The 2011 NAHB Associate Members Committee-Final Report
Submitted by Michael Kurpiel, CGA, CGP
2011 NAHB Associate Members Committee Chairman
The year 2011 was exceptionally tough on the housing industry. The professionals, both builder and associate members, within housing have persevered and are continuing their volunteerism within NAHB.
Our 2011 Associate Members Committee has been exceptional and all have contributed at high levels in the pursuit of excellence for our members. The 2011 committee year, which concludes at the close of IBS 2012, has produced achievements in which each committee member can proudly state in conversation:
1. The BUILD-PAC Associate Chairman position, created in 2011, places an associate as an officer for the first time within NAHB, at the national PAC level, and was the first accomplishment for the 2011 team.
2. The changing of The Associate Advisory Council from a discussion group to an associate outreach/mobilization tool. The change came with a new name; “The Associate Outreach Network.” The Network, which still gathers in person three times a year to discuss issues, ideas and advancements back at the local level, now reaches the 50 states as well as Puerto Rico. This helps NAHB deliver its “message” to its members that it may not reach otherwise and members back home, who cannot make NAHB meetings in person, now can participate in this communication effort and truly make this a “two way street” where we deliver NAHB to local HBAs and local HBAs can bring back suggestion and questions to our committee. Outreach doesn’t stop here as this past year we experimented with social media and through “trial & error” we have found a vibrant vehicle in LinkedIn for a complete conversation platform sans “commercials.”. While Facebook may still be a potential source, the NAHB Associates LinkedIn group is where the conversations have prospered and we have increased group members to over 1200.
3. The Associate Members Committee became the first committee at NAHB to “televise” its actual meeting. The utilization of an associate driven, live streaming website, and our success in bringing our meeting to members back home has given NAHB the necessary potential for having this done by NAHB itself and our committee meeting will be webcast to the Federation during IBS. The Associate Members Committee meeting has been selected to be a test pilot for a program that will change how we interact at the National volunteer level.
4. A true leadership training workshop designed to help the associate member (can be modified to make it both builder and associate) understand the path of leadership. This is a power point that is created by actual association members so the information is “hands on” accurate and explores the local and state HBA leadership process.
5. BUILD-PAC Peer to Peer training workshop designed to help associates understand the synergies needed for successful PAC fundraising. While it is created for BUILD-PAC, locals and state HBAs can modify to reflect individual state and local PACs.
6. The B.E.A.M. Award. This first year award, which will be given at the 2012 IBS Associate Breakfast, is designed to acknowledge Builders Engaging Associate Members. It is the associates way of acknowledging the efforts of those builders who believe in the mantra “It’s good business to do business with a member.” We had an incredible turn out in application for the first effort and look forward to this becoming a very prestigious award.
7. An ongoing and aggressive BUILD-PAC campaign to reach out to associates across the Federation and invest the political process as well as becoming engaged in the grassroots efforts of calls to action. The Associate Outreach Network will play a monumental role in increasing NAHB initiatives/BUILD-PAC awareness which, if the BUILD-PAC training power point does its job, will help NAHB level associates teach the value of PAC investment. Associates have increasingly become more engaged in the overall legislative efforts of our Federation due to increased outreach and conversation.
8. The committee was the first NAHB committee to utilize NAHB’s webinar format to continue meeting outside the three standing meetings so that virtual discussions could take place amongst the standing committee and/or the subcommittee chairs. This help to foster better communications on all efforts of the subcommittee as well as discuss “time sensitive” initiatives that would lose relevance through email.
9. Creation of The Chairman’s Award which will be given to the associate, non-committee member included, based on individual actions that help the committee and its chair throughout the course of the committee year. Not everyone can be the “associate of the year” but certainly every associate that participates at the national level can hopefully rise and excel.
10. The 2011 committee, at each of the three in-person meetings, delivered guest speakers for the committee and the members who sat around the perimeter. Each speaker was NAHB staff members who gave updates and guidance to our committee and help to bring NAHB efforts back home to the local level.
6. The B.E.A.M. Award. This first year award, which will be given at the 2012 IBS Associate Breakfast, is designed to acknowledge Builders Engaging Associate Members. It is the associates way of acknowledging the efforts of those builders who believe in the mantra “It’s good business to do business with a member.” We had an incredible turn out in application for the first effort and look forward to this becoming a very prestigious award.
7. An ongoing and aggressive BUILD-PAC campaign to reach out to associates across the Federation and invest the political process as well as becoming engaged in the grassroots efforts of calls to action. The Associate Outreach Network will play a monumental role in increasing NAHB initiatives/BUILD-PAC awareness which, if the BUILD-PAC training power point does its job, will help NAHB level associates teach the value of PAC investment. Associates have increasingly become more engaged in the overall legislative efforts of our Federation due to increased outreach and conversation.
8. The committee was the first NAHB committee to utilize NAHB’s webinar format to continue meeting outside the three standing meetings so that virtual discussions could take place amongst the standing committee and/or the subcommittee chairs. This help to foster better communications on all efforts of the subcommittee as well as discuss “time sensitive” initiatives that would lose relevance through email.
9. Creation of The Chairman’s Award which will be given to the associate, non-committee member included, based on individual actions that help the committee and its chair throughout the course of the committee year. Not everyone can be the “associate of the year” but certainly every associate that participates at the national level can hopefully rise and excel.
10. The 2011 committee, at each of the three in-person meetings, delivered guest speakers for the committee and the members who sat around the perimeter. Each speaker was NAHB staff members who gave updates and guidance to our committee and help to bring NAHB efforts back home to the local level.
11. To finish the highlights of our 2011 committee year, I will use the phrase “if it affects a builder it will affect associates.” Every year the associates designate a particular goal, a certain theme. The 2011 team embraced the above phrase because it truly depicts the need for builders and associates to work together, to help each other, and advance the initiatives of NAHB. The compliments I personally received regarding the associates who have brought passion to the national advocacy efforts this year has been amazing. Associates can’t sell product or service unless the builders and remodelers are building so it is in the best interest of associates to take part in their own destiny. 2011 will be looked at as the year the associates became fully aware of the absolute need for supporting NAHB’s number core reason for being; advocacy.
The 2011 NAHB Associate Leadership team has been second to none and I would like to acknowledge each;
ü Ann Garvey, CGA, CSP, CAPS, Michigan ~ National Associate Chairman and the “voice of associates” at the national leadership level.
ü Monica Sommerfeldt Lewis, CAPS, CGA, Wisconsin ~ BUILD-PAC Associate Chairman. Monica also served as the 2011 committee’s Associate Advocacy subcommittee chair.
ü Dianne Beaton, CGA, CAPS, New Hampshire ~ Associate Members Committee vice chairman and chair of the Leadership & Recognition subcommittee
ü John Sizemore, CGP, CAPS, Kentucky ~ Associate Members Committee 2nd vice chairman
ü Sean Olin, CGA, CGP, CSP, New Jersey ~ Associate Outreach Network chairman
ü Kim Heffner, South Dakota ~ Strategic Plan Moderator
ü Michael LeCorgne, CGA, CGP, CAPS, Louisiana ~ Designations & Training subcommittee chairman
ü Julie Rawlings Hoppe, Nebraska ~ Committee Advisor
