Executive Profile

INTERN TO PRESIDENT

James Attwood works his way up to lead Tri Pointe Homes’ Arizona division

By ERIN THORBURN

How many people can say that one summer internship changed the course of their lives and led to a successful 15-plus year career? James Attwood, president of Tri Pointe Homes’ Arizona Division, has done exactly that. Starting as an intern — for what was then Maracay Homes in 2005 — Attwood has since worked his way to overseeing homebuilding for some of the most coveted master-plan communities in the East Valley.

“When I first started out at Nothern Arizona University in the undergraduate construction management degree program,” Attwood explains, “I wasn’t yet entirely intent or set on the direction I wanted to go.”

It didn’t take long, however, for a spark to ignite for Attwood in the area of residential homebuilding. When representatives of Maracay — now Tri Pointe Homes — came to NAU to discuss their intern and graduate positions, Attwood was hooked. And not long after, he secured a construction internship with the company.

“The aspect of residential homebuilding that has always drawn me in is the tangible component of seeing the fruits of your labor and what you’re creating come to fruition,” Attwood says.

The tangibility factor Attwood speaks of was even more profound once he completed the internship, sealing the deal that residential homebuilding would be his set career path. “I found that after my internship, there’s nothing as impactful or meaningful as building homes and communities that people are going to live in for generations,” he says.

In his time from intern to president, Attwood has been instrumental in the expansion and success of Tri Pointe’s communities, including Waterson in Gilbert; one of the fastest-selling communities with upwards of 100 homes sold within the first four months of opening and the Canopy gated-community in Chandler. Possible future projects with Tri Pointe include Phase II of the Avance masterplanned community located in the South Mountain sub-market.

Before his time overseeing major residential homebuilding and masterplan communities, Attwood explored construction management and sales, and has always been willing to embrace new skills and knowledge. “I was overseeing construction operations across multiple locations when my mentor/predecessor at Tri Pointe expressed it would be beneficial for me to experience this type of versatility,” he recalls.

“I needed to be a sponge and learn as much information as I could,” Attwood adds. “The key for me has been to learn and absorb as much information as I can throughout my career.”

And as he continues to soak up whatever new lessons and learning opportunities arise, Attwood is equally committed to passing on what he has learned to new generations. “At Tri Pointe, we have a very robust intern program. As a beneficiary of that program, I obviously want to give back,” he says. “I explain to students about the different ways I’ve engaged with construction management, the impact the internship had on me and my thought process coming out of the construction management program.”

He also encourages students of

LEADING THE WAY: James Attwood is the Division President of Tri Pointe Homes Arizona. He started with the company as a construction intern in 2005, and has more than 14 years of construction, sales, operations, and leadership experience.

(Photo by Mike Mertes, AZ Big Media)

construction management programs to investigate all avenues, revealing that residential homebuilding is somewhat of “a little hidden secret” within the program.

“I fell in love with the residential homebuilding side of the industry,” Attwood says, “but, I advise students to explore several sides of the industry from office and retail to civil. When they do explore residential homebuilding, they may need to actively seek it out since it isn’t a routine part of the program.”

The rewards for diving into a residential career are clear when looking at Attwood’s experience, but he also encourages that pursuing residential homebuilding can be a way for students to differentiate themselves since other sectors — such as commercial — are often more widely pursued.

Equal to Attwood’s adoration of residential homebuilding has been the admiration he has for the company he’s grown with for over a decade.

“There are a lot of positive things that I look back on,” Attwood shares, “but one of the biggest is that last year — 2021 — was an incredible year for our company. Great from a business metric standpoint, yes, but even more because it was such a challenging year with supply chain and labor capacity issues. But despite all these challenges and headwinds, we were able to grow the company, and last year created the best communities that we have ever brought to life.

“Being able to walk amongst these homes and communities brings such a sense of pride,” Attwood adds, “especially with our team and what we have been able to collectively experience.”