Behind the success of Building Talent Foundation (BTF) are the residential construction companies who make up the Leading Builders of America (LBA). LBA members collectively established BTF in response to the acute and persistent talent shortage across building trades, and provided the initial investment to launch this national nonprofit.
They support the organization not only through financial donations, but also by partnering with BTF on programs and initiatives that make an impact on the communities where they operate and on the lives of the people who are hired into the homebuilding industry, providing them with new opportunities for rewarding careers.
Many of Our Builder Partners Provide Additional Support
After the initial seed grant, many of the LBA’s builders have provided additional support to BTF. This support has come in the form of financial contributions, as well as active engagement in BTF’s programs in local markets, promotion of BTF’s initiatives and events, and participation on BTF’s Board of Directors and Advisory Council.
Here are some examples of how the LBA companies are collaborating with BTF:
Providing an additional, generous grant through their Lennar Foundation, Lennar is helping BTF expand into important markets in California, including Sacramento, Los Angeles, Irvine/Orange County, and San Diego, as well as Charlotte and Raleigh, North Carolina. They are also helping us scale our presence in existing BTF markets, especially Atlanta, Dallas, and Austin, and have connected BTF with their trade partners in many markets.
We are also working together to grow the impact of the Lennar Foundation’s Residential Construction Job Skills Training programs. These programs have been implemented with many of BTF’s partners, including AMIKids, HomeAid, Florida International University, Miami-Dade College, and Florida Memorial College.
Finally, Marshall Ames, Chairman of the Lennar Foundation, is a member of BTF’s Advisory Council, and provides valuable strategic input to BTF.
Brookfield Residential has pledged to support BTF through specific initiatives over the next three years. This year, they are supporting our expansion into new markets – including California – by facilitating connections with their trade partners, which will allow us to address their talent needs.
Next year, they plan to work with BTF to help their trade partners address important workforce-related challenges, such as talent pipeline diversity. By providing educational content and resources, they will also help trade partners implement employee engagement best practices to improve retention of frontline workers.
In 2024, Brookfield Residential will work with BTF on homebuilding innovation programs, which will help improve their trade partners’ workforce skill resilience.
Brookfield Residential’s CEO & President Alan Norris serves as Treasurer on BTF’s Board of Directors.
Cory Boydston, Ashton Woods’ Chief Financial Officer, has been an important partner in helping BTF promote the homebuilding industry to women. She is a champion of our Women Breaking Barriers study, and brought it to the attention of the Women’s Housing Leadership Group.
Adam Weaver, Ashton Woods’ Senior VP of Purchasing has been a key ally in connecting BTF with their national suppliers, as potential social investors in BTF. With his assistance, we are pursuing new partnership opportunities with several large manufacturing companies.
Finally, Ashton Woods has helped us connect with their trade partners in many markets across the country.
In addition to connecting BTF with their preferred trade firms in several markets, Taylor Morrison has been an important partner in improving the diversity of the homebuilding workforce. They collaborate with us on the Women in Construction initiative and are committed to helping veterans and people of color enter the industry. Taylor Morrison has also hosted a BTF Homebuilding Bootcamp in their Tampa division.
Sheryl Palmer, Taylor Morrison’s CEO & President, serves as Chairman of BTF’s Board of Directors, and has been relentless in promoting BTF to all stakeholders in the sector. She has also connected BTF with multiple partnership opportunities with large suppliers in the homebuilding industry.
D.R. Horton has renewed its commitment to BTF by sponsoring BTF’s entry into fast growing homebuilding markets, such as Knoxville, Tennessee and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
Barak Ross Saltzman, D.R. Horton’s Division CFO, has been a champion of BTF, and his division provided resources for BTF’s expansion into the Knoxville market. In addition, Brad Conlon, VP & Director of National Accounts, has connected BTF to partnership opportunities with key industry suppliers. The company has also connected BTF with their trade partners in many markets.
Providing additional financial support through PulteCares, Pulte was also the first to endorse the BTF Homebuilding Bootcamp concept. They collaborated with BTF to pilot the Bootcamp in their Houston division, and hosted another Bootcamp in Jacksonville, Florida.
Pulte has also connected BTF with their trade partners in multiple markets across the U.S.
K. Hovnanian has been a champion of JobsToBuild.com, and Mary Patterson, K. Hovnanian’s VP of Talent Management, was an early adopter, posting the builder’s internal positions on the platform. They have also connected BTF with large manufacturers, their national suppliers, facilitating new sponsorship opportunities.
Along with providing additional financial support through the David Weekley Family Foundation, David Weekley Homes has been a key networking partner for BTF. Mike Humphrey, Advisor to David Weekley Homes, serves on BTF’s Advisory Council and has made connections with large industry suppliers for potential partnerships.
David Weekley Homes Quality Coaches have also connected BTF with their preferred trade partners in many markets. The builder has also hosted training for BTF Engagement Managers at their job sites.
Through the Meritage Cares Foundation, Meritage Homes provided additional financial support to BTF. By referring multiple trade partners to participate in the first South Florida Job Fair, Meritage Homes helped establish BTF’s presence in this important market. They are a key collaborator with BTF on diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) initiatives, and have connected BTF with their trade partners in several markets.
Serving as Secretary on the BTF Board of Directors, Tri Pointe Homes’ CEO & Director Douglas F. Bauer has been and continues to be a great contributor to BTF’s successful growth since our founding three years ago. In addition, Linda Mamet, Tri Pointe Homes’ Chief Marketing Officer, serves on BTF’s Advisory Council and helped shape the BTF marketing strategy.
Tri Pointe Homes is registered as an employer on JobsToBuild.com, and has connected BTF with their trade partners in many markets.
Expressing Our Gratitude
We are grateful to all the members of the Leading Builders of America for their vision and for making BTF possible. In addition, we want to give a special thanks to the individual builders listed above for their additional support. Together, we are all working to develop real solutions to address the acute and persistent talent shortage problem in residential construction.
We also want to invite new sponsors to join us in our mission. When you partner with BTF, you are making a contribution towards creating a sustainable workforce in the homebuilding industry.
But more importantly, you are making a difference in people’s lives. You are helping employers of all sizes fill job openings so they can meet the needs of their customers. You are exposing young people to career paths that they often don’t learn about from teachers and advisors. You are helping people find meaningful work that sustains their families. You are contributing to the diversity of the industry by helping us find jobs for veterans, people of color, women, returning citizens, and other underrepresented groups.
In short, you are helping to make the homebuilding workforce stronger and more sustainable.
We invite you to join us. To learn how you can partner with BTF, contact us.