FROM THE PRESIDENT

I begin my Presidency for 2012 by saying Muchas Gracias, Merci Beaucoup or Molte Grazie. No matter the language, all three expressions are saying “Thank you very much”. Thank you to Ira Tane for the excellent job you did as Chairman of the Board for 2011. You get the award for the most diplomatic person in the organization. And thank you to Mike Kelly for all of your hard work as LIBI’s President for the past year. You are such a hard worker yet you make it seem so easy. I will follow the excellent example that you set for me and hopefully I too will have the success that you did as LIBI’s President.

And last, but not least, Thank You to the Past Presidents and Board of Directors for having the confidence in 2009 to elect me to the LIBI ladder; thank you for your faith and trust in my abilities. As I climbed the ladder through the offices of Secretary, Treasurer and Vice President I gained an infinite amount of knowledge that will now help me lead this organization. I am so proud that I am the first woman ever elected as the President of this very prestigious organization and I will work my hardest this year for LIBI.

Please allow me to next explain who is a member of the LIBI organization and the main reason for the LIBI organization. LIBI stands for Long Island Builders Institute. In order to be a member of LIBI you have to be involved with the Building Industry here on Long Island. You can be a builder, a general contractor, a home remodeler, a sub-contractor or a professional. As a sub-contractor you don’t only have to be one of the trades; you can also be, for example, an insurance agent or a mortgage broker. As a professional we have members who are lawyers as well as accountants. It is safe to say that we have a wide variety of categories for our membership list. And, the LIBI membership is presently well over 400 members strong. We are members of LIBI because we care about the Building Industry and we want to see it moving ahead.

LIBI is a lobbying organization for the Building Industry. Whether it’s here on Long Island or upstate New York in Albany, LIBI is constantly in touch with elected officials to discuss their programs or some legislation that they recently introduced. Most of this communication is done through our main voice, namely our Executive Officer, Mitch Pally. Mitch is at the table as much as possible so that he can discuss issues of concern for our Industry. At times there can be a lot of issues that we must discuss and then take a position. And so, in addition to Mitch, we also have a few committees that monitor these bills and programs such as Community Outreach and LIBI Builder PAC.

As we begin 2012 there is a renewed sense of LIBI’s strength and potential. As this year’s LIBI President one of the most important words for me is Growth. Growth will always be my ulterior motive as I step up to the President’s position. I want to grow the LIBI organization in so many ways. First, I want to grow our membership; I want to grow it to 500 members. I know that this will take a lot of hard work and effort from all of us, but I know that it can be done. And then I want to expand LIBI’s presence and stature in the public eye. I started to do this a few years ago as I helped start the “Returning Homes for Veterans” program. This year we will continue building these homes with the next site to be located in Ronkonkoma. I will also continue to grow the “LIBI Voice” so that it resonates throughout the island; the LIBI voice will be heard on all major issues concerning the Building Industry. And finally, I want to expand the public’s knowledge so that everyone understands why LIBI is so important for Long Island and its economy.

As I pursue LIBI’s image of growth and expansion, one area that I will focus on for 2012 is LIBI PAC. This is of utmost importance to us since we are a lobbying organization. Thanks to a change made by Past President Matt Whalen in 2009, the LIBI PAC is now well funded; this helps us make statements with some of our contributions. This year all of the State Senators as well as the State Assembly People are up for re-election. Thus, most of our lobbying efforts for 2012 will be at the state level. We will support the elected state officials who support our industry. For the first time in the history of LIBI, there will be a Local Lobby Day on Long island in addition to the Executive Lobby Day that LIBI always has in Albany.

For our Local Lobby Day LIBI members will meet with their state Senators and Assemblymen so that they can directly address LIBI’s issues of concern. It is very important that we educate these officials as to the importance of the Building Industry. The building industry is the economic engine that creates jobs and generates a tax base for local government; “A Busy Building Industry is so vital to the island’s economy” and this point must be driven home to all of them. When we are busy and thriving so is the island’s economy. That’s not to say that LIBI will ignore the Presidential election, another election which is very crucial to our industry. However, LI BI PAC funds cannot be used on federal elections, so the state elections will be emphasized for all LIBI members.

The year 2012 is also a record breaking year for LIBI; after 71 years of existence the LIBI organization finally has a woman as President. This is a first time event and I know that everyone will be watching as I move through the year. In closing, I promise you that I will work to my utmost ability to grow LIBI so that it becomes a well known entity throughout the island.

Clara Datre
President
Long Island Builders Institute