The GTA Construction Report – April 2009 – PAGE A3
Barrie EO wins prestigious CHBA award
MATTHEW DESROSIERS – The GTA Construction Report Editor
submission to be too large.”
The amount of people
There are many people announced, it didn’t register who wanted to write letters
out there who work passion- right away she had won. She on Hissa’s behalf speaks
ately day after day, but didn’t even know she had volumes to the impact she
never receive a word of been nominated. has had on the home
thanks for the job they do. “There was my name on builders‘ community. Part of
Thankfully, that’s not the the screen, and my president that is due to the way she
case for one such person this (Lennon) was all excited,” treats her volunteers.
year. said Hissa. “It was awe- “From a volunteers point
Sheila Hissa, executive some. It was a shock, a of view, she really respects
officer for the Greater Bar- tremendous shock. It was so that she is the only em-
rie Home Builders’ ployee of the association, Associ- nice to know they thought
ation (GBHBA), was that much of me, that they and the rest of are just vol-
awarded the Dave Stupart would write (an applica- unteers,” said Lennon. “She
Award of Honour for Exec- tion).” doesn’t encumber us with
utive Officer of the Year Hissa is aware of the anything she can possibly
(full-time) by the Canadian amount of work it takes to take on herself.”
Home Builder’s And that’s why she puts Association put together an application
(CHBA) last month at their for the CHBA awards, as in 10, 12, and 14 hour days,
annual national conference. she puts together submis- she said. John Hrynkow (left), CHBA President, presents Sheila Hissa, executive officer for
And if you ask her presi- sions on behalf of her mem- But for Hissa, it’s all in a the GBHBA, with the Dave Stupart Award of Honour for Executive Officer of the
dent, Deirdre Lennon, the bers every year. days work. She does it be-
Year (full-time) and Glenn Gray, executive officer for the Grey-Bruce Home Builders'
award couldn’t have gone to In hindsight, she might cause it’s her passion.
Association with the Dave Stupart Award of Honour for Executive Officer of the
a more deserving invididual. have known they were up to “Honestly, I did my job,”
Year (part-time).
“(She’s) too good for something when Stewart she said. “There’s not an ex-
words,” Lennon said. “She’s began calling her for infor- ecutive officer who works
been with the GBHBA mation. across the country for whom
mostly for 20 years. She’s “They started it last Au- it’s a nine-to-five job. It just
always been the most eager, gust,” Hissa said. “As a mat- doesn’t exist. And when
get-it-done, get excited, ter of fact, they tried to call you’re working with volun-
make-it-happen person in my husband to get informa- teers, you need to make
the whole organization. In tion off my computer, but he yourself available when
addition to that, she does didn’t know how.” they’re available. I have
lots of personal volunteer Eager to get that infor- been extremely blessed by
stuff as well. She’s just a mation, Stewart called Hissa having an amazing group of
well-grounded, top-notch asking for the info for a ‘re- volunteers. If they think I
person who really lives port’ she was putting to- made them look good,
every minute of every day gether. they’ve made me look good,
for the builders’ associa- “It didn’t dawn on me that’s all I can say. They are
tion.” that they were putting their phenomenal.”
Lennon, along with En- case together for me.” While this award will
bridge representative and However, the pair didn’t likely hang in a place of ho-
GBHBA board member have to look too hard for nour in her office, there’s lit-
Dorothy Stewart, put to- material for the submission. tle doubt Hissa will continue
gether the application with- Lennon said they actually as if nothing has changed.
out Hissa’s knowledge. had to cut back. “All I can say is, it’s very
As this year’s chair of the “We got reference letters easy to love a job where
CHBA executive officer’s all the way up to the execu- everybody works together
council, Hissa was writing tive officer for the Ontario as a team. I feel very hon-
down the names of the Home Builders’ oured they would consider Association
award-winners during the (OHBA),” she said. “We submitting me for it. It just
presentation as a reminder could have kept on going, blew me away.”
to send them congratulatory but we had to stop ourselves
notices. When her name was because they didn’t want the
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