About Joe
Awards & Recognition
Joseph Pusateri
Joe is the founder of Elite Homes, Inc. which he began in 1976. Elite Homes builds 150-200 homes a year ranging from $300,000 to over $600,000 and is the largest home building company in Louisville, Ky. Elite Homes has built over 2,500 homes in the greater Louisville area over the last 44 years. Elite Homes is currently developing 9 subdivisions in the metro area.
Joe has been involved in the Louisville community for over 3 decades. In 1993, he brought Homearama to Smoketown, which were the 1st new homes built in Smoketown in over 50 years. In 2003, he organized a rescue package to help save the Louisville Orchestra and subsequently served as the president of their board from 2005 – 2008. In 2007 and 2010, his company built a home for the Extreme Makeover: Home Edition T.V. show.
Over the years, Joe has given hundreds of speeches on a wide range of topics. His talks are funny, fast moving, inspirational and loaded with important lessons that the audience will use in their business and personal lives.
Joe continues to be very involved in both the Louisville community and home building industry has been recognized for his service as listed below.
SERVICE IN HOME BUILDING INDUSTRY
- Life Director for National Association of Home Builders
- 1985 – Present: Board of Directors for Home Builders Association of Louisville
- 1986 – 1989: Trustee on NAHB Remodeler’s Council
- 1986 – 1993: Board of Directors for Home Builders Association of Kentucky
- 1990 & 1992: President of the Home Builders Association of Louisville (only person elected as president twice in 62 yr history of association)
- 1990 – 1993: State Pac Chairman
- 1990 – 1993: Kentucky Trustee for the Home-building industry’s National Pac
- Kentucky’s #6 spike leader with over 1,061 spike credits (New Members Recruited)
- Started “Louisville’s Best New Homes” T.V. show for the Home Builders Association
- Built 34 Homearama Homes
AWARDS & RECOGNITION IN THE HOME BUILDING INDUSTRY
- 3 Time winner (1984, 1985, 1986) of the Howard C. Reeves Award for membership recruitment by Home Builders Association of Louisville
- 1987: Named one of the “Big 50” Remodelers by Remodelers Magazine
- October, 1987: National Remodeler of the Month
- 1993 & 2003 Builder of the Year – Home Builders Association of Louisville
- 2002 Home Builders Association of Louisville – Best Supporting Builder –Louisville’s Best New Homes in recognition of creating the show and its 500th episode
- 2004 Remodeler of the Year – Home Builders Association of Louisville
- 2005 Winner of the Hearthstone Builder Lifetime Public Service Award
- 2005 Builder Magazine – Fast Track – 54th Fastest Growing Home Building Company in the country
- Won Grand Award in Homearama 23 times
- 2007 and 2008 Pacesetter Award by Custom Home magazine
- 2008 Winner General Elmus S. Ussery Presidential Leadership award- Home Builders Association of Kentucky
- 2011 America’s Best Builder by Builder Magazine
SERVICE IN THE COMMUNITY
- Member of the 1989 – 1990 Leadership Louisville class
- 1990 – 1993: Section chair for the Metro United Way
- 1990 – 1993: Board of Trustees at Humana Hospital Suburban
- 1991 – 1994: Board at Channel 15 (Public Television)
- 1992: Chaired Task Force for Jefferson County Public Schools (planning a construction academy)
- 1993: 1995: Board at Center for Educational Leadership
- 1993: Bingham Fellows III
- 1993: President of the Chamber of Commerce – Area Council “3”
- 1994 -1999: Board at the Family Place
- 1996 -1998: Board at Metro YMCA
- 1998: Courier Journal/Forum Fellow
- 1999 – 2001: Board at Presbyterian Community Center
- 2003 – 2009: Board of the Greater Louisville, Inc. (formerly Louisville Area Chamber of Commerce) Also, 1993 – 1998
- 2003 – 2009: Advisory Board of Salvation Army
- 2003 – 2010: Board at Louisville Orchestra – Elected President 2005-2008
- 2003 – 2019: Board at Evergreen Foundation
- 2004: Mayor’s Housing Policy Task Force
- 2004 – 2005: Eastwood Task Force
- 2005 – 2011: Board at Leadership Louisville
- 2005 – Present: Board at Fund for the Arts
- 2007 – Tocqueville Society Cabinet Member – Metro United Way
- 2007 – 2011: Board of Kentucky Athletic Hall of Fame
- 2007 – 2019: Board of King Southern Bank
- 2007 – 2010: Vice-Chair GLI-TRC Campaign
- 2008 – 2012: GLI Public Policy Committee
- 2008 – 2012: Co-chair- 21st Century Parks
- 2008 – 2010: Individual Campaign Chair- Fund for the Arts
- 2011 – Chair – American Heart Assoc. Heart Walk
- 2011 – 2012 Campaign Chair for Fund for the Arts Campaign
- 2012 – Present: Exec committee – Fund for the Arts
- 2018: Chair of Leadership Luncheon For Scouting
AWARDS & RECOGNITION IN THE COMMUNITY
- 1991 + 2002: Finalist – Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of The Year
- 1994: GLI Metro Chamber of Commerce – Top Producer in Annual Membership Campaign
- 1996: GLI Metro Chamber of Commerce –Honored for Outstanding Community Service for making Showcase Greater Louisville the Nation’s Largest Tradeshow in its Inaugural Year.
- 2001: Family Place Gold Medal Recipient for Volunteerism
- University of Louisville – Induction in Parrish Circle
- 2003 – 2006 and 2012 – 2019: Business First Fast Fifty
- 2003: Salvation Army – Outstanding Service Award
- 2003: Leadership Louisville – Spirit of Yes Award
- 2005: Optimist Club – Citizen of the Year Award
- 2005: Republic Bank – We Care Award
- 2005: Business First – Finalist – Small Company Business Leader of the Year
- 2006: Louisville Magazine #33 of Top 50 Power People in Louisville
- 2007: Business First – Winner – Small Company Business Leader of the Year
- 2008: Catholic Education Foundation – Community Service Award
- 2008: GLI – Fleur De lis Award
- 2008: Public Relations Society of America, Bluegrass Chapter- Communicator of the Year
- 2008: GLI – 1st Place TRC Campaign- Top Team Over Goal – Elite Homes, Inc.
- 2010: Philanthropist of the Year by the Association of Fundraising Professionals Greater Louisville Chapter
- 2017: Millard Fuller Community Service Award