Earlier this year our Association formed an informal committee comprised of Immediate Past President Matt Bursky, President Steve Miller, Past President Joel Testa, Board of Trustees member Jennifer Gonzalez and Graves Lumber CFO Brian Quinlan. The committee has held regular meetings with an informal committee formed by Home Builders Association of Greater Cleveland. The purpose of the meetings was to examine the advisability of merging our two associations. With the advice of each committee’s counsel, a merger agreement, proposed bylaws and the name of the merged entity were agreed upon.
The Board of Trustees of The Home Builders Association of Portage and Summit Counties met on July 29, 2025. At that meeting the Board of Trustees determined it is in the best interests of our Association to authorize a merger with and into Home Builders Association of Greater Cleveland. The Corporation following the merger will be the Building Industry Association of Northeast Ohio.
The Resolutions of the Board of Trustees (passed unanimously at that meeting) authorizes the committee to further the merger process. It authorizes and directs the President, Vice-President, Secretary/Treasurer and Immediate Past President to consummate the merger, subject to the approval of the members of our Association and the National Association of Home Builders of the United States.
In accordance with the Resolutions and in compliance with our By-Laws, a General Membership meeting is scheduled for August 28, 2025 from 5:30 – 7:30 pm. The meeting will be held in the Reischman Auditorium, 799 White Pode Drive, Akron, OH 44320. At that meeting the members present along with proxies properly submitted will have the opportunity to vote on the proposed merger. A quorum of not less than 1/5 of members in good standing will be required to vote on this issue.
In anticipation of that meeting, you are being provided the following documents relative to the merger:
THE HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF PORTAGE AND SUMMIT COUNTIES RESOLUTIONS OF THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES - LINK TO DOCUMENT
AGREEMENT OF MERGER BETWEEN HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF GREATER CLEVELAND AND THE HOME BUILDERS ASSOCIATION OF PORTAGE AND SUMMIT COUNTIES - LINK TO DOCUMENT
REVISED Bylaws of the Building Industry Association of Northeast Ohio - LINK TO DOCUMENT Proxy form for a member of the Association to be submitted not more than 30 days in advance of the meeting and announced by the presiding officer before the vote on the merger (as provided for in Article 5, Section 2 of our current bylaws) - LINK TO DOCUMENT
In closing, I greatly appreciate the time and effort of both task forces to craft a merger that solidifies our Association’s continued successful and profitable existence. Both task forces have been committed to preserving our culture and our history. As a 600-member strong association with a broad geographical reach, we will be well positioned to continue the advancement of our mission.
Please take the time to review these documents in detail. If you have any questions, comments or concerns it important that you contact me directly to discuss in advance of the Board meeting.
Sincerely,
Steve Miller President
Executive Officers Steve Miller, President Justin Englert, Vice President Matt Bursky, Immediate Past President Andrew Petrarca, Secretary/Treasurer Richard Bancroft, Executive Officer Board of Trustees Melissa Beasley Len Huddleston Jennifer Pendergast Rochelle Sibbio Tracy Gershom Lisa Kornuc Connor Pinion Scott Strayer Jennifer Gonzalez Fred Langguth Drew Shultz Jim Yezbak Nick Horrigan
Date: 8/28/2025 Location: Reischman Auditorium (799 White Pond Dr.) Time: 5:30-7:30pm Cost - Free Purpose: General Membership vote on Board of Trustees Approval of Resolution of Merger and Merger Agreement to merge our Association with the HBA of Greater Cleveland and form The BIA of Northeast Ohio.