Special to 1808Delaware
Jeff Yates of Manor Homes was installed on Wednesday as the 2021 President of the Building Industry Association of Ohio’s (BIA), Kickstart 2021, which was held virtually.
Yates joined the BIA’s Board of Trustees in 2017 and was an active participant in Manor Homes’ many entries in the Parade of Homes during his tenure with the company. In 2020, Yates was appointed as Chair of the Committee tasked with reshaping the BIA’s signature event.
In his remarks, which were delivered from a home under construction, Yates highlighted two significant initiatives that the Association would be undertaking in 2021, the recasting of the Parade of Homes and a restructuring of the BIA’s membership program.
Yates stated, “We believe that the best homes in America are built in central Ohio by BIA members. This year, our goal will be to highlight as many of them as possible and make our homes as accessible to homebuyers as possible. The new Parade will accomplish that, and we are excited to tell you more about it in the coming months.”
Yates acknowledged his predecessor Jim Lipnos (Homewood Corporation) for his leadership in a challenging year.
“In a year when many people and organizations were frozen or unable to chart a path forward, Jim Lipnos did what he always has done, dug in and led our Board to look at the strategic direction of the organization. The changes made under his leadership will have a lasting impact upon the BIA and its members,” said Yates.
Yates, who lives in Delaware County with his two children and fiancé, is a graduate of Michigan State University with a degree in Construction Management and has worked for Manor Homes for 23 years.
The BIA’s Kickstart program, which was sponsored by Park National Bank, also included remarks from Ohio Lt. Governor Jon Husted, who acknowledged the “essential” nature of the Construction Industry during the COVID-19 crisis and Delaware County Commissioner Gary Merrell, who highlighted the collaborative nature of the public-private partnership between BIA members and Ohio’s fastest-growing county.
The Building Industry Association of Central Ohio has represented the homebuilding industry in our region for more than 75 years. The BIA’s mission is to advocate for policies which will allow for our industry to meet the growing and diverse needs of our region, promote awareness of the homebuilding industry and the thousands of jobs it supports, provide a path for professional and career development and to serve as a vehicle for networking and industry collaboration
