Arlington-based D.R. Horton Inc. (NYSE:DHI), announced April 21 that its Board of Directors has appointed former Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Dr. Benjamin S. Carson Sr. as an independent director effective April 20, 2021. Carson was also named as a member of the Nominating and Governance, Audit and Compensation Committees. The appointment of Dr. Carson expands the size of the company’s Board from six to seven directors, six of whom are independent directors.
Most recently, Carson served as the 17th Secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) from 2017 to 2021. At HUD, he led the agency in many innovative programs focused on advancing economic opportunity; providing safe, fair and affordable housing; spurring reinvestment in communities; reducing homelessness; assisting and promoting self-sufficiency to underserved and vulnerable populations; and helping disaster victims, while emphasizing fiscal responsibility and reductions of regulatory barriers. During his tenure as HUD Secretary, Carson also led the collaboration of eight federal agencies to establish the White House Council on Eliminating Regulatory Barriers to Affordable Housing.
Carson is a world-renowned neurosurgeon who prior to serving as HUD Secretary was involved with more than 15,000 surgical procedures and was the recipient of numerous awards, including the Presidential Medal of Freedom, more than 70 honorary doctorate degrees and the Spingarn Medal, the NAACP’s highest honor. Throughout his distinguished career, Carson contributed to the field of medicine through the thousands of surgeries he performed and the many leadership positions he held, including serving as Director of the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions from 1984 to 2013 as well a Professor of Neurological Surgery, Oncology, Plastic Surgery and Pediatrics at The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions from 1999 to 2013. Carson also previously served terms on the Boards of Directors of both the Kellogg Company and Costco Wholesale Corporation. He received his B.A. from Yale University and his M.D. from the University of Michigan School of Medicine.
Donald R. Horton, Chairman of the Board, said, “I am pleased to welcome Dr. Ben Carson to our Board. The Company will benefit greatly from Ben’s intellect, life experiences and leadership skills, including his recent experience as HUD Secretary. Ben has been actively involved in programs directly related to U.S. housing, including homebuyer education and the need for affordable housing to improve the quality of life for families in America. We expect Ben to bring new perspectives that will enhance the effectiveness and composition of our Board.”