School of Building Construction faculty members Debbie Phillips, Rick Porter, and Javier Irizarry have achieved nationally recognized designations in construction for aging-in-place, residential construction superintendence, and green building respectively from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).  They are now part of the select group of professionals nationwide to earn the NAHB certifications that identify them as a professionals with the skills and the best strategies for incorporating green building principles, modifying a home to meet the unique needs of an aging population, and successfully directing construction activities in residential construction projects.

The knowledge gained through these certifications will be used to update the curriculum in the residential construction and development track in the School of Building Construction’s Master's degree program in order to better align it with the important topics addressed by the certifications. This is an important milestone for the Housing Education Leadership Program (HELP) grant received by the School of Building Construction in 2012.

Administered by the National Association of Home Builders, designation programs are sponsored locally by Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association.  For more information about the NAHB Designations visit http://www.nahb.org/page.aspx/category/sectionID=119 and for more information about the National Housing Endowment and the HELP grant initiative visit http://www.nationalhousingendowment.org/category.aspx?sectionID=1718&channelID=1407.

Debbie Phillips is an entrepreneur and management professional with more than 25 years of experience specializing in the real estate industry.  Before forming her own international consulting firm, The Quadrillion, Phillips served as vice president for two national real estate firms consisting of a diverse portfolio of commercial and residential assets.  She holds a Master of Science degree in housing and consumer economics, with an emphasis in seniors housing, and a Bachelor of Science degree in consumer journalism, both from the University of Georgia.  Phillips completed her Ph.D. at Georgia Tech, where her research focused on resident satisfaction and employee engagement.

Assistant Professor Irizarry joined the School of Building Construction in 2008 and is the director of the CONECTech Lab at Georgia Institute of Technology. He specializes in mobile computing in construction, human factors, construction safety, and IT applications in AEC education and practice. He teaches graduate-level courses in virtual construction operations analysis and sustainable construction technologies and serves as the graduate coordinator for the Residential Construction Development Track in the master’s program in the School of Building Construction at Georgia Tech.

Rick Porter is owner and president of Richport Properties and has been building and selling homes in the Atlanta market for 34 years.  Over these years Richport has built several thousand homes throughout Metro Atlanta, and currently builds in a variety of markets including single family homes and infill townhomes.  He also has many years experience in land development and real estate brokerage.  Rick has served as an adjunct professor in the School of Building Construction since 2006.