Patty Rietkovich -- Eexecutive Officer of the HBA of Greater Savannah and the new EO liaison for the National Sales & Marketing Council -- takes us through the ups and downs of a successful SMC, offering tips and examples of what works for her HBA.

What is your background as an EO? 

I came to work as the Executive Officer for the HBA of Savannah in August of 1996. When I started, we had roughly 350 members and I was the only staff person. My immediate goal was to increase awareness about the Association and to increase membership. By 1998 we were successful in starting a second Chapter within the Association known as the Effingham County Chapter and also added two additional staff people. By 2002, our membership had grown enough to start our third chapter known as the Bryan County Chapter.

It was also in 2002 that we changed the name of our Association to the HBA of “Greater” Savannah. In 2004 we formed a very successful Sales & Marketing Council who had the honor of winning the SMC of the Year from the National Association of Home Builders in our first year. By 2007, we had grown to over 850 members and had a total staff of five.

What have been your biggest challenges as an EO?

My biggest challenge during my 13 years as being an EO has been within the past two years. After having so much success over the past 10 or 11 years, not only did the market start to turn, but we also lost our statewide workers compensation insurance program which was our largest member benefit for the State of Georgia. As a result, we have unfortunately lost a lot of members and had to cut staff as well.

How did your chapter’s SMC get started? 

In 2002, my mother-in-law was heavily involved with the SMC of Greater Columbia in Columbia, S.C. We had many conversations about the success of the Columbia SMC and she invited me to attend their annual Regal Awards Banquet. I was so impressed with their work that I came back to Savannah and started doing my own research about starting a Chapter. I think the main thing that sold me on starting a SMC was seeing first-hand the recognition that the members of the SMC received for their hard work.

I contacted several EOs who had successful SMCs and asked for help. I remember saying "if we are going to do this, we are going to do it right." I was also very fortunate to have one member who was extremely involved with the NSMC right here in Savannah, and she served as my first co-chair for the SMC.

What is the number one thing that the SMC contributes to your HBA?

The number one thing that the SMC contributes to the HBA would have to be our education program. Prior to starting the SMC, we did not offer education classes at all. Since the formation, we have successfully offered classes to our membership and that has become a large revenue source for not only the Association, but for the SMC as well. We have also started our own Real Estate School with the Georgia Real Estate Commission.

How have the problems in today’s building industry affected your chapter?

Obviously with the downturn in the economy, coupled with losing our statewide Worker’s Compensation Insurance program, our local Association budget has been adversely affected. Our fundraisers have also suffered during these bad economic times. However, this has forced our HBA to get even more creative and aggressive with the services and benefits that we provide to our members. For instance, the SMC just recently added a page to their website offering the members the opportunity to have their new home communities featured on the site free of charge.

How have you managed to gain and retain members?

Our jurisdiction was recently expanded to include a fourth county. The membership committee has made great strides to bring those potential industry related professionals into our Association. We recently held a luncheon for those individuals and companies to present a PowerPoint on all the benefits of being a part of our Association.

On retention, we have put together a committee who focuses directly on contacting those members who are up for renewal. We have offered them the opportunity to pay for their membership in three monthly installments. We also take this opportunity to remind them of all the benefits of their membership.

What SMC programs or events have had the most positive effect on your membership recruitment and retention in general?

The most positive program that helps with our SMC recruitment and retention would have to be our annual Summit Awards Program. Only members of the SMC are eligible to participate in this black tie, Academy Awards-style gala.

Individuals and companies are recognized in many categories such as Achievement in Sales, Best Marketing Campaign, Best Design Center and Community of the Year. A tremendous amount of publicity is given to those award winners through press releases to local media and through the HBA Web site.  Every year we see industry professionals join the SMC in order to take advantage of this opportunity. We also have a high retention rate during this time as only current members are eligible.

What is the greatest strength of your chapter, and how do you, as an EO, maintain that strength?

The greatest strength of this chapter would have to be the unity amongst the members. My Builders and Associates are all competitors in the everyday life. However, when they step into the doors HBA office, they always put that aside. That is also the one thing that I am most proud of. They work so hard for this association even in the worst economic times.

After having to recently cut staff, we found it necessary to start a Government and Regulatory Affairs Committee in order to stay on top of all of the day to day regulations we face by many different municipalities. Without that dedicated staff person, the members had to once again step up for the entire benefit of the industry and they did so without even blinking an eye.  I have a pretty special group of people here in Savannah.

What benefits does the SMC bring to your HBA? 

The SMC brings a variety of benefits to the HBA.  Everything from education to higher attendance at meetings and then most of all, I think our builders see the valuable marketing opportunities that members of our SMC provide for them.  One example of a benefit the SMC brings to a Builder member would be that we hold several of our SMC monthly meetings on-site at a new home community. This gives the builder the added exposure to a very targeted audience and provides the SMC members the opportunity to see first hand a new home community that they may not otherwise take the time to see on their own.

Do you have any programs that changed in response to the changes in the housing market? If so, what were the programs and how were they revamped?

We have had lots of changes within the HBA and the SMC due to the change in the housing market. On the SMC side, participation in our education classes have started to suffer so we decided to host a class for free to the members where they could still get their CE (continuting education) credits. We are also changing up other programs so that they can be financially viable for the SMC, as well as accommodate our members' needs. In these bad economic times, you have to get very creative and most of all, be willing to compromise.

What are your tips for EOs wanting to find the same success has you have with your chapter?

My tips to other Executive Officers would be to continue to educate yourself every day.  It doesn’t matter how long you have been an EO, you will never know it all. Take advantage of the knowledge that your peers can offer you. Never be afraid to call another EO and ask for help or ideas. Most importantly, always listen to your members, find out what their needs are and then get creative and make it happen.

For more information about the HBA of Greater Savannah, contact Patty Rietkovich at 912-354-6193 or patty@homebuildersofsavannah.com.

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