Michael Karmatz, senior vice-president of Orleans Homebuilders, Incorporated, has been active in the real estate industry for 30 years. He is responsible for the zoning and approval process for all Orleans’ developments, the property management of approximately 15,000 condominium and homeowners association units and the acquisition of properties for development.

During his tenure as an officer for the Builders League of South Jersey (BLSJ) Mr. Karmatz led the board of directors, served as vice president in 2003, secretary in 2002 and president of the South Jersey Builders Political Action Committee. He has served on BLSJ’s Charitable Foundation and Scholarship Foundation and is a life director.

In 2004 Mr. Karmatz launched several critical initiatives. BLSJ’s “Educate Yourself” campaign heightened the public awareness of how political decisions affect the cost of housing of all New Jersey residents. The campaign was intended to ask residents to take government officials to task to create a balance between growth and preservation in South Jersey. BLSJ’s “Billy the Builder Bear Builds a House” educational program talked to school children about the importance of strong reading, math, communication and teamwork skills in all the types of jobs needed to build homes.

In 2003, Mr. Karmatz worked with a group of 75 BLSJ members to develop a strategy for the redevelopment of South Camden, a residential section of Camden, N.J., that would boost the city’s housing stock to some 4,000 new and refurbished homes, create jobs, parks and numerous growth opportunities and attract visitors and middle-income residents back to the city. Developed at the request of Cooper’s Ferry Development Association, the strategy will be used as a model in other sections of the Camden and other urban residential areas.

A graduate of Lehigh University, Mr. Karmatz is a licensed real estate broker in both Pennsylvania and New Jersey and a licensed certified public accountant.