The summer meetings were held at the Omni Bedford Springs Resort July 23 and 24. Please see the committee reports and Board of Directors summary below.
COMMITTEES
Government Affairs
The Government Affairs committee met on July 24. Two Industry Action Fund applications were approved – to continue funding PBA’s Codes Consultant and one to assist the BA of Metropolitan Pittsburgh on a study. There was also extensive discussion on active priorities and current legislation. Casey Coyle, Esq. gave his legal update. If anyone is interested in any of the GA materials – please contact Sarah Miller or Jill Pento.
PHRC
Representatives from the PHRC discussed the webinar topics available to PBA members as well as a series of videos that can be accessed on the PHRC You Tube channel. The 2026 Residential Construction Career Fair will be held on September 10. The 2027 PHRC Housing Conference is set for March 2-3.
PHRC appreciates the annual PBA donation of $1,000 used for scholarships for students.
PHRC continues to offer speaking engagements on a variety of topics to local HBAs.
Membership
Chair John Bear discussed the most recent Membership Drive and plans to do future drives twice a year. PBA is pushing the monetary value of benefits through memberships. There was a discussion of how to bring young professionals into the federation. Most likely this would start at the local level and grow into a regional and then state project.
Attendees suggested additional benefits that would be useful for recruiting members. Those included offering reduced pricing on programs like QuickBooks and payroll companies.
Andrew Kaye reported that NAHB is looking at refining the membership categories to better reflect the overall membership.
Workforce Training and Education
The PBA Workforce Training & Education Committee met on July 23 during the 2026 Summer Board Meeting to discuss ongoing efforts to strengthen the future construction workforce across the Commonwealth. Committee members received updates on the Endorsed Trade Program, including continued growth in participating schools and programs, expansion goals for 2026–2027, and increased outreach to career and technical education partners. Additional discussion focused on new workforce initiatives through PHRC, including educational video resources and expanded engagement with secondary schools.
The committee also explored opportunities to partner with SkillsUSA to increase PBA’s visibility among students, promote careers in the residential construction industry, and strengthen connections between students, local builders, and workforce development programs through sponsorships, internships, job shadowing, and other hands-on learning opportunities. The meeting concluded with discussion on building stronger relationships with local school districts and community partners to further support workforce development across Pennsylvania.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING
The Board of Directors of the Pennsylvania Builders Association met on July 24 for their summer meeting. President Greg Harris called the meeting to order and recognized those who had passed since the March meeting. Those members included: William Grant (Pocono BA), Bruce Laub (Lehigh Valley BA), Gary Naeser (Washington County BA), and Nicholas Pugliese (Lehigh Valley BA).
Jim Rumbaugh, Government Affairs Chair, noted that the GA Committee had a great meeting and that there were two IAF motions – one to recommend the extension of the PBA UCC Consultant and the other to assist in the underwriting of the PHRC study on soil infiltration patterns in limited soil conditions. Both were passed unanimously.
Mr. Rumbaugh went on to thank all who attended the PaCAH reception the previous evening. Nearly $6,000 was raised. He went on to accept PaCAH checks from several local HBAs.
Nominating Committee Chair Dean Hilliard presented the nominees for the PBA 2027 Senior Officers. Darrell Adams of the Lebanon County BA was chosen as President-Elect. Additional nominations are as follows:
- John Bear (BIA of Lancaster County) – Vice President
- Domenic Ricciuti, Jr. (BA of Metropolitan Pittsburgh) – Secretary
- Heather Dieckmann (BA of Metropolitan Pittsburgh) – Treasurer
- The Associate Vice President position is open.
For the NAHB Officers, the following were nominated:
- Jon Sukonik (HBA of Bucks and Montgomery Counties) – NAHB State Representative
- Holly DiLeo (HBA of NEPA and Pocono BA) – Associate Delegate
- The Builder Delegate position is open.
Mr. Hilliard also recognized Dave Balent of the HBA of NEPA and John Bear of the BIA of Lancaster County as Life Directors.
Kert Sloan, Chair of the PBA Awards Committee, announced the winners of the PBA Awards. Winners are as follows:
- Distinguished Achievement Award – Jon Sukonik (HBA of Bucks and Montgomery Counties)
- Builder of the Year – Jim Brown (Mid-Penn BIA)
- Associate of the Year – Don Olsommer, JR. (Wayne Pike BIA)
- Affiliate of the Year – Liam Brennan (BA of Metropolitan Pittsburgh)
- Builder & Shaker – Nathan Weaver (HBA of Metropolitan Harrisburg)
- Rookie of the Year – GME Construction (Pocono BA)
- Community Service Project of the Year – Tri-County Housing Normandy Lofts
- Media Project of the Year – HBA of Metropolitan Website
For more details on the awards, please click HERE.
PBA Treasurer Richard Clawson reported on the financial status of PBA and BSI. Both entities are doing well and are ahead of budget. Investments are also going well and are within the parameters set.
John Bear, PBA Secretary and Membership Committee Chair, gave the report on Membership. To date, PBA has lost 66 members since December 31. However there are a few locals that have experienced gains including Mid-Penn BIA with a 13.8% gain.
The committee decided to hold two membership drives yearly with incentives for locals, recruiters, and new members. These will coincide with the NAHB drives.
Jon Sukonik, NAHB State Representative, spoke about the recent victories including the 21st Century Road to Housing Act that was passed. He also noted that 20 PBA members participated in the NAHB Legislative Conference in Washington, meeting with eight PA Senate and Congressional offices.
Jim Eichenlaub, President of the Executive Officers Council, welcomed new Executive Officers and thanked Karen Quinn for her more than 20 of service to the BIA of Lancaster County. Ms. Quinn has retired.
President Greg Harris provided an update on the TRANSiT Strategies consultation process. After interviews with staff, Executive Officers, and a member survey, final recommendations will be provided at the Fall meeting. The Executive Committee will review the findings in September.
Mr. Harris also made a motion to approve a Builder Vice President position as a Senior Officer beginning in January. This position, which will be for two year – ensures that there is always a Builder Member on the list of Senior Officers. The Board approved the motion. If anyone is interested in this position, please contact Nominating Committee Chair Dean Hilliard HERE.
The Board of Directors will meet again on November 5 at the Best Western Premier Conference Center in Harrisburg.