7 minute read
2022 MEET THE BOARD
by Carol Rich
Each year the BIA installs a board that represents the diversity and strength of our local industry, and the 2022 board continues this tradition. The current officers and trustees bring a variety of backgrounds, skill sets and viewpoints to this year’s board.
Board members include custom builders and production; large companies and small; businesses with locations in multiple states and businesses that operate solely in Ohio. The board has experts in areas that run the gamut, from multi-family building to single-family building, affordable housing, flooring, lumber, banking, law, civil engineering and surveying.
2022 BIA President, Bob Yoakam, is looking forward to the ways that this board’s ideas and participation will propel the association forward. One of his top priorities: encouraging board member involvement.
“Getting involved in the BIA is the number one thing our members can do to not only assist the BIA in achieving the organization’s goals but ultimately to help all of our members get what they want out of the BIA,” says Yoakam.
Focusing board members on advocacy is a prime concern for Yoakam this year. “Advocacy doesn’t just have to be limited to local municipal leaders. We need to be advocates for our industry with everybody,” he says. “We are facing challenges from every direction. Whether that is labor or material shortages, entitlement challenges, utility challenges, you name it. In order to turn the tide in the current environment, the message to those not living in the construction world needs to be positive.”
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Bob Yoakam, President Company: Rockford Homes Hometown: Delaware, Ohio Years in the industry: 12 Years as a BIA member: 12 Your 2022 vision for the Board and the BIA: Get involved. As with any organization, you get out what you put into it. The BIA is a great organization that has a large impact in our industry. That impact is made by our members and their involvement with the missions the BIA is tasked with.
Jane Arthur Roslovic, Senior Vice President Company: Treplus Communities Hometown: Columbus, Ohio Years in the industry: 30-plus Years as a BIA member: 4 Your 2022 vision for the Board and the BIA: I would like to see us get a strong apprenticeship program going in schools to introduce young people to the trades and the building industry. We have strong momentum with the city’s CRA program for multi-family and I would like to see that come to fruition in 2022. We need to continue our advocacy with the municipalities on zoning for residential to be a part of the much-needed growth going on in Columbus.
Josh Barkan, Builder Vice President Company: M/I Homes Hometown: Bexley, Ohio Years in the industry: 9 Years as a BIA member: 4.5 Your 2022 vision for the Board and the BIA: In 2022 I hope to help continue to grow the BIA’s membership and the BIA’s impact on local building policies, initiatives and issues important to our members in order to continue to facilitate workforce housing in central Ohio on a reasonable basis.
Mike Reeves, Associate Vice President Company: Kimley-Horn Hometown: Avon, Ind. Years in the industry: 16 Years as a BIA member: 5 Your 2022 vision for the Board and the BIA: I look forward to continuing our work with local communities to improve entitlement, engineering and construction process efficiencies. I also hope to create opportunities for the next leaders in our industry to get connected with the BIA.
Tom Hart, Secretary Company: Isaac Wiles Hometown: Oak Park, Ill. (Hemmingway’s hometown of which he said it was a place of “broad lawns and narrow minds”.) Years in the industry: 25 Years as a BIA member: 18 (After a 6+ year probation period as a staff member) Your 2022 vision for the Board and the BIA: To continue to be the voice of the home building community and the leadership organization of the housing industry in articulating and documenting the connection between housing, jobs and prosperity in the region.
Troy Fritz, Treasurer Company: Weaver Custom Homes Hometown: Columbus, Ohio Years in the industry: 42 Years as a BIA member: 6 Your 2022 vision for the Board and the BIA: As our industry evolves, it is the goal of the BIA to evolve with it, covering a broader industry base, not only for the benefit of our single-family builders, but our multi-family builders, land developers and trade partners alike. Our advocacy efforts are extremely important to be able to help meet the housing demand and keep our industry strong, and will be at the forefront of our responsibilities. The functionality of the BIA will be more important than ever in our foreseeable future, and we feel we have established a path of sustainability for the greater good of all and we hope to keep that momentum.
