2022 Eggs & Economics

On September 27, 2021, Ford announced plans to invest $11.4 billion with partner, SK Innovation, to create the largest, most advanced, and most efficient auto-production complex in its 118-year history. Blue Oval City will employ just under 6,000 people ? and it?s estimated that another 18,000+ jobs will be created in the area to support the site. Many of these people will need housing.

Yet, rising costs and shortages of building materials and labor are rippling across the homebuilding industry, delaying construction and prompting many builders to pump the brakes. As we navigate these uncharted waters, we look to NAHB for guidance and expertise. 

Join the PWB (Professional Women in Building) for the 2nd Annual Eggs & Economics Forecasting Breakfast. Meet Karl Eckhart, NAHB Vice President of Intergovernmental Affairs, and Danushka Skillington, NAHB Assistant Vice President for Forecasting and Analysis. Glean insights into the state of the residential construction market, what these challenges mean for the industry's near-term future, and the impact upcoming elections will have on our ability to meet the demand for housing.

Karl Eckhart re-joined the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) in 2017 and currently serves as Vice President of Intergovernmental Affairs. In this capacity Eckhart is proud to work with State and Local Associations and members of NAHB to ensure a strong real estate market in America. With his previous work at NAHB and the National Association of REALTORS Eckhart has over a decade experience in housing advocacy.

Eckhart has enjoyed a career in all aspects of government relations including service in the U.S. Senate, political campaigns, and various lobbying efforts.

In 2006 Eckhart completed a Master of Arts degree in public policy at George Mason University.   In 2011 he published a grassroots campaign guide titled ?Fifty Percent + One: The Fundamentals of Running a Successful Campaign?.  He enjoys traveling, scuba diving, and seeing his family in the Midwest.

Danushka Nanayakkara-Skillington is NAHB Assistant Vice President for Forecasting and Analysis. She oversees the activities of the Forecasting & Analysis section of the Economics group which includes housing market analysis, industry surveys, developing and maintaining national, regional, long-term, and remodeling expenditures forecasts.

Before being promoted to Assistant Vice President, she worked at NAHB as a Senior Economist, responsible for state and local analysis. Prior to joining NAHB, Danushka worked at J.D. Power as a Senior Economic Analyst in the automotive industry.

She holds a B.A. degree in Economics and Business Administration from Otterbein University and M.A. degree in Applied Economics from Johns Hopkins University. https://eyeonhousing.org/author/dnanayakkara/