Greater Iowa City Area HBA Wins National Accolades for Two 2019 Initiatives

The Greater Iowa City Area HBa has been recognized with Awards of Excellence from the Executive Officers Council (EOC) of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) for two 2019 programs: Best Public Relations Program Conducted and Best HBA Partnership/Coalition.

“It is truly an honor for the hard work and professionalism of the Iowa City Area HBA to be recognized with Association Excellence Awards (AEA),” said Glenn Siders, Iowa City Area HBA president. “I applaud the dedication to representing our HBA and preserving the American Dream of homeownership for our community.”

The Best Public Relations Program Conducted winner was titled Aging-in-Place Expertise Campaign. This effort created awareness of the Iowa City Area HBA’s NAHB Certified Aging-in-Place (CAPS) designees so the growing market of baby boomers and other individuals wishing to remain in their homes long-term knew about these experts when building, remodeling or buying an ageless home. Articles appeared in The Home Show magazine, the Iowa City Area HBA Parade of Homes guidebook and Builders News, the association’s monthly newsletter distributed through the Corridor Business Journal. CAPS members also presented at an area Aging-in-Place event called Changes to Your Home & Resources to Help. The Iowa City Area HBA was a co-sponsor of the six-session forums.

Best HBA Partnership/Coalition was for executing six workforce-development initiatives with Kirkwood Community College. Kirkwood and the Iowa City Area HBA’s Vocational Training Council (VTC), which assists area schools with skilled-trades development, have worked together since 2013. During 2019, the pair made youth aware of, engaged in and educated for the industry through launching a Young Professionals Network committee, overseeing a student-built house (participants received instruction and credit from Kirkwood and were supervised by VTC members), co-implementing an interactive Build My Future Career Day and Industry Showcase and more.

“It is an outstanding award that recognizes the long-standing relationship the Iowa City Area HBA has had with Kirkwood Community College,” said Joe Greathouse, an HBA member and Kirkwood Construction Management professor. “The relationship has produced some amazing outcomes for area students and employers.”

AEA is an annual program designed to recognize outstanding accomplishments of state and local home builders’ associations and executive officers in the field of association management. EOC membership is comprised of staff executives who direct more than 650 NAHB-affiliated state and local home builders’ associations representing more than 140,000 home builders in communities across the United States.

“The programming and output of our local and state HBAs that make up the strength of the NAHB Federation are fully on display through AEA submissions,” said Bryce Johnson, EOC President and CEO at HBA of Fargo-Moorhead. “It is always impressive to see the innovation, stewardship and dedication demonstrated by the professional staff and member volunteers from the HBA’s across the country.”

Awards will be presented at NAHB’s Association Management Conference Aug. 4-6 in Minneapolis. Winning entries will be added to NAHB’s website so other executives and associations nationwide can access and learn from them to better serve their own members and community.