Page 12 - Builder Brief February 2024

EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT
INVESTING IN OUR FUTURE
At GSABA, we are always looking toward what lies ahead because what we do today sows the seeds of future success (or failure). GSABA is committed to providing a foundation for success for our members and the home building industry at large here in San Antonio and our 22-county region.
You should know that GSABA’s three National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) student chapters at St. Philips College, the University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA), and Warren High School’s Construction Career Academy are growing. Our student chapter members are enrolled in construction programs that have one-year, two-year, and four-year degrees. To support these students, we will host a Job Shadowing Program with our NAHB/GSABA Student Chapter members the week of March 11th through the15th. Wehad12membercompaniesparticipatelastyear,andweplanto expand this to 20 companies this year. Please call Connie Phillips, Director of Education and Workforce Development, who oversees the Student Chapters at 210-696-3800 or email her at CPhillips@sabuilders.com.
Educating and partnering with our elected officials is also an important endeavor that can make or break our ability to thrive in this industry. It’s important that we hear from and stay connected to policymakers at every level. That’s why our Professional Women in Building (PWB) is hosting a Legislative Luncheon, open to all GSABA members, that will take place in the GSABA Ballroom at 11:30 am on Wednesday, March 6th. We have a powerhouse lineup of women leaders, and I want to share a little bit more about our speakers:
Rep. Liz Campos co-owns a local family plumbing company, JArnold Services, and she manages it with her sister, Anna, and brother, Joe Campos. Several members of their extended family are master plumbers. Rep. Campos has been in the Texas House since 2021 and is a GSABA member. GSABA members recently hosted a fundraising luncheon for Rep. Campos, who has been a staunch supporter of the residential construction industry.
Rep. Josey Garcia is the only woman Veteran in the Texas House of Representatives. During the last legislative session, she was voted Freshman of the Year in 2023 by her peers. She served in Cameroon, Africa, and her last tour of duty was in Iraq, where she served in Operation Iraqi Freedom. Josey spent her early childhood in foster care and joined the Air Force right out of high school. She served for twenty years at Lackland Air Force Base until she retired in 2021.
City Councilwoman Dr. Sukh Kaur is an Educator and the first South Asian to serve on the San Antonio City Council. She is the CEO/Founder of EDreimagined, an organization that supports the launch of innovative school models that support teachers and leaders. The Councilwoman previously served as the Sr. Director of Seat Investments at City Education Partners, a local philanthropic non-profit serving students in underserved populations.
Trish DeBerry ran for Bexar County Judge, giving up her coveted spot as District 3 Commissioner. While she lost the race, she landed in the CEO role of Centro, a nonprofit working to get the City of San Antonio’s
KRISTI SUTTERFIELD
downtown area re-defined. Trish oversees our downtown revitalization, and she manages the Public Improvement District that includes economic development and homelessness services, to name a few, along with cultural and arts development.
Rep. Barbara Gervin-Hawkins co-founded the George Gervin Youth Center with her brother, George ‘Iceman’ Gervin, who is a member of the NBA Hall of Fame after he retired from the San Antonio Spurs. The school’s focus is on providing workforce development services to underprivileged youth. The program was so successful that the sister and brother team opened charter schools in the San Antonio area, and they boast an impressive 100 percent graduation rate.
The PWB Council will also host a Lunch & Learn with Dr. Debora Trimpe on Tuesday, February 6th. If you haven’t heard Deb speak, you will not want to miss her training session on Making Difficult Conversations Easy. There is a full course description available on our website!
We have a few other events coming up that you won’t want to miss. Please join us for the Million Dollar Circle Awards, hosted by our Sales & Marketing Council on Tuesday, February 13th, where we will honor the best of the best in the new home sales industry and mark your calendars for the Young Professionals Leadership Council’s Crawfish Boil on Friday, April 5th in the GSABA parking lot. Partnerships are available! You can make reservations online at www.sabuilders.com for all our upcoming events.
12 FEBRUARY 2024 | GREATER SAN ANTONIO BUILDERS ASSOCIATION