Member Spotlight Building for the Future

Building for the Future

Meet four members of the Young Professionals Committee who are defining the next generation of the housing industry.

by Taylor Hugo

There’s a sentiment echoed by many in the housing industry: As the baby boomer generation retires, trade professions face labor shortages, leading to extended project timelines, increased labor costs and home prices, and lost profits. Recruiting the next generation of housing professionals is the answer to this challenge, but getting bodies on job sites is easier said than done. Enter Housing First Minnesota’s Young Professionals Committee, which aims to attract and develop tomorrow’s workforce by providing young talent within the building industry a chance to foster relationships, become active in the organization, and grow as professionals through regular networking events and charitable activities. Here, four members of the Young Professionals Committee share what drew them to the housing industry, the benefits of their jobs, and why it’s crucial for more young people to consider a career in construction.

Natalie Velez, 40

GENERAL MANAGER, GREAT NORTHERN BUILDERS

Natalie Velez stumbled into the housing industry by accident. The year was 2011, and Velez was looking for a career change when she came across an advertisement for an office assistant at Great Northern Builders. She took the job not knowing how long she’d stay with the company. Now, 10 years later, Velez is the general manager, handling everything from human resources and scheduling to production and customer service.

“It felt like I was meant to be here,” she says. “I love building relationships with customers, the flexibility to balance my work and mom life, and that I always get to meet new people and create relationships with vendors and trade partners. I love that every day is different.”

Her job at Great Northern Builders has also given Velez the opportunity to fuel her passion for learning and leadership. In an effort to learn more about her new industry, Velez took builder licensing courses and Housing First Minnesota seminars, got involved with the National Association of the Remodeling Industry, and even completed the Housing First Leadership Institute program in 2017. This primed her to take on leadership roles within the Young Professionals Committee, serving as vice chair in 2019, and chair in 2020 and 2021. It’s all part of her mission to get more people with diverse backgrounds involved with Housing First Minnesota and the housing industry in general.

“There is such a need to get more young people involved in the industry,” she says. “Although young people see the hard work it takes, it would be nice for them to see how rewarding it is. Being able to transform and bring a customer’s project to fruition, and see the smile on their face, is an amazing experience. There are so many opportunities for the youth in the building and remodeling industry, and the room for advancement, or even owning your own company, is definitely at an arm’s reach.”

Madeline Landis, 27

CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVE, ALL, INC.

Housing First Minnesota: How did you get involved in the housing industry?

Madeline Landis: I was 20 years old when I started as a receptionist at a remodeling company. I sort of stumbled into it, but I'm really glad I did. The company that hired me was very big on internal promoting, which I find to be the case a lot in this industry.

HFMN: What training programs or certifications have helped you succeed in your job?

ML: I attended the 2019 Leadership Institute through Housing First Minnesota. That class really helped me to gain confidence professionally, and it taught me that you can be a leader even if you aren't necessarily in an upper management position.

HFMN: What do you love most about your job, and what is the most challenging aspect?

ML: I really love when I can assist a customer by turning a poor experience into a great one. I also enjoy the people and attitude of the industry as a whole. The most challenging thing would probably be adapting to the ever-changing schedule. It's always something different every day.

HFMN: Why is it important to recruit the next generation of housing industry professionals?

ML: If the trades don't have proper support, then you see a big hike in labor costs because of the demand. It affects the whole housing market.

HFMN: Why did you join the Young Professionals Committee?

ML: I joined the Young Professionals as a way to branch out and make connections in the industry. It helped me to come out of my shell. I'm currently vice chair of the committee. I really want to encourage other young professionals to join the group, or be more involved in Housing First Minnesota. I know how much it's helped me, and I think it's really important to learn how to create and maintain professional relationships if you want to grow and thrive in the industry.

Joe Swalve, 34

PRIVATE MORTGAGE BANKER, WELLS FARGO

Joe Swalve likes to say the housing industry runs in his blood. Growing up, his dad was a union carpenter who started his own historical remodeling company when Swalve was in second grade.

Even though Swalve didn’t directly follow in his dad’s footsteps by becoming a carpenter—instead choosing to study finance and marketing at Bethel University—he’s been able to create a career in the housing industry for himself as a private mortgage banker for Wells Fargo the past 11 years.

“It’s wonderful to be part of the team that’s creating the home. You can build anything, but someone’s got to be able to finance it and afford it at the end,” Swalve says. “Doing mortgages for new construction can be difficult because the loan that you start with isn’t always the loan you end with. You have to be able to pivot and really figure out how to get these loans done. Complexity is one of my specialties, and I love being able to creatively finance things and think outside the box.”

It’s this kind of creative thinking that demonstrates why it’s crucial to recruit young people into the housing industry, says Swalve, who joined the Young Professionals Committee to celebrate and support the housing industry with a like-minded group of colleagues in the same age demographic. “We’re always going to need people who can build houses because people need a place to live. It’s one of the basic necessities that turns into one of the greatest investments people will ever make. But as technology evolves, you need other ways of thinking and new ways of doing things.”

Savanna Forster, 32

IT AND MARKETING STRATEGIST, MINNESOTA RUSCO

Housing First Minnesota: How did you get involved in the housing industry?

Savanna Forster: My goals and ambitions were to be an aerospace engineer, but then I was in a car accident, so I ended up not being able to go into the Air Force. I stumbled into marketing and telemarketing when I was 19, which transferred over to the home improvement industry five-and-a-half years ago, when I was recruited by my current company.

HFMN: What does your current role entail?

SF: As the IT and marketing strategist, I do all the planning and budgeting for where we’re going to spend our marketing dollars, and I decide on any new technology that may be needed. I also oversee the telemarketing and our event marketing. I love the variety that I get every day. I’m never doing the same task.

HFMN: You’ve been a member of the Housing First Young Professionals Committee for three years. Why is it important for the younger generation to get more involved with the housing industry?

SF: One of the biggest things I’ve taken pride in being a part of is helping to raise money to build housing for homeless veterans. I think by getting more people involved, especially the younger generation, we’re going to be able to make bigger transitions and make housing more affordable for everybody.

HFMN: What piece of advice would you give to young people considering a career in the housing industry?

SF: Work today for what you want to make tomorrow.

HFMN: What is an accomplishment you are especially proud of?

SF: The Rising Star Award [from Housing First Minnesota]. It’s an award for emerging leadership and dedication to the homebuilding and remodeling industry, given to somebody under the age of 35 within their first 10 years in the industry. I won that award in 2020.