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A Message from your BAWN 2011 President

To our valued membership:

2011 has been a year of tremendous change for the Builders Association of Western Nevada. Our Association has a heritage that dates back to its formation in 1974 and throughout our period of existence, 2011 has brought more challenges and opportunities than any year in recent memory. Since the dawn of the “Great Recession” in late 2006, our industry and members have been engaged in a seemingly endless struggle for survival. It has been a humbling experience to witness the suffering that our constituents have endured during these unprecedented times, great people who have made substantial contributions to our Association and community at large have been affected in material ways. No one has been spared.

As one might expect, the economic conditions of last several years have affected our Association as well. Change has been thrust upon us in many different forms. In May of this year, after 37 years of affiliation, we were forced to relinquish our charter in the National Association of Home Builders due to fluctuations in our finances and revenue streams. Falling membership levels at BAWN and reduced workforces amongst our member companies further contributed to the challenges facing our Association resulting in layoffs of valued staff members and continued tightening of budgets.

On October 27th 2011 our executive officer Rick DeMar resigned after more than ten years of dedicated service to our Association. His tenure with BAWN occurred during the best and the worst times the housing and construction industry has ever seen in the State of Nevada. We are grateful to him for his years of service and sacrifice to BAWN especially during the last five years and wish him the very best in his future endeavors.

Throughout this year I have had the distinct pleasure of serving with a first-class board of directors :

Sam Landis, Rob McFadden, Barry Lease, Brent Holderman, Rob McQueary, Larry Peyton, Keith Shaffer, Josh Billings and last but certainly not least, William Fergus or “Fergi” as we all know him. This group of outstanding professionals has tirelessly dedicated themselves to the service of this Association during these lean times and they deserve all of the credit for the ongoing survival and success of BAWN. As the clock winds down on my Presidency, I can say with absolute certainty that you have the strongest and most competent pipeline of leadership I have ever known in my years with this Association, so you can expect great things in 2012 and beyond.

Finally, I am extremely pleased to announce that we have filled the vacancy in our Executive Officer position with our former Director of Government Affairs, Sheena Shrum (Beaver). Many of the members expressed disappointment when Sheena left our organization earlier this year as a result of a shrinking staff budget, so it is with great enthusiasm that we welcome her back on at BAWN. Sheena brings with her five years of experience working at the Association and proven track record of success in the realm of Government Affairs on both a state and local level. She is respected by her peers in the lobbying world, the legislature, and by municipal officials throughout our service area and will bring a new energy and vitality to the management of our Association. Please send her a message at Sheena@bawn.org to introduce yourself and to welcome her back to BAWN.

In closing, I want to articulate my deep personal gratitude to every member of this association for your ongoing support of BAWN. I also want to thank everyone who has donated their time, talent, and treasure for the benefit of this Association including all past and present Board and Committee members and our partners at Pro-Group; it is your hard work that makes this Association and without your support we are nothing. To those who are not currently involved, I strongly urge you to contact Sheena and talk with her about how you can be a part of the new future of BAWN. We have numerous ways you can serve the industry and the Association through serving on the various committees and boards of BAWN. Please make it a point to attend our upcoming Installation of Officers banquet in January, the details of which will be sent to you soon.

Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your President in 2011.

Sincerely,

Mark B. Turner