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Robert F. Nielsen, Chairman of the Board – The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB)

Bob Nielsen, a home builder from Reno, Nevada, is the 2011 Chairman of the Board of the more than 160,000 member National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).

Nielsen, who has more than 25 years of experience in the home building industry, is president of Shelter Properties, a development and management company headquartered in northern Nevada. During his home building career, he has developed more than 45 communities housing more than 4,500 families.

A long-time advocate for affordable housing, Nielsen is committed to supplying high-quality, affordable “workforce” housing in Reno and Las Vegas. He was instrumental in the creation of the Nevada Low Income Housing Trust Fund, and his company concentrates on building affordable housing for families and senior citizens. Shelter Properties also builds high-end conventional multifamily communities.

Active in builder associations at the local, state and national levels, Nielsen has served in numerous elected positions at every level. He was president of the Builders Association of Northern Nevada in 1986 and president of the Nevada Home Builders Association in 1988.

At the national level, Nielsen has been a member of NAHB’s Federal Government Affairs Committee for more than 15 years, and was its chairman in 1997. He has also served as chairman of NAHB’s Housing Finance Committee and is a Senior Life Director.

From 1999 to 2001, Nielsen was a member of the board of directors of the San Francisco Federal Home Loan Bank, and in 2003-2004 he was a member of the Fannie Mae National Advisory Council. In 2007 he was reappointed to the board of directors of the San Francisco Federal Home Loan Bank. He was also one of the founders of the Affordable Housing Resource Council, which offers technical assistance to anyone with an interest in affordable housing, including not-for-profit organizations, for-profit firms, developers, associations and builders.

Prior to his home building career, Nielsen taught high school English and speech for six years. He coached high school football and youth sports baseball and basketball for 20 years.

Nielsen and his wife, Barbara, have two adult sons and one grandchild.