It is hard to believe that half of my year serving you as NEFBA president has passed.
I want to take this time to reflect on the achievements that you, our members, have enabled us to accomplish in the first half of 2015 and look forward to what is coming up the next six months.
I am so humbled by the opportunity to serve each of you and so grateful for the commitment you all have to our industry and our association.
Since the installation breakfast in January, this year has been flying by as fast as any I can remember.
The NEFBA calendar can tend to speed up life due to the variety of networking and educational opportunities that are offered from week to week.
In February, the Apprenticeship Program kicked off the year by hosting a sporting clay tournament that sold out with several of our members enjoying a beautiful day of shooting and fellowship.
The Nassau Builders Council hosted over 70 folks at Sliders on the beach where we learned all about the development that is coming to that area. That was followed up with a very successful charity sporting clay tournament of their own, which drew a record number of shooters.
The Remodelers Council and NEFBA partnered to host the Spring Fling Golf Tournament, which had a record 37 teams participating.
St. Johns Builders Council hosted a fishing tournament in which they were able to double the goals set regarding participation.
The NEFBA Young Professionals Group has also hosted two very successful socials where more than 100 members turned out each time.
All in all, to date it has been a great year for events at NEFBA because of members like you taking advantage of the many networking opportunities that are provided week in and week out.
Other areas of great success this year have been membership growth, political action committee victories, great participation in the legislative process and an awesome Parade of Homes.
You all were able to recruit over 100 members during the membership drive.
While the membership drive was going on, 21 of NEFBA’s 23 endorsed candidates for Jacksonville offices were successful and took office July 1. This was the result of the hard work and continued participation of both the membership and the staff at NEFBA in the political process, which has a direct result on our industry’s success in the legislative process.
NEFBA members were able to participate in that process when we traveled to Tallahassee during the session and met with members of the Northeast Florida delegation to share our issues and concerns.
Speaking of the legislative process, due to the perseverance of both NEFBA members and staff and the staff and volunteers of the Florida Home Builders Association, a few of the major issues our membership had with the fifth edition of the Florida Building Code (which took effect July 1) were delayed for one year.
Those issues ranged from mandatory blower door testing for all residential units to new rules impacting whole-house ventilation system requirements.
For more information on this please reach out to your staff at NEFBA.
The bottom line is that the above is just a glimpse of all that goes on at our great association.
Looking toward the second half of 2015, we are auditing our members for Pinnacle Builder status this summer to see who qualifies for the trip in September.
We then have Meet-the-Builder on Sept. 10, the Beast Feast is coming up Oct. 1, the NEFBA Gala is Nov. 13 and we will finish out the year with several holiday parties and the Chester Stokes Golf Tournament at Marsh Landing in December.
I am excited to put our foot on the gas and finish the second half of the year even better than we started this first six months.
Thank you to all of our members for making all of this possible.
Sincerely,
Rick A. Morales
President, Morales
Construction Co.