Pictured is Pat Richards, 2018 President of the Indiana Builders Association.

Pictured is Rick Wajda, Chief Executive Officer for the Indiana Builders Association.

WARSAW — The Builders Association of Kosciusko – Fulton Counties welcomed Indiana Builders Association Chief Executive Officer Rick Wajda and President Pat Richards at their July 24, general membership meeting, where the emphasis of the evening was “The Importance of Lobbying and Political Action.”

Wajda explained the lobbyist’s role and necessity while providing critical insights to the Indiana Builders Association  “Indiana Builder PAC Fund” versus other industry PAC funds, pointing out that the building industry has yet to recover from the 2008 recession, during which IBA membership and subsequent PAC contributions fell significantly. Although highly successful in fighting Indiana state legislation that would otherwise increase the cost of new housing starts, industry-wide issues such as skilled labor, lumber shortages, and the rising costs for building materials are threatening housing affordability on a national scale. Local association membership and IBA PAC contributions are critical to ramping up lobbying efforts.

2018 IBA President Pat Richards underscored the importance of the “Indiana Builder PAC Fund” while further updating the association on the “Build Your Future Indiana”  project, a statewide initiative created by the Indiana Builders Association and Builders Association of Greater Indianapolis. Funded by the Indiana Construction Roundtable Foundation, BYFI seeks to connect Indiana students with building industry career options and education. Eleven Indiana associations and over 100 respective BYFI Ambassadors will begin meeting with Indiana school officials, educators, and students to increase awareness of rewarding career opportunities in the industry, expected salary ranges and education pathways to them.

Richards also reminded members that the IBA will host a state-wide membership drive in an effort to unify industry professionals and fortify lobbying efforts. Kosciusko and Fulton Counties and surrounding area businesses and individuals involved in residential and/or commercial building industry—from funding and planning stages to finish—are expressly encouraged to join the IBA through their local association in support and protection of building industry-related small businesses and consumers by visiting their website at https://buildindiana.org/local-associations/ or http://www.bakfc.com/index.php/become-a-member-today.