Get More from Your HBA Membership – Join a Council!

BY: JODI BAILEY, HBA Director of Membership

Networking at a large association can be intimidating at times, especially if you are new to the association, the industry, or the greater Portland area. We understand and that is why we often recommend that members join one of our councils in addition to their general membership. We have three councils that members can join: the Remodeling and Custom Building Council (RCB), the Professional Women in Building Council (PWB), and the Home Performance Council (HPC). Attending council meetings or events that are programmed by councils, with industry-specific content you may be knowledgeable about, is a good way to meet and feel comfortable engaging with other members, while also getting acquainted with your new HBA membership.

We have some great council events coming up in August and September for you to attend. PWB is hosting its annual Women in Construction Happy Hour at the NW Natural Street of Dreams which we do in partnership with NAWIC and other women’s councils focused on the construction and trade industry. This event is a great kick-off for the NAHB PWB week which is September 11-15th! PWBs across the nation will be having focused events and sharing valuable information during this time about women in building so make sure to check your email and social media for updates.

To finish off the month of September, we are excited to host our Annual PWB Retreat Sept 22-23. This year we are headed to McMinnville. This location has a lot to offer with great places to stay, eat, shop, and explore on top of absorbing the fabulous conference content we will be providing! Our Keynote speaker for the conference is Laurel Winkel, owner of SheBuilds Design & Kitchen Remodeling. Winkel will share her inspirational story of starting and successfully growing SheBuilds after two other different careers, inspiring women to show up for themselves, and that it’s never too late to make your dreams a reality while stressing why women are so important to the construction industry.

Our other councils have great events going on too!

The HPC and our Building Science Program will be actively demonstrating great energy-efficient products in the Remodel and Building Science Exhibit at the 2023 NW Natural Street of Dreams (open until August 20) and they have education and presentations at every monthly council meeting and will be hosting educational events coming later this fall and winter.

In September, The RBC is hosting a council-only educational and networking event at the HBA office in Lake Oswego. A panel of our leaders will start off the discussion with round tables of members joining in for questions and peer-to-peer discussion covering resiliency, growth in a changing market, what tools and resources our members need to succeed, and more! RCB will have more educational and networking opportunities rolling out at upcoming All Member Happy Hours this fall and winter also.

Our councils have wonderful members and provide education to help you get connected and find a place in our HBA. If you get involved in an area that fits well for you, you will find that the HBA quickly becomes another family and caring community that you can turn to for support, education, and relationships, as well as networking and fun.

Our Membership Team is here to find out what your needs are for your business and career and then help you navigate what councils are a good fit for you and how to make the most of every event for your networking needs.

We hope to see you very soon!

Contract Furnishings Mart Says Goodbye to Founder

Provided by: Contract Furnishings Mart Staff

It is with sadness to announce Contract Furnishing Mart’s founder, Bill Cogdall, Sr. passed away on June 27, 2023, in Sun City West, AZ. He was 98 years old.

Before starting CFM, Bill Cogdall, Sr. was a home builder frustrated by the many problems he experienced with typical floor covering retailers like inconsistent pricing, inexperienced commissioned sales staff, limited product selection, and never knowing what crew would show up to install your job.

It was his idea to create a design-centered showroom with welltrained, salaried sales professionals who would provide excellent customer service and consistent wholesale pricing. While these things may sound simple, they weren’t always done by other businesses. His vision from day one embodies how we do business to this day; providing great showrooms with endless options and an amazing staff to help customers find the right material for their project in a low-pressure sales environment.

What started as a two-man shop in SE Portland has grown to one of the largest floor-covering dealers in North America with 18 locations in Portland, Seattle, Central Oregon, and the Phoenix, AZ metro areas. We are proud to still live his vision and core values to this day. Bill Sr will be missed but not forgotten.