Jeff Dworkin Receives Highest Honor From Dallas Builders Association

Up until a few weeks ago, one of Jeff Dworkin’s most prized possessions was a signed photo of former University of Texas running back Ricky Williams breaking the NCAA Division 1-A career rushing record against Texas A&M in 1998. 

But when Dworkin, a UT graduate and die-hard football fan, was surprised by his homebuilder colleagues earlier this month with the elite Hugh Prather Award — named for the founder of the Dallas Builders Association — he was willing to set aside Ricky’s photo to make way for a massive trophy.  

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The award is the highest honor bestowed by the Dallas BA and is presented annually to a builder, remodeler, or developer member who has done the most for the betterment of the community and the industry as a whole. Dworkin was the 75th recipient, accepting the award at an 80th anniversary party for past presidents of the Dallas BA. 

“There were presidents from six different decades, from the ‘70s up until now,” he said. “It was a huge surprise.” 

Green builder Alan Hoffmann, who has been Dworkin’s “friend and competitor” for 20-plus years, presented the award. 

“Jeff has been really devoted to working with the City of Dallas,” Hoffmann told CandysDirt.com. 

The buddies joined forces in 2009 when both owned lots in Little Forest Hills, and a faction of neighbors was trying to halt new development via a conservation district, which ultimately was rejected by the City Council. 

“I got to know him and he’s just a really good guy in terms of the level of professionalism he brings to his work,” Hoffman said. “I have huge respect for that. You know, he’s always there. If we need to do something with the City of Dallas, he’s there front and center. And we always need to be doing something with the City of Dallas.”

Building Legends

Accepting the Hugh Prather Award earlier this month goes down in history as one of Dworkin’s top personal achievements as a builder. 

“I’m completely honored that they chose me to be the 75th recipient of this award,” Dworkin said. “This award has gone to the who’s who of builders who helped build Dallas: David Fox, A.P. Roffino, Kent Conine, Harold Peek, who was just elected to the [Texas] Housing Hall of Honor, George Lewis, and so many others. I feel this is one of my greatest achievements in my 35 years of home building.” 

Dworkin’s name sits below that of his mentor and friend Joe Chamberlain on the trophy. Chamberlain was given the award posthumously last year. 

“It’s such an honor to have my name right under his name on the permanent trophy that sits at the Builders Association,” Dworkin said. “And for Alan to present it to me … was just great. This will be one of the things I remember for the rest of my career as well as for the rest of my life.”

Jeff Dworkin’s Legacy

Dworkin has been a home builder for 35 years and served as president of the Dallas Builders Association in 2014. He studied architecture for a year at UT but ultimately earned his degree in accounting in 1986. 

“I knew how to read blueprints and I knew how to design, but I also understood the business part,” he said. “Any time I was given the opportunity to learn something or see something other than just the accounting side of it, I jumped at it.” 

After working for a few years as a CPA, Dworkin was hired as a staff accountant for Lennar Homes in Miami. KB Homes later hired him as a vice president of their Austin division and he was tapped to move to Dallas to help the company’s then-struggling office. In the early 2000s, he started his own company, JLD Custom Homes. 

“It’s become part of my life,” Dworkin said. “It’s not just my job and my business. I feel like right now I’ve started to give a lot back.” 

In addition to serving with the Dallas BA and a subcommittee that meets quarterly with Dallas leadership, Dworkin also partners with Collin College’s construction management program and even taught a course there. 

Dallas is on the right track by promoting committed public servants and merging Planning and Urban Design with Development Services, Dworkin said. 

“We have a great relationship with those folks,” he said. “They don’t always do the right thing, but they try.” 

Advocating for Dallas Builders

The Dallas BA almost functions as a support group for those in the industry to share thoughts and ideas and work together toward a common goal: providing more housing for North Texans. 

“Being a member, to me, is a no-brainer,” Dworkin said. “Even though some people feel like they don’t need to join the association, they can do it on their own, they are still benefiting from all the advocacy that we do. Being a member is extremely important.”

JLD Homes does a lot of teardowns but spends significant time ensuring their construction fits in with what’s already on the ground. 

“We built a duplex on Forest Hills Boulevard in an area that’s predominantly single-family homes,” Dworkin said. “The lot we bought was a duplex lot and was 100 feet wide. I told the architect that we were going to design this so that when someone pulls up they think they are coming to a single home.”  

He’s currently building “on the northern side of the lake” in Lochwood and Old Lake Highlands. He builds contemporary, transitional, and “Texas-style” homes, and previously did a lot of Craftsman and prairie-style homes to fit into certain neighborhoods. 

“Whether it’s a spec or a build-to-suit, we put in the homes what the buyers want to make them functional,” Dworkin said. “We try not to put in things that they do not want or need. We try to minimize hallways. If there’s extra space we create storage. We don’t just have empty areas. We spend a lot of time on design.” 

‘It’s Been a Big Year for Me’

So what’s on the horizon for Jeff Dworkin? 

You can bet he’ll be at the Capitol in Austin with the Dallas BA advocating for legislation that makes it easier for builders to do what they do. He’ll be in Austin frequently anyway to catch his Texas Longhorns. He’s held season tickets for 26 years and still cherishes that Ricky Williams photo, although it’s been moved aside for the enormous Hugh Prather trophy. 

Advocacy for the building industry is something Dworkin takes seriously. 

“We need more housing stock that’s going to be affordable to the median-income folks here in town,” He said. “That’s become very difficult with the price of land and the price of building inside the loop. As we get further out, there’s still availability; we still have land. Folks are just going to have to go a little further out or they’re going to have to buy a fixer-upper if they want to stay in town.”

The builder explained that costs have moderated. He doesn’t think prices will decrease but there will be a much slower growth increase over the next five to 10 years. 

When we spoke to Dworkin a couple of days before Thanksgiving, he reflected on his gratitude for the past year. 

“It’s been a big year for me,” he said. “I feel very honored, especially when I look at the other names on this trophy. I think of who these gentlemen were and how they fought through issues that are unimaginable to us these days. At the same time, we fought through the whole COVID issue. I’ve never fought so hard trying to stay open and trying to keep our business rolling as I did back in 2020 with the likes of David Lehde, Phil Crone, Alan Hoffman, and Michael Turner. If the state had decided we weren’t an essential business, it would have been horrible for us as builders as well as for all the people who needed housing.” 

Dworkin and his wife have three children and will become grandparents for the first time in January.