NEW ORLEANS – Longtime New Orleans homebuilder Randy Noel has been elected chairman of the National Association of Homebuilders' Board of Directors. He will step into the role on Jan. 11.
In the position, he will work with elected officials, including President Donald Trump, on policies and regulations that affect America’s homebuilders and homeowners.
“I’m thrilled to be leading the nation and be the first Louisianan—and New Orleanian— to have this opportunity,” Noel said. “Hopefully, we will engage more young people to get into our industry. There are a lot of good paying jobs in our industry.”
Noel has more than 30 years of experience in the residential construction industry. Noel founded Reve Inc., a custom home building firm in LaPlace in 1985. He has extensive knowledge of flood insurance rates and rebuilding communities following disasters.
Noel has served as president of the Home Builders Association of Greater New Orleans and the Louisiana Home Builders Association. He was named Builder of the Year by the HBA of Greater New Orleans in 1997 and was inducted into the Louisiana Builders Hall of Fame in 2008.
He has been elected to several positions in the National Association of Home Builders including third vice-chairman and second vice-chairman.
As chairman of the board, his goals are to encourage innovation, uphold responsible building codes and tackle the issue of housing affordability.
“A large part of the cost in our industry is regulations—sixty percent of home builders' costs on empty lots is through regulations—that is what’s killing affordability,” Noel said. “I want to get it back to where Americans can afford their own homes. Homeownership is the best thing we can offer Americans.”
-By Jenny Peterson, Associate News Editor, Biz New Orleans
