MHBA’s National Modular Housing Conference

2026 Conference Speakers

Join us at MHBA’s National Modular Housing Conference from November 16-18. The premier event for professionals in residential modular construction. This annual gathering unites builders, developers, architects, engineers, and suppliers to network, share ideas, explore innovative solutions, and gain insights from expert-led sessions. Hosted by the Modular Home Builders Association, the conference offers a valuable platform for professional growth and collaboration within the modular housing community.

Keynote Session

Housing and Economic Outlook

Robert Dietz, Ph. D.

Chief Economist

National Association of Home Builders

Robert Dietz, Ph.D. is the Chief Economist for the National Association of Home Builders, where he leads a team of 12 economists whose responsibilities include economic forecasting, industry surveys, and policy research. Dietz has published academic research on the private and social benefits of homeownership, federal tax expenditure estimation, and other housing topics. He is the nation’s leading analyst of the residential construction industry.

During this session, join Dr. Dietz, for a timely look at the economic and housing forces shaping the residential construction market. Gain an overview of the broader housing and economic outlook, including NAHB’s macroeconomic forecast and the potential impact of Federal Reserve actions, while highlighting recent data and trends in modular and panelized construction.

The presentation will also examine NAHB’s housing forecast, including single-family and multifamily starts, pricing trends, and the outlook for manufactured housing. Finally, Dr. Dietz will explore long-term factors influencing housing demand, including demographics and other structural trends that could affect the size and composition of the housing market in the years ahead, providing modular home manufacturers with economic context they can use to better understand current market conditions and plan for the future.

Opening Panel Discussion

Research and Innovation in the Offsite Construction Sector

Set the tone of the conference with this opening panel presentation with well know industry advocates discussing the latest in research and innovation in the modular and offsite construction industry.

Jason Van Nest, Director, NYIT Center for Offsite Construction

Jason Van Nest is a licensed architect working in New England, an Associate Professor in the School of Architecture and Design at New York Institute of Technology, and currently serves as President of the NYIT Academic Senate. An entrepreneur and founder of Logic Building Systems, he brings extensive expertise in offsite manufacturing and architectural design.

As an educator, Van Nest has taught more than a dozen courses at New York Tech, as well as graduate computational design at Yale School of Architecture and representation courses at the New York School of Interior Design (NYSID). He holds a Master of Architecture from Yale University and a B.S. in Architecture from the Georgia Institute of Technology.

Andrew McCoy, Managing Director of the Coalition for Smart Construction, Virginia Tech

Dr. Andrew McCoy is the Beliveau Professor in the Department of Building Construction at Virginia Tech, where his teaching and research focus on the commercialization and diffusion of innovative technologies, residential systems, and affordable housing. He has authored over 100 books, peer-reviewed articles, and conference papers, while serving as Principal Investigator on millions of dollars in funded research covering green residential practices and supply chain safety.

Dr. McCoy previously served as Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Construction Education and Research and has received numerous top honors, including the ENR Top 20 Under 40 (Mid-Atlantic), the 2015 Virginia Game Changer Award, and the Historic Richmond Golden Hammer Award.

George K. Guszcza, President & CEO, National Institute of Building Sciences

Dr. George Guszcza brings over 25 years of global executive experience in the built environment spanning public, private, and non-profit sectors across the US, UK, Europe, Middle East, and Africa. Prior to leading NIBS, he served as Chief Transformation Officer at Michael Baker International, COO of Neal Richards Group, and EVP for Finance and Administration at Adams and Associates.

As founder/CEO of Aedifos Group, he spearheaded the restart of the Nelson Mandela Children’s Hospital project, and as an active duty US Army Medical Service Corps officer, led a team of 3,000 architects and engineers restarting 240 hospitals and over 1,200 clinics in Iraq. Dr. Guszcza holds a B.S. from West Point, an M.S. from Oxford University, and a Doctor of Engineering from The George Washington University.

Presenters

Mary Anglade

Founder

Builder Lead Marketing

Angela D. Brooks, FAICP

Urban Development Officer

City of Philadelphia

Alex Carmack

Director of Government Affairs

Modular Building Institute

Bob Gorleski

Vice President

PFS TECO

George K. Guszcza

President & CEO

National Institute of Building Sciences

Andrew McCoy

Managing Director of the
Coalition for Smart Construction

Virginia Tech

Michael Moglia

Chief, Housing & Buildings Standards Division

Pennsylvania Dept. of Community & Economic Development

David Roover

Founder, Chief Growth Officer

Quartz Properties

Ken Semler

President & CEO

Impresa Modular

Jason Van Nest

Director

NYIT Center for Offsite Construction

Jiqiu Yuan

MD Director of Building
Codes Administration

Maryland Department of Labor

Presentation Details

Beyond Google: How Modular Home Builders Can Get Found in ChatGPT and AI Search

Mary Anglade, Founder, Builder Lead Marketing

In this practical session, Mary Anglade will explain how AI is changing online search—and what modular home builders and manufacturers can do to increase their visibility. Attendees will learn how traditional SEO and AI search optimization work together, why authority and trust signals matter, and how website content, FAQs, video and structured information can help AI engines understand and recommend a business.

Designed specifically for the modular construction industry, this presentation will include practical examples and actionable steps companies can take without completely rebuilding their websites or abandoning their existing marketing strategies.

IRR and Return on Capital: Why Speed Wins in Real Estate Development

Kenneth Semler, President & CEO, Impresa Modular

Most developers focus on cost per square foot, but sophisticated investors know that the real driver of wealth is how quickly capital is returned and reinvested. In this webinar, Ken Semler demonstrates how modular construction improves Internal Rate of Return (IRR) by compressing project schedules, reducing interest carry, accelerating lease-up, and enabling faster capital recycling.

Through real-world multifamily case studies, attendees will learn why time is often more valuable than first cost, how modular projects create more predictable financial outcomes, and why lenders increasingly recognize these advantages. If you're developing multifamily, build-to-rent, workforce housing, or infill projects, this session will change how you evaluate project performance and profitability.

Leveraging Modular Construction for Disaster Relief

David Roover, Founder, Chief Growth Officer, Quartz Properties

From wildfires, to floods, and other natural disasters, modular construction seems like an obvious solution to these massive rebuilding efforts. But why does it seem that after ever disaster, government agencies struggle to rebuild in a timely manner? Join this interactive session as David Roover and other developers discuss how to leverage modular construction in a post disaster setting.

The U.S. Regulatory and Legislative Landscape for Modular Construction

Alex Carmack, Director of Government Affairs, Modular Building Institute

Join MBI’s Government Affairs Director Alex Carmack as he provides updates and leads a discussion on the latest state and federal regulations, legislation, issues, and opportunities for the modular industry.

Navigating State Administrative Programs: Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Virginia

Mike Moglia, Chief, Housing & Buildings Standards Division, Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development
Jiqui Yuan, MD Director of Building Codes Administration, Maryland Department of Labor
Bob Gorleski, Vice President, PFS TECO

Hear directly from state administrative program officials about the latest trends, updates, and challenges facing the industry. Additional state representatives may join the panel.