HBA announces Builder of the Year, inducts five into its Hall of Fame

The Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield announced Dec. 19, 2001, that Brett Godfrey of Built By Brett Inc. is the organization's 2001 Builder of the Year. Godfrey serves as the vice president of the HBA and as chairman of the organization's Government Affairs Committee.

According to an HBA news release, other honors awarded at the organization's annual year-end awards ceremony were the 2001 Associate Individual of the Year Award, which went to Chris Torrisi, president of National Home Pro-ducts, and the 2001 Associate Company of the Year Award, which was presented to Meek's The Builders Choice.

Torrisi serves as chairman of the HBA Associates Council, and with Godfrey, Torrisi was instrumental in developing a code of business ethics and standards of professionalism for HBA members to uphold, the release said.

The owners of Meek's are strong supporters of the HBA and the community. Representatives of the company serve on every active HBA committee and on the HBA Board of Directors.

The company's time and resources helped the HBA achieve a number of priorities in 2001, including the establishment of the Coalition for Building a Bet-ter Tomorrow.

During the ceremony, which is aimed at recognizing the achievements of HBA members, five members were inducted into the HBA Hall of Fame. Inducted were builders Orville Bradley, Bill Dean and the late Bill MacLachlan; and associate members Meek's Building Centers and Acme Brick. Bradley, Dean and MacLachlan each served as president of the HBA in the past, and their sons also are active in the HBA. Both associate companies inducted have shown continued support for the association via the donation of time, money and resources.

The board of directors presented an award to Sam Bradley, of Sam Bradley Homes, for his leadership in establishing and directing the Coalition for Building a Better Tomorrow, and an award to God-frey for his leadership in establishing and directing the HBA's new Government Affairs Committee.

President's Awards were presented to Matt Bailey, of Howard Bailey Com-pany, for his chairmanship of the HBA Scholarship Committee, which established the new HBA Scholarship Fund auction night; and to Rusty MacLachlan, of J. Russell MacLachlan Custom Homes, for his leadership in the Home Builders Association of Missouri. Mac-Lachlan served his second term as the state association's president in 2001.

The HBA also acknowledged the outstanding service of its board of directors in 2001.

Board members were: Ed Alden, president; Brett Godfrey, vice president; Russel Caldwell, treasurer; Kevin Cling-an, secretary; Sam Bradley, past president; Linus Campbell, Jim Haseltine, A.G. Paul, Kevin Scheer, Don Shuler, Alex Warner and Bob Whitlock, directors; and Jerry Corbett Sr., J.D. Gil-lenwaters, John Harp and Hershel Johns, lifetime directors.