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Chalk Line ArticlesGreen Building is HOT! Disaster Aid and Financial Planning 24 New Members Captured 2008 Events and Programs Are Underway Don't Elect the Wrong Person Shavings Letter to the Editor |
Chalk LineDisaster Aid and Financial Planning
During the evening's program, Gordon Coop, Lewis County Chapter President and I were invited up on stage and we had the privilege of presenting $65,000 toward the disaster aid efforts. The money came from three sources. OMB was able to secure $50,000 in funding from the National Association of Home Builders and $10,000 in funding from the Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties Master Builders Care Foundation. Those funds will be used to purchase needed materials to help the families and businesses rebuild. In addition our Board of Directors approved a donation of $5,000 to help with the administrative costs of this disaster aid effort. In May OMB members will have the opportunity to volunteer their time to help rebuild six homes and two businesses in Lewis County. As I have talked with several of you in the months since the December flooding, I have been amazed at the outpouring of volunteer time our members have already given to helping those in need. OMB's Mason County Chapter also has plans to help with disaster rebuilding. Under the leadership of Chapter President, Andrew Spear, the Mason County Chapter has identified two homes that were damaged during the December storm. Over the next few months, with a $10,000 commitment from the Master Builders Care Foundation for building materials, the Mason County Chapter members will be working together to repair these homes. I believe OMB's efforts in securing this funding gets the message out to the public that OMB members don't just build homes for our neighbors and our communities, but that we also use our expertise as an industry to help those in need. In addition to OMB's disaster aid efforts, our association has been working on a policy for avoiding a financial disaster. Over the past several months OMB's Budget Committee, under the direction of OMB Treasurer Bob Kagy, has created a long-term and short-term reserves policy to safeguard the association in the case of unexpected financial disaster. In April it was my pleasure to join Bob Kagy in signing the check to fund the long-term and short-term reserve policy. As OMB's president, I am extremely proud of OMB's board and their commitment to set the policy for these reserves to protect our association. Having a formalized short and long-term reserve policy is a significant milestone for OMB and I want to thank the Budget Committee and the Board of Directors for their leadership in accomplishing this very important goal.
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In April I was honored to represent the Olympia Master Builders (OMB) at a "'50's and '60's Rock and Roll Concert" fundraiser in Lewis County. The fundraiser organized by Port of Olympia Commissioner George Barner, the Lewis County Economic Development Council, the Building Trades Council and others was raising money to help families and businesses affected by the storm and flooding last December.