Well, this is my last column as your CGR Board of Governors Chairman. We have a great committed group of governors and working with them has been an honor and a privilege! Special thanks to all of the Governors as well as to our NAHBR staff - Therese Crahan, Abbey Cameron, Kelly Mack, and Darlene Somerville. The tough economic conditions that have plagued our industry this year have had a significant impact on budgets throughout the federation. These ladies have stepped up all year long to make things happen! I also want to thank Greg Theis, CGR, CAPS, this year’s Vice-Chairman. I leave the Board of Governors in Greg’s capable hands for 2010 and know he will do an outstanding job.

As we finished 2009, there were 755 active CGRs including 75 new CGRs. I hope that each of you continue to distinguish yourselves from your competitors by touting your credentials every chance you get. But my bigger hope is that you are bringing others to the program. It may seem counterintuitive to want to share the wealth of knowledge and education that the CGR designation represents. But ask yourself whether it makes more sense to compete against well educated and trained professionals or against “Chuck in a Truck”? You know Chuck – the guy who doesn’t understand how to manage projects effectively, what to charge for his services, or how to negotiate a fair contract. Bringing more of your competitors to the table in the end makes our industry better for ALL of us!

As you may be aware, a team of your NAHBR leaders went through an extensive revision of the PREP in 2008, and with a few minor tweaks made this year, the new and improved PREP is now available. The new PREP is a much more balanced assessment of a remodeler’s skills and experience. Huge thanks to Bob Bell, CGR, CAPS, for leading this monumental effort!

Your Board of Governors has made some key decisions this year that mean maintaining your designation easier in terms of continuing education requirements. Look for the new Continuing Education requirements at NAHB.org coming soon!

Finally, the Graduate Master Remodeler (GMR) designation continues to gain momentum and add to its ranks. We now have 16 GMRs and the numbers continue to grow. This exclusive designation requires that a remodeler has held the CGR designation for three renewal cycles, or nine years. There have been many requests presented to the Board of Governors since the inception of the GMR asking for a waiver of this requirement or a waiver of one of the required courses. Each request has been given due consideration, but to date none of the waivers has been granted. The reasoning behind these difficult decisions is that the GMR designation was conceived as a way to recognize those CGRs who have demonstrated longevity both in carrying the CGR credential, and in terms of their tenure in the profession. It is an elite credential and the intent was to recognize those who have proven their staying power and their commitment to professional development.

In closing, 2009 was a challenging year for each of us individually and as a federation. Those of us who have some gray hair and some battle scars know that these cycles are a fact of life in our industry. While the underlying reasons behind these ups and downs seem to be a little different each time around, one thing remains constant – by choosing to stay on a purposeful course of continuing education and professional development, we can survive these downturns and live to fight another day!

Best wishes for a prosperous 2010!

All my best,

Jeff Hunt, CGR, GMB, CAPS, CGP [ return to top ]