Foundation names builders, developers to Hall of Fame

California Homebuilding Foundation

SACRAMENTO – Six industry leaders who have built and developed new homes and apartments for decades and also given back to their communities through philanthropy and volunteerism have been named to the California Homebuilding Foundation Hall of Fame.

Now in its 29th year, the Hall of Fame is composed of 193 men and women who epitomize the spirit of the state’s homebuilding industry — skillful, visionary, resilient and determined. Each honoree has also been a model of public service through their enthusiastic involvement in civic, social and philanthropic organizations in their communities.

This year’s honorees are:

• Sherman S. Haggerty, retired Sacramento-region vice president for Lennar Corp. Among the highlights of his 30-year career were developing a different product type during the recession of the early 1990s that became one of the biggest sellers of the decade in Sacramento.

• Joe Head, president of the San Ramon-based SummerHill Land Division of SummerHill Homes. Head has been a leading homebuilder in Northern California for 40 years and also brought real-world experience to the San Jose City Council, where he served from 1989 to 1994.
• Robert B. McLeod, chairman and CEO of San Diego-based Newland Real Estate Group. Bob brought to fruition the development of San Diego’s 1,100-acre University City area, with 9,000 residential units, 1,600 hotel rooms, and 3.6 million square feet of retail, office and industrial, when Newland was the largest private land-owner in San Diego County. Through his leadership, Newland is now the largest and most innovative master-planned developer in the nation with communities in 14 states.
• John J. Ryan, Jr., president of Brookfield Homes Bay Area in Danville. Under Ryan’s leadership, Brookfield is considered one of the region’s best homebuilding companies to work for and is a leader in developing master-planned communities.
• Tom Sudberry, chairman of the board of San Diego-based Sudberry Properties. Sudberry has been a leader in the region’s real estate industry for decades and is the developer of the sustainable urban infill community of Civita.
• Bill Watt, president of Newport Beach-based Baywood Development Group. Watt’s passion for creative homebuilding has led to successful and trend-setting developments in Orange and San Diego counties for 40 years.

“This year’s inductees are builders and developers who really have been giants in the industry,” said California Homebuilding Foundation Chairman Mike Brown. “Each has played a major role in making California a better place to live, both through the homes they have produced and the generous contributions to their communities.”

The Hall of Fame Awards Dinner will be held Tuesday, June 4, at the U.S. Grant Hotel in San Diego. For tickets, sponsorship opportunities and more information visit mychf.org or contact Foundation Executive Director Terri Brunson at (916) 340-3340.