By Paul Thompson, Florida Home Builders Association, Reprinted with permission from Florida Home Builder, the official publication of the Florida Home Builders Association.
When Ron Lieberman left Atlanta, he settled his family and his business in Lecanto and embarked on a successful career in home building and land development.
His Florida contractor's license number (3321) obtained in December 1972 is an indication of the length of his home building experience.
While he always kept a clear focus on his business, he considered his Home Builders Association involvement a key to his success. He served twice as the Citrus County Builders Association's President and was its Builder of the Year twice.
With his leadership skills on display, he was a natural pick by local elected officials to lead the Citrus County Affordable Housing Authority for seven years and to be appointed to the Advisory Committee of the Tampa Bay Regional Transportation Authority, which he chaired for three years.
In reality, he became the "face" of the home building industry in Citrus County and expanded that sphere of influence to state leaders, including Gov. Rick Scott, who Lieberman (and current FHBA President Suzanne Graham) met with personally in August.
"I like what the governor is doing in economic development," said Lieberman. "For him, it's all about jobs. And for me, it's all about construction jobs ... jobs for our people. I'm going to tell anyone who will listen that housing remains the key to a robust economic recovery in Florida."
Lieberman has already taken that message to Enterprise Florida, the economic development arm of the state and plans to stay involved in their work.
"We need a seat at the table when it comes to attracting new businesses to Florida," said Lieberman. "Companies are interested in the construction costs involved in creating their facilities as well housing ... where will their workers live? We can provide solutions for both those challenges."
He'll also be looking for a solution to the affordable housing challenge in Florida. With the Legislature "sweeping" the Sadowski Affordable Housing Act funds for the last four years, some feel it's time for the Legislature to either fund affordable housing or stop collecting the doc stamp allocation that was created for that purpose.
"I'm an affordable housing guy," says Lieberman. "I know how it works at the state and local level. I hope we can convince our legislators that just because we may have had, at one point in time, a bloated inventory of homes, that doesn't mean you can ignore the ongoing challenge of helping low-to-moderate income families buy a home."
In addition to his experience and knowledge, Lieberman will bring a warm, family feeling to FHBA and its members. He and Ginger consider it pure joy to be raising their 7-year-old daughter Meredith and every Wednesday, Ron plays golf with his 88-year-old father Larry. "It's not about the golf; it's a special time to be with Dad," says Lieberman.
Lieberman relishes his face-to-face interaction with members. When Graham tasked her Senior Officer team to "contact" the local HBA presidents and executive officers assigned to them, Lieberman eschewed the phone and e-mail and arranged for personal visits.
"We loved having him at our board meeting," said Tampa Bay BA EO Jennifer Doerfel. "He came with a wealth of knowledge but he also wanted to listen to our concerns. And he did it with great sincerity and sensitivity ... and then he followed up."
Connecting with members is one of Lieberman's endearing traits. "We're all survivors," said Lieberman. "We're part of a cyclical industry. There will be peaks and valleys. But it's how you deal with the valleys that really tests your character and shapes your destiny."
It would not be a stretch to say that being FHBA President is Lieberman's destiny. He's waited patiently for his year as the home-building industry's No. 1 leader ... learning, preparing, networking ... and now there is no doubt, he's ready to make a difference.
Paul M. Thompson, CAE, MIRM, is the CEO/executive vice president of the Florida Home Builders Association.