By Paul Mashburn
Florida Home Builders Association
Just like the U.S. Marines, the Florida Home Builders Association is looking for a few good men... and women, I might add.
This is the time of year when the Board of Governors of the Florida Housing Hall of Fame officially opens its nomination process.
Our goal is to identify individuals who are worthy to join the 47 members of the Hall who have made significant and lasting contributions to our industry.
Each of our local Home Builders Associations is provided with an official application package but any member can nominate someone for Hall of Fame consideration.
The guidelines for nominating someone are located on the official FHBA web site at www.fhba.com, along with the profiles of the men and women who have previously been inducted.
Last year, former Florida Governor and U.S. Senator Bob Graham of Miami and prominent land use attorney Bob Rhodes of Jacksonville became the most recent inductees.
Nominations are accepted in four categories: builder/developer, trades professionals and suppliers, government, and industry-allied professionals.
The application deadline for this year is March 15.
Each application is carefully reviewed by nine members of the Hall of Fame Board of Governors, each of whom is a member of the Hall of Fame.
This year, it’s my honor to serve as Chair of the Governors with FHBA Past Second Vice President Frank Copare of Orlando as my Vice Chair. The other seven Governors are FHBA Past Presidents John Koelemij, Roy Pence, Robert Harper, Sandy Miot and Lenny Miller, and Past Second Vice Presidents Al Singer and Rita Williams.
The applications are screened at the FHBA Spring Legislative Conference and a ballot is prepared. Governors vote independently by secret ballot, tabulated by FHBA’s CPA firm. Any nominee who receives six or more votes is elected to the Hall.
Inductees are announced at the FHBA Summer Builders Conference Board of Directors meeting, which will be held on Sunday, August 6, in Orlando, and the official induction ceremony is set for Saturday evening, October 14 at the Ritz-Carlton in Naples.
As Hall of Fame Chair, I strongly urge our local HBAs to take the lead in identifying worthy individuals for this unique industry honor.
Hall of Fame members come in all shapes and sizes, with widely varying backgrounds.
They include legendary builders like Arthur Rutenberg, community-shaping developers like Matt Jetton of Tampa, government officials like the now-deceased Tom David of the VA housing program, and even special contributors like real estate journalist Eli Adams Jr.
The keys are that each individual’s contribution is significant and lasting. Clearly, the Hall of Fame is made up of people who have truly made a difference.
If I can be of assistance to you in the nominating process, please do not hesitate to call me at 407-679-0053 or e-mail me at [email protected]. You may also contact our Hall of Fame staff liaison, Paul Thompson, at 800-261-9447 and [email protected].
We look forward to some excellent Hall of Fame nominees for 2006.
- Paul Mashburn is a Winter Park builder, Past President of the Florida Home Builders Association and Chairman of the Florida Housing Hall of Fame Board of Governors.