NEFBA has had much success in mustering its forces to boost membership numbers. It was the first local homebuilders association to reach more than 3,000 members.
Past President Dick Baker (1993), then-President Glen Reynolds (1994), past President H.R. “Buddy” James (1987) and Nick Prince made the most of this significant achievement.
Membership drives typically hinge on a challenge between teams. Past president Joe Pepe (1984) lost the challenge in 1991 to then-President Walter Williams. The loser (Pepe) was required to take the winner on a wheelbarrow ride around Hemming Plaza.
The competition is most effective when it causes considerable embarrassment to the loser. Former Executive Director Daniel Davis risked his hair for a membership drive in 2012, challenging teams to enroll a seemingly unattainable goal. It was one contest Davis was happy to lose.
Doug Wenzel, Bonded Builders, has been a member for nearly 30 years, and has earned the nickname, “Membership Guru.” Having sponsored more than 1,000 new members and the title Grand Spike, Wenzel is a frequent speaker on the subject of membership.
“I speak at a lot of new-member orientations,” he said, “and I tell people right up front, ‘If you joined just to get business, you joined for the wrong reason’. The person responsible for getting new business is the person you see in the mirror each morning. New members have to make a long-term commitment to the association, and they earn respect and business over time. It’s not immediate gratification. It’s all about dedication to the industry.”