Columbia, MD (April 21, 2010) – Jim Greenfield, president of Columbia Builders Inc., was recently honored with a Governor's Award for distinguished community service by Gov. Martin O'Malley. Greenfield was recognized for his lifetime involvement in activities that embody his belief in the merits of giving back to the community.

A strong supporter of education, the Columbia resident built a television studio free of charge for Wilde Lake Middle School in Town Center and volunteered to organize programs on the building trades and real estate for the Applications and Research Lab, which is the technology center of the Howard County public school system. He also taught as a volunteer at the Cedar Lane School and served as a member of the board of both the Lower School of St. John's Episcopal Church in Ellicott City and the Howard Community College Educational Foundation for many years.

Long sensitive to the needs of a growing population, he completely renovated a building to serve as a community headquarters for the Red Cross.

Greenfield also built a home and donated it to the Columbia Foundation, which then offered it as the grand prize in a fund-raising raffle.

At The Arc of Howard County, where his late son Mark once received services for persons with cognitive and development disabilities, Greenfield took a leading role in raising funds for the nonprofit organization's current home on Folly Quarter Road. Moreover, he later built a home that serves as a residence for people with developmental disabilities and a caregiver family.

His most recent project for The Arc was building a group home called "Awake House," the first LEED Platinum Certified home in the state of Maryland. Greenfield, together with many of Columbia Builders' long time subcontractors donated services or provided them at cost in order to make the project a reality.

"I realized a long time ago that giving back to the community that has been so good to me not only helps to raise the quality of life for many people, but gives me and my co-workers at Columbia Builders as much satisfaction as it benefits the recipients of our efforts," said Greenfield.

"While I am honored to have been chosen to receive this award, the real reward for me is being able to do this work for the benefit of such deserving organizations and people within the community," he said.

About Columbia Builders, Inc.
For nearly 35 years, Columbia Builders has been building homes and communities in Maryland, and Pennsylvania. Columbia Builders has built more than 3,000 homes in more than 50 communities and is recognized for superior craftsmanship and innovation by national, regional and local industry associations. The company was the first homebuilder in Maryland to receive the prestigious Energy Value Award from the National Association of Home Builders. In 2009, Columbia Builders became an ENERGY STAR partner, building its homes to meet strict energy-saving criteria established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. It also became the first firm to complete a LEED Platinum certified home in the state of Maryland. Columbia Builders is a member of the Maryland Residential Green Building Council.