Editor's note: This column is reprinted from the February edition of Oklahoma Builder magazine
By Kurt W. Dinnes
NAHB State Representative
OSHBA Vice President/Treasurer
2014 was another good year for our industry with housing starts robust and builder confidence continuing to rise all across our nation. The good news is it looks like this trend should continue in 2015.
Kurt Dinnes
As I settle in to my new role as your NAHB State Representative and First Vice President and Treasurer, I realize that I will be writing articles and forwarding valuable information to you from both the NAHB and from our State Home Builders Association. I also, need to effectively communicate your successes, needs and concerns related to our industry back to our State Homebuilders Association and the NAHB. To serve you better, I hope to get to know as many of you, "The Members," and how your business is going across the state. So, please feel free to contact me by email, text or voice (that's the phone).
To help with this, I would like to take this opportunity to put the "person" with the "face and name" you see at the top of this report. I own and operate Sun Custom Homes, a small custom home building company in the Oklahoma City area. I am married to my best friend, Megan, and she a beautiful person, as well. I have two children, Alexa and Westin, and both are attending college. We also have a four legged family member named Aspen, named after the white snows of Aspen Colorado, and she is a West Highland Terrier, a dog that is, (but don't tell Aspen that). My son Westin, has shown an interest in the business in both design and project management. He is currently in his second year at the School of Architecture at the University of Oklahoma. This should settle the question, yes we are OU fans. Let me also say, this does not mean we do not like the other schools around the state, if you know what I mean!
We live in the Norman area and attend Journey Church. Although I am passionate about custom home building and design I do have a few other interests. I enjoy the outdoors, fishing, skiing and I am an avid cyclist. Megan and I love to travel both domestically and internationally when we can. I am often teased by some of my builder friends about the time we devote and places we travel. I believe this teasing is made possible only by social media - yes, Facebook. My lovely wife is compelled to post our travels. Social media is an absolutely valuable resource for your business, however it can be over-telling of your personal life when you try to get away for a little R&R without the ribbing.
Without boring you any further, I hope this helps you know me a little better and puts a person with the name and face. As I serve you and our State Home Builders Association I hope to get to know you better as well. With that being said, let's all commit to getting as much out of our membership in 2015 by participating and attending our OSHBA and NAHB events, but most importantly our local association meetings and events. Our local associations are truly the "grassroots" of our membership.
In serving and getting to know you better this year, remember our associations at all levels are effective because we care, participate and yes, RECRUIT. Collectively, our voice can be better heard as we work together to protect our industry and the American dream of home ownership.
