Page 8 - Builder Brief January 2022 Issue

2021 PRESIDENT
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
I want to thank you for the opportunity to serve as the 2022 Greater San Antonio Builders Association’s (GSABA) President. We have had many great presidents that have come before me, and I am humbled to have the honor of being your president this year.
I would like to thank my wife Molly and my children, Emma and Aidan, for supporting me throughout the years. I got involved with the Association a little over eleven years ago and immediately fell in love with the culture of GSABA. I learned that our members are so much more than a ‘Builders Association’. We are community within a community, and we have grown and prospered together over the years.
The skilled labor shortage is one of the biggest issues facing our industry. Your leadership team has a solid plan in place, and we will be kicking off a newGSABA‘JobNetwork’inthefirstquarterof2022whereyoucanpost all positions available within your company on our website (the design for this new portal is currently underway).
We will also partner with the City of San Antonio’s workforce development training programs along with including (and recruiting) members of our Student Chapters at University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) and St. Philips College to bring you qualified candidates. One of the top priorities will be to team up with Veteran’s organizations like We Hire Heroes and the Texas Veteran Commission to post your positions in order to recruit qualified candidates within those organization too.
Stay tuned for more information on the Job Fair GSABA will host in the second quarter of 2022. Reach out to Haley King at GSABA if you are interested in having a booth at the Job Fair. The event will be held in the Ballroom at the Association offices. Our goal is to have a job shadowing program in place for the summer months; details to follow in an upcoming issue of Builder Brief.
We will be forming GSABA’s first Professional Women in Building (PWB) Chapter in the next few months and we hope to partner with other women’s organizations such as the National Association of Women Business Owners. The Texas Association of Builders (TAB) started a statewide PWB chapter this past Fall under the leadership of Susan Wright, the 2021 TAB President. The Houston Builders Association just kicked of their new PWB chapter in December with over 100 women joining the new chapter at their first meeting!
Government Affairs and Advocacy will remain at the top of our priority list, and we will continue to champion critical issues in the regulatory and legislative arenas. If you have any issues in any of the municipalities or counties that you build or remodel in, call Kristi Sutterfield at GSABA. We have a very strong Government Affairs team with several City Teams in place.
Membership, education, and training will continue to be top priorities this year. Staff is currently working to form the 2022 Membership Committee now. If you would like to serve on either the Membership or Education Committees, please reach out to Haley. We need you!
We have several great events planned for you in January and February. On Thursday, January 20th, we will host the 2022 Housing Forecast at
MIKE SOWRY
the JW Marriott Hotel. As you may know, our long-time housing forecast keynote speaker and expert, Jack Inselmann of Zonda, formerly known as Metrostudy, retired at the end of 2021. We are so grateful for Jack’s leadership the past 35 years! Our Keynote Speaker for 2022 will be Lawrence Dean, Zonda’s senior vice president for Texas. Lawrence has some big shoes to fill, but Jack has given him a glowing recommendation, so you won’t want to miss this year’s Housing Forecast as you plan your strategy and sales goals for 2022. The Housing Forecast will kick off at 8:00am with a heartybreakfast. Youcanmakeyourreservations online now at www.sabuilders.com.
And you won’t want to miss GSABA’s second annual BBQ Cook-Off & Washer Tournament. This 2-day family-friendly event on January 21st and 22nd is both a great team-building and networking event. There’s still time to sign up for a BBQ Team, Washer Team or even a partnership to promote your company. Attendee wristbands are also on sale for just $10 each. Contact Haley King at the Association for details or sign up online at www. sabuilders.com.
Thank you again for the opportunity to serve as your 2022 President, we are looking forward to an amazing year
Sincerely,
8 JANUARY 2022 | GREATER SAN ANTONIO BUILDERS ASSOCIATION