Issue link: https://digital.nexsitepublishing.com/i/1523082
FROM THE PRESIDENT Where We've Been and Where We're Going MBAKS has been on the road for more than 100 years. Early on, we knew how critical housing would be to the ever-growing Puget Sound region, and we've journeyed ever since to ensure everyone has a place to call home. Making home happen is our guiding star as we represent homebuilders, engage the communities in which we build, and advocate for housing-friendly policy changes. I was in the legislative session in 2023 when decades of hard work helped pave the way for the "Year of Housing," a landmark for serious housing reform in the state. In the same year, we pursued a successful tree campaign to better balance the needs of tree canopy and housing supply in Seattle. We also revised our roadmap by approving a new five-year Strategic Plan and updating our vision and our strategic pillars to better address the pressing need for more housing. This year, the Board of Directors has followed that road map. We established an in-house Legal Counsel with the hiring of MBAKS Past President and Mayor of Mill Creek, Brian Holtzclaw. We organized our inaugural tree planting day to give back to our communities. And we hosted our first ADU/DADU fair to educate the public on last year's middle housing legislation, House Bill 1110. The association has also hit some important new milestones with the recruitment of 214 new affiliate members and fully staffing our wonderful team of 37 to carry out essential day-to-day work. While I am pleased with the progress we've made thus far, we have a long way to go to make our region second to none when it comes to providing housing for everyone. We will continue to work tirelessly with elected officials to make substantial improvements to the code so we can build more housing for our communities—and develop model ordinances cities and counties can implement to bring more housing online under HB 1110. The road has been long and challenging for the last 115 years, and the journey is never truly over. But we have come a long way, and will continue working hard to ensure that everyone has a place to truly call home. Cheers to ongoing success! BY TREVOR JOHNSON 2024 PRESIDENT BLACKWOOD BUILDERS GROUP Making home happen is our guiding star as we represent homebuilders, engage the communities in which we build, and advocate for housing- friendly policy changes. MEMBER SUCCESS STR TEGIC VISION ORGANIZATIONAL AGILITY & ALIGNMENT COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT HOUSING ADVOCACY 5 SUMMER 2024 | master BUILDER IN EVERY ISSUE