by ShoesOptional | Oct 22, 2015 | Uncategorized
Below you will find the 10/22/2015 blog post from Association Maximization with Jerry Howard as the guest blogger. Read on to see what he has to say about NAHB’s year as we get closer to the end of 2015.
Today’s guest blogger is my dear friend Jerry Howard, Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Jerry has over 25 years of association experience and a lifetime in the housing industry. Jerry began his association career at the National Association of Realtors, where he served as a Legislative Analyst for tax issues. Prior to joining NAHB, Jerry served as the Chief Lobbyist for the National Council of State Housing Agencies where he was instrumental in the development of the low-income housing tax credit as part of the Tax Reform Act of 1986. Jerry came to NAHB as tax counsel in 1988 and served in a variety of roles, including Chief Lobbyist. Jerry was promoted to Executive Vice President & Chief Executive Officer in February 2001. Before embarking on his association career, Jerry practiced real estate law in his home state of South Carolina. His exposure to the housing industry has literally encompassed a lifetime; Jerry grew up working in a variety of roles for his father, a developer. Jerry earned a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Vermont and received his Juris Doctorate from the University of South Carolina. He, his wife Christina and their children Eirann, Meaghan and Sean live in Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C.
NAHB at the Three Quarter Mark of 2015
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| Jerry Howard, NAHB CEO |
NAHB has been busy this year fighting for housing on major policy issues, providing excellent educational programming, and creating outstanding networking opportunities for members. The proof of our success is in the numbers. Through the first eight months of 2015, just a handful of NAHB’s many advocacy efforts saved association members a total of almost $720 million nationwide.
Stronger Market, Improving Membership
Even as NAHB is working hard on behalf of members, our economists are giving us good news about the state of the housing market. Chief Economist David Crowe and his staff are projecting roughly 1.1 million housing starts this year, almost 1.3 million in 2016 and roughly 1.5 million starts in 2017.
After several very tough years, membership numbers have stabilized and there are signs that soon we may be enjoying real growth. This last spring we had one of our most successful membership drives in years, with locals bringing in more than 3,600 new members. We’ll be wrapping up the fall drive at the end of October, and we have almost 70 percent of local associations participating. That is a 6 percent increase over the HBA participation rate last fall.
Design and Construction Week
NAHB is also deep into planning for the 2016 International Builders’ Show. For the third year in a row, NAHB is partnering with the National Kitchen and Bath Association and their Kitchen & Bath Industry Show (KBIS) to produce Design and Construction Week.
Along with IBS and KBIS, this year’s Design and Construction Week will include two more industry tradeshows. The International Window Coverings Expo will join us once again in the Las Vegas Convention Center. The International Surface Event, which combines all types of flooring and tile, will co-date with us and will be held at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center.
For three days in January, Design and Construction Week will be the center of the home building universe. And with acres of product exhibits, cutting-edge education, and countless networking events, NAHB’s Builders’ Show provides unparalleled opportunities for anyone working in the housing industry.
There is simply no better place to take the pulse of the housing market and learn everything you need to know to set your business on a course for success. I encourage any NAHB member who has not already registered to go to
www.buildersshow.com.
Fighting for the Housing IndustryNAHB has been on the forefront of fighting the “waters of the U.S.” (WOTUS) rule issued by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Army Corps of Engineers ever since the proposal was first introduced. We have taken action on the legal, legislative and regulatory fronts to put a stop to this ill-advised rule.
NAHB is fighting several burdensome labor issues, includingthe Department of Labor’s (DOL) draft regulation on overtime, the DOL’s emphasis on classification of independent contractors, and the National Labor Relations Board’s decision in Browning Ferris Industries, which expands the “joint employer” definition.
In a victory for single-family home builders, the Occupational Health and Safety Administration (OSHA) announced Oct. 2 its decision to delay enforcement of the new Confined Spaces in Construction Standard until Jan. 8, 2016.
The Army Corps of Engineers made significant changes to its new flood plain standards based on comments provided by NAHB. The Corps will not apply the floodplain requirements to Clean Water Act wetland permits. Similarly, FEMA will not apply the requirements to the National Flood Insurance Program, and HUD has indicated that the standard will not apply to FHA insurance of single-family mortgages.
