Ara K. Hovnanian is President and Chief Executive Officer of Hovnanian Enterprises, Inc. Mr. Hovnanian joined the Company in 1979 following completion of his joint undergraduate and graduate work at The Wharton School in Philadelphia. He graduated summa cum laude with degrees in accounting, finance and real estate. Mr. Hovnanian serves as a member of the Advisory Council of PNC Bank and spends a significant amount of time working with several charitable organizations. He served on New Jersey's Council on Affordable Housing for Gov. Thomas Kean in 1985 and for Gov. James J. Florio in 1990. Gov. Christie Todd Whitman appointed him as a member of the Governor's Economic Master Plan Commission in 1994.