It didn’t take long in my year as your president to realize that this association is not about any one person. It became abundantly clear to me that my role as president was one of many required to successfully guide this complex, powerful industry team. If I were to thank each one of you individually, I would need a lot more space than this letter allows.
But I’m going to try.
And, I’m going to begin with the executive committee, whose support and leadership were invaluable throughout the year. When it became necessary to find a replacement for our Executive Director Daniel Davis, those experienced, wise individuals came together and put together a search committee. That group consisted of members of the executive committee as well as Greg Matovina, Richard Dostie and Curtis Hart. Together we all knew that we had to find an individual who could fill the shoes of Daniel and Arnold Tritt before him. No small task!
Greg Matovina assumed the responsibility of the day-to-day operation of the association during the search for a new executive director. Not content to just keep things running, Greg took a strong role in filling other key vacancies, namely a new director for Builders Care and a new apprenticeship director.
Corey Deal surfaced as the most qualified of the brightest and best candidates for the executive director position. Beyond the appeal of his past affiliation with NEFBA, Corey brought to the table his degree in law, private sector experience and a vision for the future. I know Corey is going to do an amazing job in his role in our association.
The entire NEFBA staff took this somewhat tumultuous year in stride. Thompy, Nellie, Jamie and Corey Hacker carried a heavy burden throughout the year, and more recently new hires Penelope, Palmer and Jessie have stepped up to the plate to take their place among champion performers.
The 1,000-plus members especially have my appreciation and gratitude for their patience during periods of transition, for their willingness to step up and do what was necessary to keep everything running smoothly, to go above and beyond the call of duty in the councils, the committees and special projects. Without you, none of this would have been possible.
To all of you, to each of you, thank you for seizing the opportunities to make this association shine. I’m so very proud to be part of our industry and partners with you in NEFBA. In good times and tough times, we have shown we are strong and resilient. I hope you are as proud as I am of what we’ve accomplished together this year.
With heartfelt thanks,
Dennis Ginder