Terrance R. Duvernay Award

BMCC Names 2025 Terrence R. Duvernay Award Recipient

Committee Selects Amin Irving, Founder, President, and CEO of Ginosko Development

LANSING, Mich. – Today, at the Building Michigan Communities Conference (BMCC), Amin Irving was honored with the 2025 Terrence R. Duvernay Award for his outstanding contributions to affordable housing and community development in Michigan.

As the founder, president, and CEO of Ginosko Development Company, Irving has dedicated his career to expanding access to safe, high-quality housing in Michigan and beyond. His passion for housing stems from personal experience. Raised in East Lansing by a single mother, Irving experienced homelessness at an early age. Determined to succeed, he earned a degree in finance and real estate from the University of Michigan before launching his career in investment banking in New York City.

Though successful on Wall Street, he felt a deeper calling to return home and focus on strengthening communities in Michigan. In 2002, he founded Ginosko Development Company, which has since grown into a full-service firm managing more than 4 million square feet of property, employing a team of 150, and overseeing transactions of more than $585 million across multiple states.

A strong advocate for lowering construction costs to keep housing affordable, Irving partnered with Flagstar Bank and other stakeholders to launch Optimum Modular, a 105,000-square-foot production facility in Romulus that manufactures modular housing units.

Irving’s impact extends beyond housing development. He played a key role in shaping Michigan’s first-ever Statewide Housing Plan, serves on the Statewide Housing Partnership--a body appointed by Governor Gretchen Whitmer--and has helped guide the administration’s policy to expand housing opportunities across the state.

“Amin’s humility, energy, and dedication to the field have made him a leader and changemaker, though he rarely seeks recognition for his contributions. His focus remains on giving back to his community, strengthening Michigan’s housing landscape, and inspiring the next generation of affordable housing professionals,” said nominator Mark McDaniel, president and CEO of Cinnaire.

Named in honor of the late Terrence R. Duvernay, executive director of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority from 1983 to 1990, this annual award recognizes individuals at the pinnacle of their career, who carry on his exceptional leadership and legacy in affordable housing.

In recognition of this distinguished honor, Irving will receive a $5,000 cash prize to direct to the nonprofit organization of his choice, Real Estate Association of Developers.