The Dallas Builders Association has awarded the 2016 Hugh Prather Trophy to Michael Sugrue of StoneLeaf Homes of Distinction.
The award is the highest honor bestowed by the association and has been presented annually for the past 66 years to a builder, remodeler or developer member who has done the most for the betterment of the North Texas region.
The 2016 presentation was made during the Association’s Sept. 30 Installation of Leadership. It was presented by StrucSure Home Warranty.
The award was named for the Association’s first president, Hugh Prather, in hopes that his principles would serve as a guide for future generations of builders. It is not meant to be simply a “Builder of the Year,” but something more that reflects credit to the building industry.
Past recipients include homebuilding icons such as Dave Fox, W.W. Caruth Jr., Bob Folsom, Fred Roach, Kent Conine, Tommy Ford, N.D. Hopkins and Harold Pollman, among others.
2014 Prather recipient Tim Jackson of Tim Jackson Custom Homes presented the award.
Michael Sugrue is a U.S. Navy veteran who served his country during the Vietnam War. He has been active with the association on the local, state and national levels for more than 30 years.
He served as chairman of the association's Sales & Marketing Council twice in the ‘80s and last year served as the Multifamily Council chairman for the Texas Association of Builders, as well as serving as a state director. He helped organize the Multifamily Forum at the Sunbelt Builders Show.
This summer he helped out in a charity golf tournament that raised money to fund college scholarships for local high school seniors and to benefit the Children’s Medical Center in Dallas.
After the devastating fertilizer plant explosion in West, Texas, that killed 15 people, injured 160 and destroyed 150 buildings, Michael Sugrue stepped up to donate appliances to The Texas Builders Foundation to help in efforts to rebuild the community.
He is active in the Texas Association of Affordable Housing Providers and was a speaker for the recent Affordable Housing Tax Credit Conference.
He continues to develop public-private partnerships that provide housing for low- to moderate-income senior citizens in rural communities. These projects not only provide much needed housing in these areas, but they produce 120 jobs during construction and 12 full time positions for these small towns. And the return on investment endures for years in these communities in smaller rural regions in East Texas, the Panhandle and DFW areas.
The Dallas Builders Association (www.dallasbuilders.com) is a professional organization dedicated to promoting new home ownership, industry advancements and community good works.
Established in 1944, the Dallas BA covers a seven-county area of some 5,500 square miles with a population of more than 3 million. Its membership includes builders, developers and remodelers in addition to associates — suppliers, vendors and associated businesses and services.