by Michele Newbern Gillis
Staff Writer
If you’ve attended a SMC meeting since January, you’ve noticed a few subtle changes.
As the new chair of the Northeast Florida Builder’s Association’s Sales and Marketing Council, Mike Taylor, construction manager for Hines at Palencia, has implemented few changes to give recognition to those deserved and to get your blood pumping.
“An initiative that I wanted to bring back from the past is to promote awareness of awards,” he said. “Typically, we just read the list and I never could remember who won. So, we are trying to promote people on their contributions to the industry and give a little more recognition.”
He has formed a public relations program where he can get some public announcements and releases in different publications to promote the winners.
Also, when you enter the meeting, you can’t help but wake up a bit to the energetic music blasting through the speakers.
“Music will be continuing and it will be tied into the theme,” said Taylor. “The theme is ‘The Main Event’. It is the brand for the entire year. ‘You don’t want to miss the main event’.”
Taylor also eliminated the head table. It’s still there, but it is a round table among the guests allowing for a more intimate setting.
“It’s in front and that is where the guests will be,” he said. “That way the speakers can feel part of the group. And I just didn’t like to be facing people while I was eating. It just seemed a little antiquated. Sometimes we will have a head table, but it will depend on the program.”
His goals are to continue on the path of previous chairs with a focus on a few primary areas including education, charity, programs and membership.
“We want to offer the best classes in Northeast Florida,” he said. “Our charitable focus will be on SeaMark Ranch, daniel, Safe Harbor Boys Home and Builders Care.”
He is also working on organizing a combined breakfast meeting with the Northeast Florida Association of Realtors featuring a national speaker.
Speakers are always a challenge, especially at 7:30 a.m., but Taylor said they did a survey last year and feel they have a good handle on what the members want to see.
“We will have a lot of motivational and sales presentation type speakers,” he said. “A lot of people wanted motivational speakers.”
Taylor wanted to be chair to continue traditions, increase awareness of professionalism in the industry and have the local chapter recognized top SMC in the nation.
“I was encouraged by others to get more involved,” he said. “I just wanted to give back to the community, so that’s why I wanted to do it more than anything.”
Taylor worked his way through the chairs, took on committee level positions and did a lot of organizational type work for programs and such. By the time he was incoming chair, he pretty much knew what he was in store for.
“It became second nature,” he said. “I learned to plan early. You have to plan well in advance. As chair, your year is pretty much set the day you take over. You have to provide a lot of monthly and daily leadership, but overall the year is set a year in advance.”
Taylor said he has several special events that are still in the planning stages. One thing that is set is membership appreciation events.
“One thing we are going to do is to provide opportunities to give back to the membership through membership appreciation parties,” he said. “It’s mainly to create a networking environment. It will also increase the opportunity to get new members, but the primary purpose is to thank the members.”
Taylor has been the construction manager at Palencia for six and a half years and is in charge of all construction and development activity for Palencia.
“I’m involved in permitting of new neighborhoods,” he said. “I oversee all the construction of the neighborhoods and amenity centers until completion.”
Prior to Hines, Taylor worked for John Wieland Homes and Neighborhoods as a builder in Atlanta for seven years. During his tenure there, he moved to Jacksonville for a three years before being transferred back to Atlanta, so when he got the call from Hines, he knew the marketplace well.
He has been in real estate for over 20 years starting with his family’s business, Nu-Tech Builders, Inc. a custom homebuilder. He worked with them for three years before joining Rubloff Inc., where he sold commercial real estate for three years before joining John Wieland Homes.
“It’s basically like coming full circle,” he said. “This position has brought all of the aspects of development all together.”