NAHB is very involved in the ongoing effort to keep codes sensible and cost-effective. Earlier this month, NAHB 1st Vice Chairman Ed Brady spoke to the International Code Council during their meetings in Long Beach, California about the importance of cost-effective building code changes.
This has always been the theme of NAHB’s advocacy: Code change proposals that attempt to make homes safer and more energy efficient need to be balanced with what families can actually afford – so we have buyers for these homes. And while proposals that would have limited a lot of flexibility in our construction practices were soundly defeated when code officials voted in Long Beach, advocates who have their own profits in mind are likely to try to influence the final outcome when these proposals are opened to online voting later this month. Be on the lookout for the NAHB Voting Guide and be ready to share it with the building code officials in your city so they support only those code change proposals that are necessary and will result in building sustainable homes that are also safe and affordable.
Learn More about how NAHB Can Serve You
These are just a few highlights of the many ways NAHB is working for members. I could go on about NAHB’s educational offerings, leadership from NAHB councils, designation programs that help members set themselves apart, and Member Advantage programs that save members millions of dollars each year. But the easiest way to learn about all these services, and much more, is to visit www.valueofnahb.org.
Regards,
Jerry
by Michael Dey | Jan 23, 2015 | Uncategorized
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| Tom Woods |
Members of NAHB elected four Senior Officers to top leadership positions within the federation during the association’s International Builders’ Show in Las Vegas.
With more than 800 affiliated state and local home builders associations and more than 140,000 members across the country, NAHB represents the interests of the nation’s housing professionals through advocacy, education and research.
Taking the helm as NAHB’s Chairman of the Board this year is Tom Woods, a Missouri builder with more than 40 years of experience in the housing industry. Woods is president of Woods Custom Homes. He has developed scores of communities and more than 1,000 homes in the Greater Kansas City area.
“To keep housing and the economy on an upward trajectory, this year NAHB will urge the White House and the Republican-controlled Congress to work together in a bipartisan spirit to advance comprehensive housing finance reform and immigration reform, along with other policies that promote homeownership, rental housing opportunities and job growth,” said Woods.
Also moving up on the association’s leadership ladder during NAHB’s Las Vegas board meeting was Ed Brady, a Bloomington, Ill.-based home builder. He was elected as the 2015 First Vice Chairman of the Board. Brady is president of Brady Homes, a company founded in 1962 by his father, William Brady Sr. One of the largest home building firms in central Illinois, Brady Homes has developed 20 residential communities throughout the state, building more than 1,800 single-family homes, 2,000 apartment units and more than 100,000 square feet of light commercial property.
Granger MacDonald, a Kerrville, Texas-based builder and developer with 40 years of experience in the home building industry, was elected as Second Vice Chairman of the Board. MacDonald is president of the MacDonald Companies, a diverse development, construction, and management enterprise with more than 35 neighborhoods completed throughout Texas.
Randy Noel joined the NAHB leadership ladder with his election as Third Vice Chairman of the Board. A Louisiana-based custom home builder with more than 30 years of experience in the home building industry, Noel is president of Reve Inc., a custom home building firm that has developed more than 1,000 custom homes in the greater New Orleans area.
2014 NAHB Chairman Kevin Kelly, from Wilmington, Del., remains on the leadership ladder as Immediate Past Chairman. Kelly is president of Leon N. Weiner & Associates, Inc. and is a successful builder and developer with several decades of experience in land development, multifamily and single-family home building, and property management.
Rounding out the association’s leadership is NAHB Chief Executive Officer Jerry Howard, from Washington, D.C. Howard heads up a professional staff of more than 230 working out of the National Housing Center in Washington. He has served as the association’s CEO/EVP since February of 2001. Previously, Howard was NAHB’s chief tax counsel.
by ShoesOptional | Nov 9, 2014 | Uncategorized
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| Jerry Howard |
Don’t miss out on a GREAT event, Jerry Howard, CEO of NAHB, will be the featured speaker at our Annual Meeting November 13. This event is sponsored by PestBan and will be held at the TD Convention Center starting at 11:30 a.m.
Prior to the event your HBA will also host members for Member Orientation starting at 10:30 a.m. at the TD Convention Center.
