Page 10 - Builder Brief January 2025

2025 PRESIDENT
IF YOU THINK IT, BELIEVE IN IT, YOU CAN ACHIEVE IT
I am honored to be your 2025 President and I want to thank you for entrusting me to lead this association this year. I am deeply humbled by the footsteps that I follow. I want to take this opportunity to thank all of our GSABA Past Presidents and I will work hard to continue the work our past leaders started over 75 years ago.
Over the last thirty plus years, I have had a passion for the work of this association. I have worked to involve myself in GSABA, volunteer my time, and help lead events. I recognized the importance of GSABA and what it did for our industry. I saw the results first hand on dozens of occasions.
After years of volunteering as a committee member and later as a committee chair, I was asked to fill a board position for two years. After that term ended I ran for a full term and continued to serve as a director until 2020. In December of 2020, at the end of my last term, I was ready to wrap it up, and just remain involved as a member volunteer. That lasted one short year as I was recruited to run for the board again a year later, and oh well as they say the rest is history. The past three years I’ve had the pleasure of serving on the Executive Committee and serving as the chair of the membership committee. With the help of a wonderful membership director, Darlene Willis, the GSABA staff, a great Sr. Leadership Team and Membership Committee, we’ve been able to bring our membership ranks back to pre-covid numbers. So much so that we’ve been recognized over the last year, not only by the Texas Association of Builders (TAB), but also the National Association of Homebuilders (NAHB) for our increase in memberships. Both in total numbers and percentage increase. I want to thank Randy Oliver and his team at Hollywood Crawford Garage Doors & Openers for being our Presenting Membership Partner, your support has truly made a difference.
I am often asked when recruiting or discussing membership, why? Why should I be a member. My answer is quite simply, why not? Why would you not want to be a part of an organization whose sole purpose is to protect, advance and advocate for our industry. Why would you not want to be a part of an organization that is in City Halls, County Commissioner Courts, across our 22 county region fighting and working for you in Austin at the state capitol, and in D.C. on Capitol Hill. GSABA is a strong organization that develops education programs to increase and secure our labor force for the future.
Two of my priorities this year are to help develop young leaders through our Young Professionals Leadership Council, (YPLC) and Marketing and Sales Council (SMC). I want to invite you to join a council or committee! There are other ways you, as a member can get involved in the Texas Association of Builders (TAB) and National Association of Home Builders (NAHB).
Over the next year I hope to continue the work the previous leaders have started, find improvement if needed, and continue to grow GSABA’s membership. Wewillhaveanumberofchallengesinfrontofus. Thepolitical
JEFF KUWAMURA
climate that affects us is always shifting. We face rising costs in materials, and labor shortages. The pressure to continue to build attainable housing while being asked to required to build to costlier codes, will continue to be a challenge. This is when the impact of having a strong association will be most important. We will need a unified front and a strong voice to address these issues. As has been said many times in the last several years, we are not D’s or R’s, we are H’s, homebuilders, and we must continue to work closely together to address these issues. Iwouldliketokeepinvestinginnewleaders, through our YPLC, SMC, Professional Women in Building (PWB) and our Leadership Council. My goal is to continue to build stronger committees with committed chairs and raise the level of awareness of the work this Association does.
In closing I challenge the incoming 2025 Board of Director members and Committee Chairs and Co-Chairs to be active members. Together we must drive volunteerism and membership, and lead by example. Join me and be a part of something that makes a difference and that has a positive impact on our business and lives. Let’s all “Think of it, believe in it, and achieve it”.
Sincerely,
Jeff Kuwamura
10 JANUARY 2025 | GREATER SAN ANTONIO BUILDERS ASSOCIATION