Las Vegas -- Members of the National Association of Home Builders elected four Senior Officers to top leadership positions within the federation during the association's International Builders' Show in Las Vegas.

With more than 800 affiliated state and local home builders associations and more than 140,000 members across the country, NAHB is the "voice of the housing industry," representing the interests of the nation's housing professionals through advocacy, education and research.

Taking the helm as NAHB's Chairman of the Board this year is Rick Judson, a Charlotte, N.C.-based home builder with more than 35 years of experience in the building industry. Judson is the owner of Evergreen Development Group in Charlotte, and is a successful builder and developer with several decades of experience in land development and construction of single-family, multifamily and commercial projects.

"To keep the fledgling housing and economic recovery moving forward, NAHB this year will work with the Obama Administration and congressional lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle to promote policies that encourage homeownership, rental housing opportunities and job growth," says Judson.

Also moving up on the association's leadership ladder during NAHB's Las Vegas board meeting was Kevin Kelly, a Delaware builder and developer with more than 30 years of experience in the building industry. He was elected as the 2012 First Vice Chairman of the Board. Kelly has been a builder and developer since he joined Leon N. Weiner & Associates in 1979 and became actively involved at the Home Builders Association of Delaware. His building experience includes land development, multifamily and single-family home building, construction financing and property management.

Tom Woods, a Blue Springs, Mo.-based home builder with more than 40 years of experience in the home building industry, was elected as the 2012 Second Vice Chairman of the Board. Woods is president of T.E. Woods Homes, a company he founded in 1974. His firm has developed scores of communities and more than 1,000 homes in the Greater Kansas City area.

Ed Brady, a Bloomington, Ill.-based home builder, joined the NAHB leadership ladder with his election to the post of Third Vice Chairman of the Board. Brady is president of Brady Homes, a company founded in 1964 by his father, William Brady Sr. One of the largest home building firms in central Illinois, Brady Homes has developed 20 residential communities throughout the state, building more than 1,800 single-family homes, 2,000 apartment units and more than 100,000 square feet of light commercial property.

2012 NAHB Chairman Barry Rutenberg, from Gainesville, Fla., remains on the leadership ladder as Immediate Past Chairman. Rutenberg is president of Barry Rutenberg and Associates, Inc. His firm has developed more than a dozen communities and 1,000 homes in the Gainesville area.

Rounding out the association's leadership is NAHB Chief Executive Officer Jerry Howard, from Washington, D.C. Howard heads up a professional staff of more than 230 working out of the National Housing Center in Washington.  He has served as the association's CEO/EVP since February of 2001. Previously, Howard was NAHB's chief tax counsel.