Jerry Howard, Chief Executive Officer of the National Association of Home Builders, has more than 25 years of association experience and a lifetime in the housing industry. He was recently listed by The Hill as one of the top lobbyists in Washington, DC.
Howard joined NAHB as tax counsel in 1988. He was promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Executive Officer in February 2001.
Howard started his association career at the National Association of Realtors, where he served as a Legislative Analyst for tax issues. Prior to joining NAHB, Howard was Chief Lobbyist for the National Council of State Housing Agencies where he was instrumental in the development of the low income housing tax credit as part of the Tax Reform Act of 1986.
Before embarking on his association career, Howard practiced real estate law in his home state of South Carolina. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Vermont and received his Juris Doctorate degree from the University of South Carolina. He, his wife Christina, and their three children live in Virginia.
To RSVP for this event, or for more information on any of our upcoming events, please contact the HBA office at 864-254-0133
Don’t forget to bring a new or gently used coat for the HBA of Greenville Community Service Committee’s Coat Drive to benefit Miracle Hill.
by ShoesOptional | Oct 30, 2014 | Uncategorized
Currently in the lead with the most new Blood
Gus Rubio with Gabriel Builders
welcoming: Evan Farner
Tony Freeman
Alan Carver
Julie Eldridge
Todd Usher with Addison Homes
welcoming: Diane Jackson
Eddie Woodard
Ted Bragg
Rhett Brown with Allen Tate Realtors
welcoming: Shelly DeVreese
Julie Howe
Christy Grear
Bill Kane with Ryan Homes
welcoming: Trina Montalbano
Christina Brooks
Brittany Bailey
You still have time to recruit new members, contest winners will be announced at the Annual Meeting sponsored by PestBan on November 13th with featured speaker Jerry Howard, CEO of NAHB.
by Michael Dey | Aug 7, 2013 | Uncategorized
The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) told Congress today that it will work with lawmakers to make changes to the Protecting American Taxpayers and Homeowners (PATH) Act legislative proposal to ensure that it provides the federal support necessary to maintain a strong and liquid housing finance system.
Testifying before the House Financial Services Committee, NAHB CEO Jerry Howard urged the committee to modify the PATH Act to make sure that the federal government continues to provide a backstop for a reliable and adequate flow of affordable housing credit in all economic and financial conditions.
“NAHB believes federal support is particularly important to ensure that 30-year, fixed-rate mortgages, the bedrock of the nation’s housing finance system since the 1930s, remain available at reasonable interest rates and terms,” said Howard. “As currently drafted, the PATH Act does not provide the federal support necessary to ensure a strong and liquid housing finance system, and we urge the committee to make the necessary changes.”
There are some positive elements in the PATH Act, and NAHB agrees that private capital must be the dominant source of mortgage credit, Howard said. However, ensuring the safety and stability of the housing finance system cannot be left entirely to the private sector.
“The historical record clearly shows that the private sector is not capable of providing a consistent and adequate supply of housing credit without a federal backstop,” he said.
NAHB has recommended to the committee that Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac be gradually phased into a private sector oriented system, where the federal government’s role is explicit but its exposure is limited. Federal support would be limited to catastrophic situations where carefully calibrated levels of private capital and insurance reserves would be depleted before any public funds were employed to shore up the mortgage market.
NAHB also urged House lawmakers to modify the sections of the bill outlining changes to the Federal Housing Administration (FHA).
“The PATH Act would drastically diminish FHA’s vital liquidity mission,” said Howard. “By simultaneously leaving all federal support for housing to FHA, and then by greatly reducing the overall scope and reach of FHA’s programs, the PATH Act would greatly limit homeownership and rental housing opportunities for many financially responsible and qualified Americans.”
Because there is currently a great deal of uncertainty among consumers and home builders due to the unresolved debate on reforming the housing finance system and the government sponsored enterprises, Howard urged the committee to move forward in a careful, prudent manner to provide needed assurance for the industry and consumers.
“At a time when housing is just starting to get back on its feet and provide job and economic growth, we don’t want to do anything that would reverse this positive momentum,” he said. “It’s definitely important that Congress be mindful of housing’s important role in the economy going forward.”
“NAHB looks forward to working with lawmakers to create a sustainable housing finance system that will ensure stability and liquidity in the financial system that supports homeownership and rental housing,” Howard added.
