Jeff Click, President OSHBA
I hope this update finds you off to a great start to both the week and to the month of August. It's hard to believe that Summer is on the downhill slide and the "Back To School" sale ads are in full swing.
July brought perhaps one of the busiest months yet this year for OSHBA. Our annual State Convention took place July 18-20 at the amazing Gaylord Texan in Grapevine. I want to thank the nearly-100 members who attended, most of whom brought spouses and family members to enjoy some fun while the rest of us were hard at work in committee meetings and taking continuing ed for our Certified Professional Builder designation. Thanks to the hard work the Associates Council, led by Jan Conway, our table top and auction night were a huge success. Associates Council raised over $5,000 from the auction.
That same night, we also raised over $8,000 for NAHB BuildPAC. This is not insignificant. Through the willingness of so many members to either become new BuildPAC contributors, or to take the next step up in their giving, we were able to max out our 2-year election cycle goal of around $45,000. We did it in less than a year, and about 35% the time allotted by NAHB to raise the money! This tells me that our membership is quickly gaining insight into the importance of our advocacy and lobbying efforts at the State and National level. Now that we've met our goal, 50 of every 1$ raised will come back to the OSHBA BuildPAC fund for use in state races and other important lobbying efforts that protect and support our industry. If you're not yet contributing to BuildPAC, it is the single best way you can take the next step in protecting your business' interests. If you'd like more information about how you can contribute as little as $20 to become a BuildPAC supporter, simply reply to this message and I'll see to it you get the information you're after.
Now that we have the State Convention behind us, we are focusing on 3 key initiatives at OSHBA. The most immediate initiative is our state-wide focus survey that went out to nearly 5,000 industry professionals throughout the state seeking feedback about how OSHBA and our Locals are (or aren't) meeting the needs of members, and what we can do better to create more value in membership, which is the lifeblood of our association. You may have received a request to participate in the survey, which ran through last week. Our surveying specialist is tabulating the results and presenting us with a report later this week. We're anxious to see what we can learn from this survey to aid in our membership recruitment and retention efforts all the way down to the local level.
The information from this survey will also serve as a catalyst for where our organization will place it's focus over the next decade, as in 2 weeks, leadership will be taking a 1-day retreat to review and amend our Strategic Plan with NAHB staff. I'm excited and encouraged by the passion that our other officers, Todd Booze and Phil Rhees, have shown towards this process and how they plan to utilize it. I'm confident the outcome of this Strategic Plan review will play a pivotal role in the years to come as to how our organization meets your needs and serves our industry.
Lastly, we're just over a month away from our OK Building Summit, OSHBA's premiere training event. It will be Sept. 18 at Reed Conference Center in Midwest City. The Oklahoma Building Summit 2013 will address the needs and concerns of our members. Your survey feedback last year told us training on new state codes is your primary need. We developed the tracks around those codes and how they can impact your business:
Structural Framing Walls & Roofs
Foundations, Soils and Concrete
Energy Efficiency, HVAC & Insulation
Legal: Torts & Warranty
Make plans now to attend the Oklahoma Building Summit 2013. Join with other state building professionals. Visit exhibits, see and hear about the latest industry developments, and learn how your business can become code compliant and stop rejections! Complete information and registration is available at http://www.OKBuildingSummit.com.
Until next month, stay cool and well hydrated...out there is heat!
Serving you with my best effort,
Jeff Click
