were very receptive to this venue. The builders also felt this was a great way to visit with new vendors and to keep up with what’s happening in the marketplace.
Custom Builders Council Volume Builders Top Golf Speed Selling Event
Builder attendance has continued to increase at the Custom Builders Council monthly meetings, with 30% builder attendance in January, 36% in February, and 25% in March (Spring Break).
of builders in this spirited battle, with 75 people in attendance.
Experienced associates discussed how their involvement has improved their busi- nesses, and how you can get similar stellar results from your GHBA membership at the February “Getting Plugged In” luncheon.
Scott Steiner shared with fellow associates the art of “TechSmart Selling.” Attendees came away with tips and tricks to engage, inspire and sell more in 2014.
The Associate Council hosted two major events in the first quarter. Sixteen teams and 360 attendees headed out to Tri-Tech Surveying for the Annual Chili Cookoff. The Spring Golf Tournament was also a big hit, with 121 players at Quail Valley Golf Course.
Bay Area Builders Assn
After a hiatus in January, the Bay Area Builders Association reconvened in February to discuss “General Liability Insurance Issues Affecting Builders,” pre- sented by attorney Dale Mellencamp.
In March, Craig Roll, president of Coastal Building Inspections, entertained a crowd of 95, offering an important update on Texas Windstorm Construction.
Volume Builders Committee
The Volume Builders Committee held its first meeting in February. The topic was “Tapping into the Hispanic Market” presented by Chelo Johnson of Zonal Residential TV. She gave some startling statistics on the Hispanic consumer and how this will affect the housing industry.
The Volume Builders also held an inaugural Speed Selling event at TopGolf. More than 40 builders were in attendance. The associates who participated were very complimentary, and noted that the event was a huge success and that the builders
CBC meeting topics continue to provide pertinent information to both the builders and associate members. In January, the attorneys who presented the contract seminars at the EXPO returned for a lengthy discussion on Trust Accounts. In February the ever popular Founders Panel featuring Doyle Stuckey and Larry Skelton gave testimonials on how the market has changed over the last few decades. March was a great presentation on building materials and how the market affects the rise and fall of supply and pricing.
; Education
In the first quarter, GHBA held five NAHB designation classes. The first was the Estimating course with 38 people in attendance.
Seven people took the BAR exam and three took the PREP exam, beginning their journey towards the CGB and CGR designations.
GHBA also offered five of the new “ABCs of Home Building” seminar se- ries. Also offered this quarter were the Residential Foundations Soils and Materials Testing Seminar and the OSHA 10-Hour Certification Course.
A total of 197 people attended GHBA classes in the first quarter.
; HOME-PAC
On January 29, PAC Trustees voted on HOME-PAC by-law changes and inter- viewed the following candidates: Paul Bettencourt and James Wilson, who com- peted in the Senate District 7 primary, as well as Bruce Tough, who ran in the House District 15 primary. Ultimately, HOME-PAC Trustees voted to remain neutral in the Senate District 7 race and to endorse Bruce Tough in his race. Unfortunately, Mr. Tough lost in the primary.
; Government Affairs
In February, members of the In-Town Builders Taskforce (a subcommittee of the Government Affairs Committee) met with Mayor Parker and the City of Houston Director of Public Works in order to discuss GHBA’s recommended changes to Stormwater Detention Chapters of the Infrastructure Design Manual.
On March 12, the Government Affairs Committee held a meeting to discuss Chapter 9 & 13, the status of immigration reform, tax reform and reform of the Flood Insurance Program.
Also, in March, members of the Government Affairs Committee participated in the NAHB’s “Bringing Housing Home” and met with Congressmen Kevin Brady and Randy Weber. GHBA members discussed the importance of immigration reform as well as reforming the Biggert-Waters Act with both Congressmen.
Codes & Standards
On January 9, the Codes and Standards Committee held its first meeting of the year. The meeting focused on a review of the 2012 IRC and IECC, Houston area code changes and the 14th Annual Houston Building Professional Institute meeting scheduled for the following month. The Codes and Standards Committee members also voted to meet quarterly in 2014.
Developers Council
In January, the Developers Council hosted the Manager of Delivery and Customer Service Support for the Houston District of the U.S. Postal Service. The USPS repre- sentatives provided a presentation on the installation of cluster mailboxes.
During the February meeting, Fort Bend County Engineer Richard Stollies provided an update to the Developers Council on the state of Fort Bend County, upcoming infrastructure projects and potential code changes.
On March 5, the Developers Council hosted Waller County Judge Glenn Beckendorff and Richard Fields with Aguirre & Fields who gave a presentation on the 36A Coalition, an advocacy group responsible for promoting public and private invest- ment in a transportation corridor from the Freeport area, to western Fort Bend and Waller Counties.
GREATER HOUSTON BUILDERS ASSOCIATION – BUILDING A BETTER FUTURE | HOUSTON BUILDER | MAY 2014 27
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