He was appointed to the committee because of his knowledge of technical and social issues for affordable housing and related HUD programs. He is founder and board member of the Houston Community Design Assistance Center, providing design services to help neighborhood groups and families build high-quality affordable housing. He is also president of Richwood Development Corporation, which promotes and invests in affordable homes in the Houston area. As a practicing architect he advises developers on site analysis and design review. He was chair of the American Institute of Architects Housing Committee in 2001. He holds a B.A. and B.Arch. from Rice University and an M.S. in environmental design and urban planning from Yale University.