The Best in American Living™ Awards (BALA) is the building industry’s premier residential design awards program. Celebrating its 40th year of highlighting the value and importance of good home design, BALA spotlights the most creative and talented building industry professionals who have redefined design excellence for homes and communities nationally and internationally.
The ceremony included the induction of the Best in American Living™ Hall of Fame’s class of 2023. Following in the footsteps of recognized industry leaders, the newest inductees have demonstrated their talents through advocacy, innovation, creativity, and residential design excellence.
Class of 2023 includes:
Bob Youngentob
Executive Chairman and Co-Founder
EYA, LLC
Bob Youngentob is the executive chairman and one of the co-founders of EYA, LLC. EYA is a developer specializing in residential communities offering “life within walking distance®.”
Since 1992, EYA has delivered more than 6,000 homes throughout the Washington, D.C., metro region, including townhomes, multifamily and mixed-income neighborhoods. EYA is a two-time winner of America’s Best Builder and has won numerous national awards, including the ULI Award for Excellence, ULI’s Jack Kemp Award for excellence in affordable and workforce housing, and The National Housing Quality Award.
Bob’s responsibilities at EYA include mentoring current and future leaders, strategy and project visioning. He has more than 35 years of real estate experience.
Bob currently serves on the National Advisory Board of ULI’s Terwilliger Foundation for Workforce Housing and on the Board of Advisors for The Universities at Shady Grove. Bob is a former chair of the Washington D.C. District Council of the Urban Land Institute (ULI) and member of the Governance Committee. In 2023, Bob received ULI Washington’s Trailblazer Award. He has been a guest lecturer on real estate at the Harvard Business School, University of Maryland and Johns Hopkins University, and has spoken at numerous conferences sponsored by the Urban Land Institute and Builder Magazine. Bob has been recognized as an “Entrepreneur of the Year” for real estate and was inducted into the W.H. Marvin Hall of Fame for Design Excellence.
Bob grew up in the Washington D.C. area, graduated from Lehigh University, and received an MBA from the Harvard Business School. Bob is married to Linda Youngentob, who is a professor at Montgomery College. Together they have three daughters.
Terry Eakin
Co-Founder and Chairman Emeritus
EYA, LLC
Le Roy Eakin, III (Terry) is a co-founder and current chairman emeritus of EYA, LLC, a builder of urban for sale housing in the Washington, D.C., metro region. The company started in 1992 as Eakin/Youngentob Associates, Inc. and has delivered more than 6,000 new homes with a brand promise of “life within walking distance®.”
EYA was selected America’s Best Builder in both 2000 and 2009 by the National Association of Home Builders and has won more than 300 design and other awards. In the early growth stages of EYA, Terry and his partner, Bob Youngentob, received the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award, and in 2009, they received the Lifetime Achievement Grand Award from the combined D.C., Virginia and Maryland Building Industry Associations.
Among numerous community involvements, Terry has served as a board member or chair for several public education reform organizations, including the Washington D.C. Committee on Public Education, the DC Charter School Resource Center and The Learning Alliance in Vero Beach, Fla.
Terry’s main education reform focus has been DC Prep Public Charter Schools (DCPrep.org) in Washington, D.C. He began as the founding chair of DC Prep in 2002. Since that time, Terry has helped DC Prep expand to six campuses serving 2,100 urban students and become the highest performing public education organization in Washington, D.C.. He remains active on the board and currently serves as the Finance Committee chair.
Terry graduated from Princeton University and received an MBA from Stanford Graduate School of Business. Terry and his wife, Lindsay, have four grown children and nine grandchildren. Terry enjoys being with his grandchildren and playing golf, tennis, pickleball and bridge.
Judy Brociek
Director of Events, Building & Construction Groups
SGC Horizon LLC
Judy Brociek is the director of events at SGC Horizon. Judy has been actively involved in the residential construction field since 1982, when she joined Pro Builder magazine.
She is an expert in event planning, custom publishing and conference programs in the U.S. residential architectural design and construction industry. She has had a key role in the execution of Pro Builder’s Show Village, The New American Home and The New American Remodeled Home at the annual NAHB International Builders’ Show®.
Judy was a key leader in the development and execution of the Best of American Living Awards and led the transformation from a breakfast to an evening gala. Judy has also been a key member of SGC Horizon since 2010.
MANNY GONZALEZ, FAIA
Founder and President
Lifestyle Design Consulting, LLC
Manny Gonzalez, FAIA, is the founder and president of Lifestyle Design Consulting, LLC, where he continues his legacy of creating vibrant residential communities across the country. With more than 40 years in residential development practice, Gonzalez has received numerous awards for his innovative designs, including Gold Nugget, Best in American Living and Multifamily Pillars of Industry awards. He has earned 44 NAHB Best of 55+ Housing Gold Awards, including 28 Gold Awards. Manny is a much sought-after speaker for local, regional and national conferences, as well as international conferences in Mexico City and Qingdao, China.
Manny was the architect for Habitat for Humanity’s 1995 Jimmy Carter Work Project in Watts, Calif. More recently, he continued his charitable work designing the Gary Sinise Foundation Specially Adapted Smart Home. Manny led the effort to renovate Hope Gardens for Union Rescue Mission and rebuild the San Fernando Rescue Mission after their fire. This passion for giving back earned him the inaugural Building Industry Association (BIA) Los Angeles/Ventura Chapter TED Humanitarian Award.
In 2016, Manny was elected to The College of Fellows of the American Institute of Architects. His fellowship recognition acknowledges not only his individual architectural achievements but also his significant contributions to national architecture and society. An eighth-generation native of Los Angeles, Manny — when not engrossed in new designs — enjoys traveling with his wife, painting, golfing, fly-fishing and spending time with his grandchildren.
Congratulations to Class of 2023 !
