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Message from Our President

My year as President of GSABA is quickly coming to an end, and I am truly thankful for
the experience. The membership, GSABA Staff, and Past Presidents have offered me an
enormous amount of help and I can proudly say that the Association is headed in the right
direction. We have had a successful year and one of my favorite events is right around the
corner: GSABA’s annual Thanksgiving Military Appreciation Luncheon. This unique event
provides members an opportunity to give back to the young men and women who serve
this great country.
This annual event is hosted by GSABA’s Building Believers, the Association’s faith-
based committee where members meet to share in their faith and draw inspiration for
Wayne Moravits their personal and professional lives. Created in 1996, Building Believers hosts monthly
President guest speakers who touch on their own personal faith and how it helps them overcome
challenges. In 2006, Building Believers agreed to take on an idea that Wanda Herber
presented. She felt God whispered to her to encourage the group to provide a home-cooked Thanksgiving Luncheon for our
local troops in basic training and their first time away from home for the holidays. This luncheon started humbly, with 50
soldiers from Fort Sam Houston. The Association ballroom was decorated, food prepared and served. It was an overwhelming
success. The VFW Post #76 presented the flags and led the Pledge of Allegiance and National Anthem, and the Johnson High
School Choir welcomed the troops with holiday songs.
Every year, the Thanksgiving Military Appreciation Luncheon has continued to grow. GSABA now hosts nearly 200 recruits
from Lackland Air Force Base the Friday before Thanksgiving. The recruits, who are in basic training and hail from around the
country, are told that they are going to clean up an old warehouse. Instead, their buses bring them to GSABA for an afternoon of
fellowship and great food. The line of young men and women in uniforms and their smiling faces when they see home cooked
food is a sight to behold. Building Believers and GSABA members serve these brave men and women who are willing to put their
lives on the line for us!
The names of participants, volunteers, donors, and those who have made this event a success over the years are many. Some
have even been involved since the very first year- cooking and carving turkeys, and hams, setting tables, peeling 100 pounds of
potatoes for mashed potatoes, making the green bean casseroles, serving the drinks and plating the many desserts. We make
sure they all leave with an overfilled belly, small gifts, a warm heart and a big hug. If you wish to contribute financially or donate
food, or small gifts, contact Kristi or any member of the GSABA staff at 210-696-3800.
For 2017, Building Believers’ Chairman Bryan Lee shared that John Delvain Baines will be the Keynote Speaker. A Vietnam
veteran and real estate broker who has been involved with some of the more notable land transactions in San Antonio’s history.
Baines has become a vocal leader in the Vietnam Veteran Community. He served as a Navy Seabee, which is the naval fighting
construction unit that often builds structures and runways in hostile territory. He was a candidate for Assistant Secretary of the
Navy during the George H.W. Bush administration and CEO of a private air service company, Summa Aviation. John’s inspiring
story will set the tone for this year’s Thanksgiving Military Appreciation Luncheon. I want to personally thank Bryan Lee, the
Building Believers Committee and every member who works the luncheon and contributes to its success.

6 NOVEMBER 2017 | GREATER SAN ANTONIO BUILDERS ASSOCIATION