New voices, new leadership at HJC

The Policy Advisory Board of the Harvard Joint Center for Housing Studies convened its first meeting of 2015 recently in Washington, D.C. under the leadership of its recently appointed chairman, Jeffrey T. Mezger, president, CEO, and Director of KB Home.

The Joint Center also appointed Carol Tomé the board’s new vice chair. Tomé is Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of The Home Depot.

“Jeff will be an exceptional leader for the Policy Advisory Board,” said Chris Herbert, managing director of the Joint Center.  “He brings a deep knowledge of the homebuilding industry, strong commitment to advancing housing as a national policy priority, and keen interest in expanding our understanding of the challenge and promise of sustainability along with the economic and demographic trends that will shape future demand.”

KB Home has built more than half a million quality homes since its founding in 1957, operates in 40 major U.S. markets, and is a leader in utilizing state-of-the-art sustainable building practices. 

A 30-year homebuilding industry veteran, Mezger joined KB Home in 1993. He is Founding Chairman of the Leading Builders of America and is on the executive board of the USC Lusk Center for Real Estate.  He is also on the policy advisory board of the Fisher Center for Real Estate & Urban Economics at the University of California, Berkeley. 

“I am honored to step into the Chairman position,” said Mezger.  “As a longstanding member of the Policy Advisory Board, I have always respected the Joint Center’s research and its relevance to leaders in both the public and private sectors.  I’m looking forward to being involved on this new level.”

Established in 1971, the Joint Center’s Policy Advisory Board has a longstanding history of supporting housing research at Harvard.