Jeff Yates, Immediate Past President Company: Manor Homes Hometown: Grand Blanc, Mich. Years in the industry: 24 Years as a BIA member: 18 Your 2022 vision for the Board and the BIA: I would like to see the BIA continue with the advocacy efforts they have been working so hard on. Also, we have a lot of great committees and councils that are ready to ramp up their presence. I am excited to help them get back up to full speed.
TRUSTEES
Kate Allen
Company: America’s Floor Source Hometown: Pataskala, Ohio Years in the industry: 21 Years as a BIA member: 21 Your 2022 vision for the Board and the BIA: I look forward to the growth and new ideas of the board to overcome all of the uncertainties with Covid over the past few years. I know that everyone has an amazing work ethic and dedication to keep moving forward in the growth and development in Columbus.
Steve Arnold
Company: The Strait & Lamp Group Hometown: Born in Columbus, Ohio and grew up in Gahanna, Ohio Years in the industry: 36 Years as a BIA member: 36 Your 2022 vision for the Board and the BIA: I would like to ensure the housing industry remains strong in central Ohio.
Scott Green
Company: Park National Bank Hometown: Pickerington, Ohio Years in the industry: 38 Years as a BIA member: 33 Your 2022 vision for the Board and the BIA: My vision for the BIA is to continue their legislative efforts to allow builders to get permits in a more efficient manner.
Todd Lipschutz
Company: Maronda Homes Hometown: Chicago, Ill. Years in the industry: 25 Years as a BIA member: HBA 20, Columbus BIA 2 Your 2022 vision for the Board and the BIA: Enhance our continued efforts in the local communities ensuring we can provide market demand housing for the Columbus area. Additionally, continue to refine and enhance our new Parade of Homes revenue stream and engage with our local vocational schools to support our critical labor shortage needs.
Jeff Memmer
Company: Memmer Homes Hometown: Canton, Ohio Years in the industry: 18 Years as a BIA member: 12 Your 2022 vision for the Board and the BIA: To make meaningful progress on land and labor, the two largest issues we face as an industry. This will require us to tell a better story about what our industry offers to the community.
Jeff Miller
Company: CESO Hometown: Columbus, Ohio Years in the industry: 35 Years as a BIA member: 20 Your 2022 vision for the Board and the BIA: To continue to assist the central Ohio building community in overcoming the political and operational challenges in this region.
Nanette Pfister
Company: Epcon Communities Hometown: Upper Arlington, Ohio Years in the industry: 40 Years as a BIA member: 30 Your 2022 vision for the Board and the BIA: My vision for the 2022 Board is to support the BIA’s advocacy in all the areas we serve. I also want to offer support to additional councils within the BIA of Central Ohio. We have a number of outstanding members and it’s a blessing to be in a position to serve them.
Joe Thomas
Company: Metro Development Hometown: Columbus, Ohio (Clintonville) Years in the industry: 29 Years as a BIA member: 29 Your 2022 vision for the Board and the BIA: To serve the members of the BIA in achieving positive change in City of Columbus CRA policy, the Columbus rewrite of their zoning code, and overall greater densities in the Columbus market.
Jonathan Wilcox
Company: Wilcox Communities Hometown: Powell, Ohio Years in the industry: 16 Years as a BIA member: 5 Your 2022 vision for the Board and the BIA: To continue the BIA’s strong focus on advocacy and eliminating the barriers to our industry being able to meet the region’s demands for new housing.
Jeff Woda
Company: Woda Cooper Companies, Inc. Hometown: Powhatan Point, Belmont County, Ohio Years in the industry: All my life. My grandfather, uncle and dad were all home builders. Years as a BIA member: 15 Your 2022 vision for the Board and the BIA: I think being in the affordable housing sector, I can bring a unique perspective to the board. Bruce Luecke was that voice on the board and with his retirement, it opened up room for me to join.
