South Florida CEO: A productive year for BASF

As the president of the Builders Association of South Florida this year, it has been my pleasure and my honor to serve the BASF members and to work with a wonderfully generous Board of Directors. I thank you and the staff for rolling up your sleeves with me to make the 60th Anniversary of the BASF a banner year in so many wonderful ways. We have enriched the community we live in.

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We try to help home ownership be a "dream come true" for everyone, and one of our most rewarding activities was the Habitat for Humanity "Blitz Build" in Overtown. When I suggested that we donate all the materials and labor for the BASF-sponsored house, making $56,000 available for another house, our builders and associates gave generously. Maria Khalona worked right beside our members, investing "sweat equity," on a new home for herself and her two daughters. Our good work on behalf of Habitat for Humanity will continue for the next two years.

In the spirit of helping those less fortunate I encouraged our leadership to investigate forming a BASF Foundation. We're moving forward on that, and soon BASF will have a proper vehicle for funneling financial assistance to others. Seed money for the Foundation was quickly donated by Luis Rabell and I promised to double that donation. Even without a Foundation, our members donated money, expertise, clothes, food and medicine to aid hurricane victims in Florida and the Caribbean. Much to our credit, BASF members were active in the "Members Helping Members" program developed for helping colleagues around the state recover and rebuild their communities.

Because of humanitarian efforts, that I'm humbled but honored to recall, I am confident that BASF will continue another 60 years of community support with the leadership of our new officers and board members. They are inheriting a fiscally sound BASF. Our membership has increased 16 percent, our retention rate is positive and our financial picture has improved roughly 60 percent since last year. This progress came not just from my efforts, but from a concerted effort by the Executive Committee and the Board to focus on our goals--to leave the BASF in better shape than when we took office. I knew it was going to be challenging.

We've had many legislative successes this year, but one of the most important was educating the public about Florida Hometown Democracy. This movement was a Trojan Horse aimed at changing the Florida Constitution to manage growth. In actuality, it was deceptive extremism that would have brought the $43-billion building industry to a grinding halt. It could have put many people out of work and made it almost impossible to build schools, fire and police stations, hospitals, houses of worship and other buildings where needed.

Legislatively, we also helped resolve the Zero Lot Line issue before the Florida Buildings Commission, defused a construction-stopping noise ordinance situation in Davie, secured valuable concessions on the Broward Growth Management Coordination Plan and reversed efforts to brand plan expediters as lobbyists. In this busy election year, we conducted vigorous candidate screenings and endorsed all but two of those who ended up winners. BASF helped county officials streamline their building-related procedures, and we monitored regional growth to protect member interests on issues before the South Miami-Dade Watershed Task Force, the South Florida Regional Planning Council and the Community Development Districts task force. For other legislative initiatives, see this year's columns from the Broward and the Miami-Dade Legislative Committee chairs. All of us have benefited from their diligence on behalf of our industry.

The New Member Orientation got things off to a great start. And we had very successful "Meet The Builders" events at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino and with The Miami Heat. BASF's High-Rise Council seminars were well-attended and praised for their content. And our Toy Drive brought smiles to kids at Jackson Memorial Hospital and in migrant camps. Of course, our Florida's BEST Awards program continues to solidify our pursuit of excellence.

We help members stay ahead with such activities as the Florida Alliance for Safe Homes (FLASH) continuing education course. We help members have fun, too, as witnessed by the attendance at our golf tournament at the Weston Hills Country Club.

To our Capstone Sponsors, The Sherwin-Williams Company, Ocean Bank, and the Florida Home Builders Insurance Agency, and to our Keystone Sponsor, The Green Companies, I thank you for underwriting our events and keeping the cost to participate in them reasonable for all levels of our membership.

As I close this column, I want to acknowledge and thank the many people who have worked diligently behind the scenes and without fanfare. You are the backbone of the BASF and your hard work and dedication are appreciated not only by me but also by our members who have benefited from your efforts. To Toni and the BASF staff, on behalf of the Executive Committee and the Board of Directors, I thank you for making this year a very special one in our lives!