CMHI Honors Dr. Lesli Gooch with the Jack E. Wells Memorial Award

Jess Maxcy, President and CFO of CMHI, and Congressman Lou Correa, a tireless advocate for manufactured housing who has worked extensively to support policies that promote affordability and accessibility in the sector, presented Dr. Gooch with the award. Deputy Assistant Secretary of HUD Teresa Payne, MHI Chairman and CEO of Cavco Industries Bill Boor, and past MHI Chairman Leo Poggione attended the ceremony.

Their presence underscored the broad recognition of Dr. Gooch’s leadership and her impact in advancing manufactured housing nationwide.

Dr. Gooch’s Legacy of Leadership

Dr. Gooch has played a pivotal role in protecting and promoting manufactured housing through her work as CEO of MHI. She has been instrumental in fostering bipartisan engagement on Capitol Hill, ensuring that both Democrats and Republicans work together to advance policies that support housing affordability and the manufactured housing sector.

Under her leadership, MHI has:

• Worked with both parties to secure key legislative and regulatory victories that protect and expand manufactured housing as a vital affordable homeownership option.
• Challenged unworkable energy regulations that would have dramatically increased home prices, successfully pushing for delays and reconsideration of the DOE’s Final Rule.
• Led efforts to modernize the HUD Code, securing much-needed updates last year to better align manufactured housing standards with today’s homebuyer needs.
• Successfully advocated for extending the HUD Code compliance timeline, ensuring manufacturers had the time to implement changes without disrupting production or affordability.
• Elevated manufactured housing is central to national housing policy discussions, ensuring policymakers understand its role in addressing the housing affordability crisis.

A Background in Public Service

Before leading MHI, Dr. Gooch was active in public policy and ran for Congress in California. As a candidate, she campaigned on issues that directly impact housing affordability, economic growth, and job creation. Her government and housing policy background has made her a powerful advocate for manufactured housing, ensuring the industry’s voice is heard in Washington and beyond.

A Well-Deserved Recognition

Dr. Gooch’s receipt of the Jack E. Wells Memorial Award is a testament to her tireless advocacy, strategic leadership, and unwavering dedication to the industry. As manufactured housing continues to be a key solution to the nation’s housing affordability crisis, her work remains more critical than ever.