California home builder Brian Catalde has been elected as the 2007 president of the 235,000-member National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) during the association's 63rd annual International Builders' Show in Orlando.

A driving force in the Southern California home building industry for more than 30 years, Catalde is president and chief operating officer of El Segundo-based Paragon Communities, a company he founded in the early 1980s. Paragon specializes in single-family homes ranging from entry level to luxury, and builds multifamily condominiums and commercial projects.

"This year will be a critical turning point for the nation's housing industry," said Catalde. "We expect the worst of the housing downturn is behind us and that we will see some gradual improvement in home sales over the months ahead. I look forward to leading this association forward as we navigate a course for success through these changing times."

Catalde first became involved with NAHB through his state Home Builders Association, having served as president of the Building Industry Association of Southern California in 1996 and president of the California Building Industry Association in 1999. In the interim, he earned Builder of the Year honors from his local BIA.

Through his state and local leadership capacities, Catalde quickly understood the value of participating in this national association, where he could "access resources and talk to other builders who offered incredible insight and knowledge" from across the country and where the combined strength of NAHB's 235,000 members helps ensure that the association is a respected voice in the halls of Congress, in the federal regulatory arena and in the courtrooms of America.

His commitment to government affairs issues led Catalde to become part of NAHB's Federal Government Affairs Committee, which paved the way for a position on NAHB's 2,000-member Board of Directors. He has also served as an NAHB national vice president and is a trustee of NAHB's respected political action committee, known as BUILD-PAC.

Also elected to top spots on the NAHB leadership roster during the International Builders' Show in Orlando were 2007 First Vice President Sandy Dunn, from Point Pleasant, W.Va.; Vice President/Treasurer Joe Robson from Tulsa, Okla.; and NAHB Vice President/Secretary Bob Jones from Bloomfield Hills, Mich.