Dear HBAT family,
As the 2021 HBAT president I was looking forward to seeing everyone in Memphis. But, like so many things in 2020, COVID-19 threw a monkey wrench into those plans. While I’ll admit I did miss the pageantry of the annual inauguration and the traditional passing of the gavel; those traditions are not necessary for this Association to move forward and continue our work advocating for our members and the homeowners in Tennessee.
During the past year, many of the typical large gatherings have been cancelled, removing the fellowship that accompany many of our business and social activities. This December most local HBAs cancelled or postponed their holiday parties, so we will miss another opportunity to engage with friends across the state.
I’m hoping the vaccine is going to be available soon to the general public, allowing us to return to the normal in-person meeting format at the HBAT summer meeting.
But we can’t wait for the world to normalize to continue our advocacy efforts. We need to be diligent to ensure that our industry maintains its “essential” status should a surge in cases lead to new lock-down orders. It is safe to say with a new President in the White House, we can expect more regulations and restrictions coming our way. So, even though we have had to adjust our in-person meetings we still must work together to keep our industry strong and thriving!
In the new year I hope each of you will continue to “do business with a member”. I am asking you to contribute to HIPAC and Build-Pac, as those dollars are more important than ever to maintain our political presence. And last, but not least, I challenge you to remain engaged as we begin 2021.
