The BA Looks to the Future

The Builders Association Board of Directors met in early spring to map the future direction of the BA, and with the help of Mark Thorsby, Vice President of Consulting Services for SmithBucklin, it developed a Strategic Plan to guide the Association moving forward. "With a new Executive Director, new board members and the changes in the economy, it made perfect sense at this time to go through this process," explained BA Chairman Jeff Raday. He added, "Every organization or even individual companies should take the time at regular intervals to address where they want to be in three and five years and then put a plan in place to get there."

The Board, through several steps and long discussions, identified two core principles to guide the organization. To reflect the first principle, Industry Leadership, the Board developed the following statement: To lead the building construction industry engage in issues important to the construction industry, coordinate efforts with like-minded associations, analyze building construction trends, and communicate with government officials and mainstream media. To achieve this Industry Leadership goal, Association staff will implement numerous actions in progressive stages over the next three years. Building membership to represent a larger segment of the construction industry is a key item. Assuming positions on important industry issues and communicating them needs to become a strength of the Association.

The second core principle, Workplace Shifts, is addressed in the following statement: To leverage the collaborative value of the Chicago area building construction associations in responding to shifts in the workforce and to ensure the scope of the Builders Association reflects those shifts. "At first glance that almost sounds like we are actually trying to avoid making a commitment," said Executive Director Dan McLaughlin. "The fact is, the workplace and the workforce are changing.  Rapidly-developing technology continues to make an impact, the workforce is aging, and in the down economy many apprentice programs cut back, all combining to make workforce development a significant issue."

 

The Board agreed that these issues should be the primary focus of the Association’s strategic plan over the next several years.  It is now the charge of the BA staff and Board to identify and implement programs and initiatives to accomplish the Builders Association objectives.