September EO Update
Are You Hosting a Local Satellite Location for the 10/11 Virtual Meeting Day?
PLEASE respond to this email if you are planning to host a satellite location for the upcoming WBA Virtual Meeting Day on 10/11. We want to make sure we have an accurate list we can share with members!
Because there are many new faces among our executive officers, if you are not entirely sure what this means and would like to learn more about WBA Virtual Meeting Days/hosting a remote viewing of the meeting day at your local's office, please contact Samantha at slong@wisbuild.org. Thank you!
Reminder: NAHB Leadership Training Seminar in Stevens Point 10/25: Register Today
The NAHB Leadership Training seminar is open to all local executive officers and incoming HBA leadership (up to 4 individuals total invited per local association). We are looking forward to an action-packed day of sessions!
Cost of reservation is $25 per local association (if cost is an issue, please contact us).
Thank you for those who have already signed up! We are looking forward to an insightful and productive day.
For more details and to register, click here!
NAHB WMS Tips
Because there are many new executive officers who have joined our 3-in-1 organization in recent months, we wanted to alert everyone to resources that are available to help you effectively "tackle" the occasionally formidable national membership database!
The national membership database is the lifeblood of both the national (NAHB) and state (WBA) levels of the association. Simply put, this lets us know each month who are our members, who are our new members, and what dues have been collected. It is vital that the national database is updated to be as accurate as possible at the end of each month so the state and national levels of the organization can function effectively.
At the state level, the WBA sends out new member folders based on the monthly new member list, approves logins based on the current membership list, adds/removes individuals from important member communications, balances its books, and more.
One cumbersome feature of the national database is that it does *not* operate in real-time. Instead, at the end of each month a "batch" or "batches" must be submitted that show changes to the memberships (cancellations, new members, address changes, member of record changes, etc). It then takes about 15 days after the last day of the prior month for these submitted changes to appear.
Therefore, if a new member joins your organization on August 15th and you add that information in a batch to the national by the 31st, we will not know of the new member until the database is updated to reflect that addition around September 15th. Because the database's mechanics have the state and national levels a month behind by default, it becomes all the more essential that the WMS is updated in as timely a manner as possible. (After all, if a new member joined August 15th but the change wasn't submitted until September 2nd, it would not be processed until 9/30 and the member would not receive any WBA or NAHB communications until October 15th, 2 months into their membership, which isn't an ideal first impression!)
For beginners and even battle-tested veterans, the national database (WMS) can be a challenge. However, NAHB has prepared a lot of great resources, including online training sessions, to help executive officers navigate the system. We recommend those sessions as well as the WMS User Manual, available both online and in PDF format.
Also, feel free to contact Samantha at slong@wisbuild.org if you have a question - we may not know the best answer, but we can help get you in touch with someone who does!
NAHB EO Fall Orientation in Washington D.C. - Register by October 5th!
Don't miss out on the opportunity to learn about all the services NAHB offers EOs to help them effectively lead their HBAs and help their members. NAHB Orientation will take place Oct. 22-23, in Washington D.C., at the National Housing Center. Registration closes Friday, October 5th.
The orientation provides EOs with the opportunity to become familiar with NAHB's programs, products and services. Through networking with peers and NAHB staff, EOs will be able to more effectively articulate the benefits and services of NAHB when they return home.
All full- and part-time EOs of builder associations affiliated with NAHB are encouraged to attend. NAHB Orientation is designed to benefit EOs with less than five years of experience. However, all EOs are eligible to register and many seasoned EOs who have attended believe the program is valuable for them, as well.
A travel stipend up to $1,255 is available to all registered attendees. Hotel information will be forthcoming.
Click here to learn more and register. (A NAHB login is required.)
BOD Nominations - Start Brainstorming Now!
It's never too early to begin thinking of your WBA Board of Directors nominations for the coming year!
Consider nominating your incoming local presidents as well, if you are not already doing so!