PBA members gathered at the Eden Resort & Suites in Lancaster July 10-12 for several committee meetings. Below are brief summaries of these committees. Members are encouraged to participate and bring ideas to the Fall meetings in Harrisburg, October 17-18.
PHRC
PHRC is searching for the next Residential Design & Construction Specialist; apply at https://bit.ly/PHRCJob-RDCSpecialist. PHRC is expanding their education and training through videos and a YouTube channel. The 2024-25 PHRC Webinar series will begin on Sept. 10 at 1:00pm with the full schedule to be released in early August. Attendees were encouraged to contribute to Penn State students pursuing residential construction through crowdfunding, attending the Hankin Distinguished Lecture at the University Park campus on Nov. 6, and supporting the Penn State NAHB Student Chapter Awards & Industry Mixer on Nov. 7. The annual 2025 PHRC Housing Conference will take place on March 26–27 at The Central Hotel & Conference Center in Harrisburg, PA. Code update training will be available in late fall/early winter pending the release of the final RAC report to Labor & Industry. Code training will be offered in one-hour modules for live in-person or virtual training, webinars, and on-demand courses.
Membership/Communication Committee
After reviewing the June membership report, the committee discussed ways to grow and retain members. Many suggestions were made, and the consensus was to find new ways to attract younger people. This could be accomplished by establishing a Young Professionals council and working closely with Group Two on how to market to a younger demographic. A representative from Group Two will attend the Fall meeting to work with members on a plan of action.
Government Affairs
Betsy Dupuis chaired the Government Affairs Committee held July 11, at the Eden Resort in Lancaster. After a robust conversation on issues surrounding statewide contractor licensing, a motion was made to task staff to draft a white paper discussing options available for review at the March 2025 meeting. Rounding out the meeting after a general discussion of current legislative priorities, the PBA commissioned “Statewide Study on the Cost of Regulation in the Price of a New Home” survey was extended until August 15.
Congratulations to Jon Sukonik, Chair of PBA’s UCC Special Committee, and Marty Marra for their success during the recent statewide adoption of the 2021 ICC Model Codes. Jon and Marty are two of the 21-member council tasked with voting on model code adoption for Pennsylvania. Their leadership will save up to $13,000 per unit when the 2021 building codes are adopted in July 2025.
Workforce Training and Education
In the ongoing effort to promote careers in the trades, the committee reviewed promotional submission examples from the Group Two marketing firm. It was agreed that Group Two be asked to attend the Fall meeting to present a clear plan of action that will appeal to a younger audience. Members were encouraged to speak with their legislators about securing grants for workforce. Chair Cindy Cepko recognized the current Endorsed Trade Program Director Dave DiPasquale for his commitment to the program and thanked him for his service. Mr. DiPasquale will be retiring at the end of August.
Professional Women in Building Council
The Professional Women in Building Council discussed the Winter meeting luncheon featuring Senator Kim Ward, President Pro Tempore. All agreed that it was a successful event and helped to raise scholarship funds. The Council is working on some off-site fund-raising activities for the Fall PBA meeting in conjunction with the annual Build PAC event.