Every year, volunteer members, HBAs and their staff work tirelessly to build strong communities, strengthen the industry and give back to cities, towns and neighbourhoods across Canada. The CHBA Association Leadership Awards honour the leaders within our Association – both individuals and our local and provincial homebuilders’ associations. This year’s honours were given out during CHBA’s Home Building Week in Canada in Quebec City. Congratulations to the very deserving recipients, whom you can learn more about below.
Member of the Year – Sue Wastell
The prestigious Member of the Year award is a long-term achievement award, and it was presented this year to Sue Wastell. She has made outstanding contributions to CHBA at the local, provincial and national levels through her leadership, advocacy and dedication to members. She is a former President of CHBA, and was in high demand from local and provincial associations across the country to speak at events. Wastell chaired CHBA’s Urban Council from 2018 through COVID and beyond, providing continuity and valuable expertise as a developer. As inaugural and current Chair of the Women in Residential Construction Council, she is helping strengthen representation and support for women in the sector. Through her leadership roles, Wastell has been a committed presence at CHBA’s Day on the Hill, where members help advance policy recommendations to government to support homeownership and industry growth. Her commitment over the years makes her a very deserving recipient of the Member of the Year award.
Rooftopper Membership Recruitment Champion – Reza Kamrani
Reza Kamrani, a member in HAVAN, is the 2026 Rooftopper Membership Recruitment Champion for his exceptional efforts to grow his local HBA. Over the past year, he recruited 20 new members through regular event participation, personal outreach and thoughtful conversations about the value of membership. A long-time Chair of his Membership Committee, he has shown sustained leadership in recruitment and retention. Through his company, he has also supported key networking and membership-building events. Hats off to Kamrani.
Executive Officers of the Year
Executive Officer of the Year – Small HBA (fewer than 200 members) – Crystal Ingram
Crystal Ingram, EO of the Nova Scotia Home Builders’ Association, has been a valuable steward for the association. Through strong fiscal management, she expanded programs and advocacy efforts on key issues such as housing affordability and supply, development charges, infrastructure, zoning reform and building code amendments. She strengthened her HBA’s credibility with government by preparing formal submissions, briefing notes and technical feedback that informed regulatory reviews. Ingram also grew membership through direct outreach, improved retention through effective communication, and created more opportunities for engagement across companies of all sizes. Her collaborative leadership has strengthened relationships with volunteer boards, committees, industry partners, government departments and community stakeholders, leading to a doubling of partnership agreements. In addition, she increased her HBA’s media presence and helped raise public awareness of the industry’s economic and social value through consistent messaging, national participation and by sharing best practices with peers.
Executive Officer of the Year – Large HBA (more than 200 members) – Jared Zaifman
Jared Zaifman, EO at the London Home Builders’ Association, has modernized his HBA, fostering strong relationships with government officials and driving impactful policy advocacy. He has played a pivotal role in resolving critical challenges, such as improving relations with the City’s building officials, increasing density and height allowances, expanding urban growth boundaries and introducing innovative solutions such as creating a building connector concierge role to improve the permitting process. Zaifman’s collaborative approach with volunteer leaders has revitalized board leadership. He instituted a new strategic plan and ensured ongoing engagement through dynamic events and programming, and his efforts have resulted in high member retention and growth, increased participation in HBA activities and a budget surplus each year. His advocacy has directly supported members’ business success by streamlining permit approvals, championing affordability initiatives and expanding networking and educational opportunities.
Community Service Award – CHBA – Central Interior
You may have heard of the amazing work of CHBA – Central Interior (based in Kamloops, BC) and its members before, notably their Training House: An impressive community service project that has been ongoing for 36 years. Members and staff work with their local university to build a fully permitted, code-compliant home as a training site for first-year trades students. Once complete, the home is donated to the YMCA as the grand prize for the annual Dream Home Lottery, funding programs such as child and youth services, after-school care, swimming lessons and wellness initiatives. In 2025, the project engaged 84 students across multiple trades and the home was built to Net Zero Ready, helping future tradespeople learn energy-efficient practices that benefit local housing quality. More than 90 CHBA member companies contributed materials, labour, mentorship, leadership, $17,000 in donated tools and major funding support for trades education, including $50,000 to the local university’s Trades Endowment Fund.
HBA of the Year
HBA of the Year – Small HBA (FEWER than 200 members) – Grand Highlands HBA
Grand Highlands HBA was recently formed through a merger of two local HBAs and a local development association. They leveraged social media, newsletters and a new website to keep members informed and engaged. The merger has strengthened members’ collective voice, expanded the HBA’s advocacy reach and enhanced benefits for members. Over the past year, Grand Highlands HBA achieved record-high membership and retention rates, introduced new committees to boost engagement and offered great member services, including monthly events, networking opportunities and a municipal monitoring service. Its advocacy efforts include extensive engagement with municipal and provincial officials, participation in committees and working groups, letter campaigns, and policy discussions to fight development charges, support housing affordability and industry growth. With a strong focus on community engagement, Grand Highlands HBA also promotes skilled trades to youth, supports local charities by donating at least 15 per cent of its net income, and provides scholarships to students pursuing construction careers.
HBA of the Year – Large HBA (more than 200 members) – HAVAN
Homebuilders Association Vancouver has built a strong and vibrant member community through active committees, targeted networking events and robust member services. The HBA offers extensive educational programming, including 24 courses and a broad selection of on-demand learning, while charitable initiatives such as Coats for Kids and student scholarships demonstrate meaningful community impact. Member engagement is reinforced through onboarding, awards and innovative events such as Construction Social speed networking. HAVAN stands out for its government relations work, tackling policy challenges, producing influential reports and participating in more than 30 municipal Development Liaison Committee meetings in 2025. With strong communications, including newsletters, podcasts and an active online presence, plus strategic governance and inclusive councils such as Women’s and Young Professionals, HAVAN continues to lead in supporting members and advancing the residential construction industry.
