the industry, people who have helped thousands of California families attain the American dream of homeownership, while giving selflessly to make their communities a better place to live," said Sid Dunmore, a Sacramento-based homebuilder who is chairman of the California Building Industry Foundation, which sponsors the Hall of Fame, and a Hall of Fame Honoree, Class of 1994.
The Hall of Fame Awards Dinner will be held Tuesday, June 20, at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco. For tickets or more information, call Terri Brunson at CBIF at (916) 340-3340.
The members of the Building Industry Hall of Fame, Class of 2006, are:
Keith and Brenda Christopherson
Christopherson Homes, Inc., Santa Rosa
Keith and Brenda Christopherson are the co-founders and owners of Christopherson Homes, Inc., a highly successful family-owned business with more than 180 employees, a central support office in Santa Rosa and two regional offices and design centers in the North Bay and Sacramento. Since founding the company in 1978, this husband and wife team has dedicated themselves to making every Christopherson Homes community a great place to live.
Christopherson Homes has built more than 4,000 homes in nearly 40 communities throughout Northern California. In all, Keith and Brenda are responsible for over one billion dollars of real estate built and sold within the North Bay and Sacramento areas.
High school sweethearts, Keith took a job as an apprentice union carpenter before spending a year in Vietnam. The couple married in 1968 and shortly after moved to the North Bay in search of affordable housing.
As CEO, Keith's focus was on the homebuilding side, while Brenda, as Executive Vice President and Director of Marketing and Product Design, is renowned for her marketing passion and creativity and has been the driving force in building the company's much-respected brand.
Entrepreneurs at heart, Keith and Brenda have created and will co-chair the Christopherson Homes Board of Directors, an ideal position from which to effectively contribute to the company and pave the way for its continued growth and development.
Keith and Brenda have played an active role in the HBA of Northern California (HBANC) as well as providing leadership and support to countless non-profit, community and civic associations. Keith has twice served as HBANC North Bay Region President. Brenda is the recipient of the first Lifetime Achievement for Marketing Excellence for the HBANC. Both are staunch advocates for affordable housing and green building.
The couple has two children, Andy Christopherson, President, Christopherson Homes, North Bay region, and Amy Christopherson Bolten, Corporate Director of Community Relations.
Colleen Edwards
EMC, Danville
Colleen Edwards is co-founder and president of EMC, one of the West's premier communications agencies and a leader in strategic marketing for homebuilders and land use development companies. Edwards is a magna cum laude graduate of the School of Journalism, University of California, Berkeley and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. She was named one of the "Outstanding Young Women of America" by a national consortium of women's organizations.
Edwards was honored in with the 2003 Lifetime Legend by the HBANC in recognition of her personal and professional achievements. She is the founder and past president of the Women's Council of the HBANC and has also served the organization as the Past President of the Sales and Marketing Council. She is the first woman to serve as Director of the Northern California Regional Board of the HBANC.
In 2005, Edwards was appointed to the Board of Directors of PCBC® The Premier Building Show. She is the author of "From Good Market Research to Great Marketing" (Washington, D.C.; Home Builder Press, National Association of Home Builders, 1999). She is also involved in the support of HomeAid Northern California, a non-profit organization supported by the San Francisco Bay Area's building industry.
Jonathan M. Jaffe
Lennar Corporation, Aliso Viejo
Jon Jaffe has been with Lennar Corporation for over 22 years, joining Lennar right out of college. Jaffe is a graduate of the University of Florida and received his masters degree in architecture from Georgia Tech.
In December 2004, Jaffe was named Lennar Corporation's Chief Operating Officer. For more than 5 years prior to Jaffe being named to the chief operating position, he served as one of the company's Vice Presidents.
Beginning in 1996, Jaffe was responsible for establishing Lennar's presence in California, one of Lennar's greatest expansion efforts. Today Lennar has one of the most respected homebuilding and land development operations in California.
He serves on the Board of Directors for HomeAid America.
Michael Towbes
The Towbes Group, Santa Barbara
Michael Towbes, Chairman of The Towbes Group, is a highly experienced developer, property manager and general contractor. He holds a bachelor of science degree in civil engineering from Princeton University, and he attended graduate school at MIT.
Towbes has developed over 5,500 residential units and 1.2 million square feet of commercial properties. The Towbes Group manages over 1.6 million square feet of commercial space and over 1,800 apartment units. . Towbes is also Chairman of the Board and owner of Montecito Bank & Trust, a Santa Barbara-based bank.
He is a Senior Life Director of the National Association of Home Builders and has chaired its Commercial/Industrial Council. He has served as President of his local Building Industry Association Chapter and as a Director of the California Building Industry Association.
As a community leader, Mr. Towbes has served on many local nonprofit organization boards. His contributions to his community have been recognized by his selection as Santa Barbara's Man of the Year in 1995, recipient of the initial News-Press Lifetime Achievement Award and the UCSB Chancellor's Medal. He was chosen as Santa Barbara Philanthropist of the Year and Volunteer of the Year by the National Society of Fund-Raising Executives, the only person to have received both awards.
Lawrence Weinberg
Larwin Group Companies, Beverly Hills
Born in New York City, Lawrence Weinberg enlisted in the Army during World War II at age 17. Wounded and awarded the Purple Heart, he was discharged in 1945 with 100 percent disability pension. He attended Cornell University, the University of Arizona and UCLA.
In 1948, Weinberg founded the Larwin Company, serving as CEO until retirement. The Larwin Company started with four homes and within two decades, grew into the largest privately owned housing company in the U.S. Larwin merged into CNA Financial Corporation, continuing as one of the three largest housing producers nationally, developing over 8,000 residential units annually.
Weinberg served on the Board of Directors of the NAHB and CNA Financial Corporation, and is the former Vice-Chairman of the California State Housing Commission. He was a co-founder of the Master Home Builders Council and the National Council of Housing Producers.
He was the principal owner and the CEO of the Portland Trail Blazers from 1975 to July 1988 and served as the Chairman of the Board of Governors of the NBA from 1980-83.
Weinberg is also the President Emeritus of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) and served as its' President/CEO and Chairman. Through his leadership, AIPAC grew into a national bi-partisan organization of Americans dedicated to strengthening US/Israel relations. He is the recipient of the Brotherhood Award of the National Conference of Christians and Jews.
