Executive Team For Homes by Avi

Driving a great company forward takes a plethora of different talents, focuses, strengths, and passions.. Ranging from industry experts with decades in the business to leaders with experience from a vast collection of industries coming together with laser focus on growth for the company and community at large. Get to know our leaders…

Avi Amir

– Chairman

With a formal education in civil engineering, Avi realized early in his career that he preferred to be on site overseeing the execution of a project, rather than in the office doing the design work. He enjoyed interacting with customers and garnered a great deal of satisfaction from building their dream homes. So, it’s no surprise that with the 1978 incorporation of Avi Construction (now Homes by Avi), his goal was to grow a customer-focused business that always delivers what it promises. Avi believes that a home should perform and last regardless of the warranty period, and he’s proud of the reputation that Homes by Avi has built. Avi is also a strong advocate for helping the less fortunate and providing educational opportunities for middle and high school kids on the merits of the construction industry.

Charron Ungar

– CEO

As CEO of Homes by Avi, Charron has been with Homes by Avi since 1996. After graduating with a Bachelor of Art History from the University of Calgary he immediately began as an estimator in his family’s home building company, Homes by Avi. He then moved to lead product development, initiate company growth into Edmonton and Austin, Texas and created the Avi Definitions Selections Centre. In 2000, he steered the development of Homes by Avi’s multi-family division, which has since evolved into one of the most recognizable multi-family developers in Alberta. In mid-2018, Charron was appointed as CEO for Homes by Avi Group of Companies.

Charron is active in the community and home building industry. He previously served on the Board of Directors of the Better Business Bureau for 10 years. He is also a past president of the Canadian Home Builders Association, Calgary Region and a former chairman of the Government Relations Committee for the Canadian Home Builders Association of Alberta.

Michele Ward

– Chief Financial Officer

Michele joined Homes by Avi as Chief Financial Officer in 2012. After completing a commerce degree from the University of Alberta, she began a 17-year career in a public accounting practice where she obtained her Chartered Accounting designation and served as a partner with MNP LLP.

No stranger to the construction and development industry, Michele came to Homes by Avi with an acquired lifetime of experience in her own family-owned construction company, which was in operation for 35 years. Family-run business was in her DNA, and we were excited when she chose to be part of ours.

Michele is active in a number of boards and committees including the board of directors and executive committee member for BILD Calgary Region.

Naum Shteinbah

– Senior Vice President Acquisitions and Financing

Although Naum was approached by Avi Amir in 1997, prior commitments prevented him from joining the homebuilder until 2010, when he started at Homes by Avi. Having been active in the development and construction industries both in Alberta and abroad since 1988, Naum has worked with builders, developers, municipal and urban development engineering firms, and city governments. He’s recognized as a professional engineer in Alberta and B.C. and holds MBAs from both Queen’s University and Cornell. Prior to joining Homes by Avi, Naum worked as a GM for Streetside Development Corp. Naum also sat on Subdivision Development Appeal Board with the City of Calgary and CHBA-Calgary’s Government Affairs Committee. At Homes by Avi, he splits his time between sourcing new business opportunities and new operating capital for both the single and multi-family divisions.

Darren Soltes

– Senior Vice President Corporate Development & President of Blue Jean Property Management

Darren Soltes is an entrepreneurial business leader who is passionate about building substantial business opportunities with great people and solid values. After joining Homes by Avi full time in 1997, Darren has embarked on a career that included the Corporation’s development of the current Information Technology Systems, Human Resource practice, and various Business Development opportunities.

In 2010, Darren and his family moved to Austin, Texas, to assist in growing the US division of the company. In 2018, Darren returned to Canada to focus on the improvement of corporate division structure and the various offered services. Continuing with his love for new opportunities, he is currently leading the Blue Jean Property Management team and the development of this new business.

Doug Beach

–Senior Vice President Housing Alberta

With a background in both business and engineering, Doug began his career in the building industry in 1995. He joined Homes by Avi in 2004, starting in construction and working in a number of roles before being named Senior Vice President, Single Family Alberta.

Doug has a great deal of passion for home building and has been involved in a number of industry initiatives, including the creation and development of the Residential Site Manager Training Program. He is also past vice president of the Canadian Home Builders Association.

Doug takes great pride in delivering exemplary customer service and is particularly proud that Homes by Avi has received the Consumer Choice Award for the last thirteen years along with the 2022 Builder of Choice and 2022 Best Customer Experience Award.

Monte Kendall

- Vice Chairman

After a long-standing association with the building industry, Monte joined Homes by Avi in 1999 as the VP of Finance. In 2006, he was named the company’s CFO, and six short years later, he became CEO. In June 2018, he handed over the day-to-day CEO duties and took the position of Vice Chairman. What Monte enjoys most about working in homebuilding is its unpredictability, but he’s quick to point out that despite the industry’s many ups and downs, you can always rely on its spirit of generosity. As past President of the Calgary Home Builders’ Foundation, he was in constant awe of the depth and means by which industry members gave back. Monte takes great pride in his participation in both the growth of Homes by Avi over the last 20 years and in positioning the company – through the development of relationships – to ensure its continued growth. As well, he played an important role in the recent restructuring of the company that has set it on a path to greater efficiency and relevance.