President's Message

President’s message

Happy holidays and a most heartfelt thank you to everyone who made serving as your 2021 BIAW President the honor of a lifetime. My most humble thanks go out to each one of our members. As I look at 2021 in the rearview mirror, I couldn’t be prouder of the success we’ve achieved. And when I say “we,” I mean all of us in the BIAW family, from your senior officers to our local associations to our individual builder, associate and remodeler members and to all the staff who support us. Coming into 2021, I shared my vision for the year. As we continued to struggle with the effects of COVID in our schools, businesses and communities, it was hard to predict what might lie ahead. With that in mind, I focused on three main goals: Protect, Promote and Prepare.

Protecting the homebuilding industry and our workers

Despite the challenges of a virtual legislative session and videoconference court hearings, BIAW continued its efforts to protect and promote our industry at all levels of government and in the courts. Week after week, you answered the call to submit virtual testimony and to weigh in on bills. We shifted our hill day strategy and held over 75 online meetings during our “Connecting Construction to the Capitol” virtual lobbying effort. Thanks to your work we killed a number of bad bills!

(l-r) Sen. Ann Rivers (R-La Center), BIACC member Aaron Marvin, BIAW Government Affairs Assistant Director Josie Cummings, BIACC member Dave Myllymaki, BIAW President Tracy Doriot and former BIACC Government Affairs coordinator Ryan Makinster participate in BIAW's virtual Hill Day.

We also filed multiple lawsuits to protect our rights and our businesses—and they continue to make their way through the courts. When our lawmakers become lawbreakers and infringe on the American Dream, it’s great to know we can “Release the Kraken” to help hold government accountable. And finally, ROII, our safety incentive program, produced the largest refund in history for its participants: over $27 million—proving that protecting our workers from workplace injuries truly does pay off.

Promoting the positive

We all know the positive impact the residential building industry has on our state, our communities and the families who enjoy the homes we build. Telling our story is important as we work to increase our membership and persuade policy makers to do the right thing.

President Tracy Doriot unveils the new BIAW logo and tagline during the virtual winter board of directors meeting in Olympia in March.

This year, we rebranded the association with a clean new logo, a “Homes start here” tagline, an updated website and videos that bring our story to life in new ways. Whether in the news, through our podcast or on social media, we’re getting our story out across the state.P

Preparing the future generation

We also expanded our workforce development efforts across the state, giving young people the ability to join our industry and pursue their own piece of the American dream.

Master Builders Association of King & Snohomish Counties members share job opportunities available in our industry with attendees during the Seattle Wood Technology Center job fair in September.

All across our state, members and staff worked together to hold job fairs, support local trades programs and hire the next generation of skilled trades people.

Stronger than ever

BIAW and our local associations have developed a new sense of teamwork and deeper respect. There’s no more "us and them." Instead, we’re a family. That unity, coupled with solid financial stewardship and our successful membership drive, sets us on a strong course for the future. Thanks to our good financial health, BIAW's board of directors approved paying off the mortgage on our new building in Tumwater, saving us hundreds of thousands of dollars in interest each year. At the same time, our Membership Monopoly membership drive helped us attract 400 new members to the association.

President Tracy Doriot swears in BIAW's 2022 senior officers: (l-r) Treasurer Jay Roberts, First Vice President Gary Wray, Secretary Luellen Smith and Second Vice President Ryan Moore during the Installation and Awards Gala.

As I turn over the gavel to your 2022 BIAW President Joseph Irons, I’m grateful for the opportunity to serve and proud of the work we’ve achieved. My role as past president will be as "Association Ambassador," working to strengthen the bond with our locals and tell our story of building the American dream. Thanks to everyone for working together to make 2021 so successful! We couldn’t have done it without you.