Inspiring the Future

Jennifer KellerPresident's Message, Professional Women in Building

The New Year is a time to reflect upon the past and set goals for the future. Under Keith Luechtefeld’s leadership, last year was tremendously successful despite the challenges we faced with Winter Storm Uri, supply chain issues, labor shortages, lot constraints and elevated inflation.

A few of last year’s highlights include celebrating GHBA’s 80th anniversary, hosting an NAHB conference in Houston for the first time in more than 20 years, earning TAB’s Association Accomplishment of the Year Award, awarding a record number of scholarships, and conducting numerous successful events and charitable endeavors.

On behalf of the association, I would like to thank Keith, Aimee, GHBA’s board and staff, our committees, councils, TAB directors, NAHB delegates, and member volunteers for their year of service to the association.


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Looking forward, this year promises to be a strong one. Market experts forecast 75,500 new jobs in 2022, with growth expected in every sector of Houston’s economy. They also forecast as many as 40,000 new home starts for the year, which is significantly above our long-term historical average of 28,000, and only 20% below the peak of 50,000 recorded in 2007. Interest rates are expected to remain below 4% and price appreciation is expected to be above average.

With the anticipated growth in the overall market, we hope to grow our membership, too. And we ask that each of you participate in that effort by advocating the benefits of membership to the people around you who have not yet joined the GHBA.

“Houston is the American city of the future,” according to Resonance Consultancy, a firm that studies cities throughout the world. They describe Houston as “smart, skilled and soulful” and rated the city’s key institutions, attractions, and infrastructure highly.

Whether it is through the work we do for our companies or through our involvement with the GHBA, each of us can influence and inspire the future of our great city. Some of us inspire the future with what we build and where we build it; others do so by hiring, educating and developing our future leaders, advocating policies, or supporting charitable causes. And with 15 councils and committees and over 200 events per year, there are many unique ways to get involved, support our industry, and inspire Houston’s future.

I am particularly excited about two new groups that are launching in 2022, the Workforce Development Committee and the Professional Women in Building Council.

The Workforce Development Committee will increase the association’s efforts to identify, educate and employ our next generation of homebuilding industry professionals. The Professional Women in Building Council (PWB) will be a local council that aligns with the mission of the National Association of Home Builders’ PWB Council and will offer an opportunity for members to network, support and promote professional women in the industry.

This month, the GHBA will host an event to install a new board of directors. The theme for the event is centered around wearing red (optional of course). Why? Red symbolizes action, energy, determination, passion, luck, and prosperity, which seems appropriate for kicking off the New Year. We hope to see you there. And happy New Year to all!

About the Author

Jennifer Keller

Article by 2022 GHBA Board President Jennifer Keller, president and COO of Hamilton Thomas Homes. Keller has more than 25 years of experience in home building, land acquisition, land development, and land development / water resources engineering. Keller is a licensed Professional Engineer in the State of Texas who holds a Master of Science in Civil Engineering from the University of Houston and a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering from Texas A&M University.

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