Executive Vice President's Message

Executive Vice President’s message

When 2021 began, we were all grateful to be finished with 2020 and optimistic that this would be the year government-imposed COVID restrictions would end and lives could return to normal. Unfortunately, unlike other areas in the country, Washington’s governor and other elected leaders have chosen to endlessly extend their unchecked emergency powers, impose even more requirements on employers and force harsh consequences onto those who don’t comply with their mandates. Not surprisingly, we also began to feel the economic impacts of these government mandates in the form of dramatic supply chain delays, product shortages and cost increases. Despite these ongoing social, political and economic challenges, 2021 was a very successful year for BIAW. The organization made tremendous progress on many goals in our strategic plan. We continue to maintain a strong financial position. This success is due to the outstanding member leaders who have served the organization prior to the pandemic and throughout the pandemic. BIAW Presidents Kevin Russell, Rick Hjelm, Sherry Schwab and Tracy Doriot, working closely with Second Vice Presidents Debbi Boyd, Chris Lockhart, LouAnne Neil and Nick Gilliland, as well as the other senior officers and members of the BIAW executive committee, have all worked closely set a clear vision and stay focused on the mission of serving BIAW members, our industry and Washington communities. I am also thankful for the talented and dedicated BIAW staff team, all of whom are focused every day on the success of BIAW, our members and the industry.

2021 Milestones

Government affairs

The 2021 legislative session was historic for all of the wrong reasons. It was the first virtual session in state history and the majority party took full advantage of the limited public access, approving unprecedented spending increases, funded in part, by creating new income and payroll taxes. Without the ability to schedule meetings with legislators or to testify in person, BIAW’s government affairs team adapted quickly to utilize remote testimony and other well-established relationships to defeat the vast majority of anti-housing bills that also flooded the legislature. I want to thank all the members who signed in and testified on bills. Your efforts were critical and will be necessary again during the 2022 session.

Legal

BIAW’s legal team was active and aggressive all year long in defending the rights of our membership on several fronts. This included filing lawsuits challenging outrageous fine increases and improper COVID emergency rules. Most importantly, BIAW is suing Gov. Inslee to protect the industry’s representation on the State Building Code Council. Earlier this year, the governor circumvented state law by refusing to appoint any of the nominees to the council submitted by BIAW.

Workforce development

BIAW invested a record $60,000 in scholarship and grants to fill the labor shortage gap. The member-led Workforce Development Task Force also started initiatives in many areas to expand and train the future workforce. These efforts included working with local associations to get Home Builders Institute (HBI) curriculum into seven different schools across the state.

Communications

BIAW’s communication department began the year by launching a fresh new brand for BIAW, which included a fantastic new logo and the “Homes start here” tagline. You no doubt have also noticed the improved quality and display of content, which is also now being distributed on a wider variety of platforms to increase the ways our members receive information.

Thriving association

If membership is a key indicator of the health of our industry and our association, then we are definitely healthy because membership grew extensively in 2021. In fact, our membership now slightly exceeds where it was prior to the start of the pandemic and BIAW’s retention rates are nearing all-time highs. The positive feedback we’ve received regarding the recent board meetings has been very gratifying. One of the goals in our strategic plan is to make BIAW board meetings more valuable and interesting to attend. It was encouraging to see the enthusiasm and delight that permeated our summer meeting at Suncadia and fall meeting in Renton. We hope you enjoyed these events and plan to attend our future board meetings in 2022. Finally, our two primary member-benefit programs—ROII and health insurance—also each had an outstanding year in 2021. Membership in our health insurance program grew for the first time in three years. And ROII had the largest refund in program history with a final adjustment of 43.5% and over $27 million dollars to give back to our participants. Thank you for being a member of BIAW. On behalf of everyone here, we wish you a happy and successful 2022!