Toronto, Ontario, Sept. 20, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Yesterday evening, Louie Zagordo of the Sudbury and District Home Builders’ Association, was elected as the 54th President of the Ontario Home Builders’ Association for the 2022-2023 term. Louie is a home builder and professional renovator from Sudbury, Ontario, where his family business, SLV Homes, has been helping those looking to build their dream home in the north of the province.
Louie most recently served as the association’s 1st Vice President and has been a member of the OHBA Board of Directors since 2017. A long-time, active leader in Ontario’s building community, he also served as President of the Sudbury & District Home Builders’ Association.
Home construction is in Louie’s blood. At a young age, he was introduced to the industry by his father. During his early days, Louie gained a mentor in the form of master carpenter Caesar Mincone who took him under his wing for many years. This mentorship provided various skills that would set the foundation for a lifelong career in construction. Louie also credits his father-in-law, Tony, for the evolution of his construction knowledge, sharing valuable techniques and skills needed to build homes.
He took that collective knowledge and wisdom and dove into the region’s home-building industry. In 2014, Louie founded SLV Homes, promising Style, Luxury and Value to every client. In the early days, Louie was joined by Alba and two labourers to get the business up and running. Eight years and multiple awards later, the team numbers more than 15.
Louie’s rise to the top of the association was delayed in 2019 when the COVID-19 pandemic hit. Immediate Past President, Bob Schickedanz served a three-year term to provide continuity during a critical time for the association. The entire association owes Bob a tremendous debt of gratitude for his tireless commitment to industry members and his significant role in fighting for a stronger home construction industry in our province. “I cannot thank Bob enough for all he has given to the industry over the last three years,” noted Zagordo. “It is an immense honour and privilege to take over from Bob, and I know we will continue to count on his experience and insights in the years ahead.”
Now, as Louie takes the helm, he aims to build on the foundation of OHBA and make it sustainable for the future, “The association helped me grow my business when I was starting, and now, I’m President of the OHBA,” noted Louie. “It is an immense privilege to represent over 4,000 members across the province who build the homes and communities that Ontarians need.
During the 2022 OHBA Conference, Louie also presented three association awards recognizing excellence, perseverance and commitment to our industry.
The OHBA member of the year award was presented to Mike Memme of Mountainview Building Group. Mike has made significant contributions to the residential construction industry, the provincial association, and his local association, The Niagara Home Builders’ Association. He consistently demonstrates a high level of commitment to priority issues for the industry, particularly on challenging and highly technical building code files that impact the sector as a whole.
The 2022 OHBA Local of the Year was presented to The Peterborough & The Kawarthas Home Builders’ Association (PKHBA). Accepting the award were President Garnet Northey and Executive Officer Rebecca Schillemat. This is a coveted and respected award recognizing the fantastic work being done by OHBA local associations. OHBA is a grassroots organization, and its success is closely tied to the success of local HBAs. The PKHBA has been highly motivated and actively working to grow its membership base, deliver effective communications to keep members informed, and strong local advocacy on municipal issues.
Finally, the OHBA David Horton Leadership Award recognizes an executive officer for their outstanding commitment to the industry and their local association. This award was presented to Jason Burggraaf of the Greater Ottawa Home Builders’ Association. Jason consistently goes above and beyond for his local membership, providing exceptional leadership and staff support to address local industry challenges. Jason has also played a key at the provincial association, sitting on multiple committees.
