HBA names second CEO in 6 months

The Home Builders Association of Greater Springfield has its new CEO in place just as its former CEO lands as a mortgage lender for Southern Missouri Bank of Marshfield.

On July 1, Ken Thrasher began his job as head of the Springfield-area HBA, succeeding Gloria Roling, who resigned in April after just three months in the post.

Thrasher worked most recently for a few months at Robert Hood Professional Project Management following a four-year stint as a national sales manager for Pinnacle Sign Group. He also worked 12 years for the National Federation of Independent Business, traveling the country as a trainer, and served three years as a field representative for Missouri Congressman Mel Hancock in the 1990s.

HBA Board President Brett Godfrey said a selection committee of eight identified two finalists from roughly a dozen candidates. Both finalists, Godfrey said, had not sought the position when it opened up in December as 11-year HBA veteran Matt Morrow left to take a director position in Alabama.

Motivating members
Godfrey said Thrasher, HBA’s third CEO in the last six months, was selected for his ability to motivate others and his experience working with government officials and legislators.

“He demonstrated [to the committee] he would be a good motivational person for our membership,” said Godfrey, owner of construction firm Built By Brett and the selection committee chairman.

“There are always code issues and mandates coming down from the federal level, and we believe he would monitor those and be able to work with officials to lessen the impact of regulations on the building community.”

Thrasher said the lead role for the 379-member HBA is similar to his efforts at NFIB, and he plans to emphasize business advocacy on a local level.

“Anyone who advocates for the people who work, make the country work, provide jobs and get the economy going, I have a soft spot for them,” Thrasher said, noting he wants to advocate for common sense rules when it comes to laws governing the building community.

While he said he still has a lot to learn, one local initiative Thrasher said he supports is moving to make the optional installation of sprinkler systems in new home construction permanently optional under city building codes. He said sprinkler systems are an important safety feature, but homebuyers and builders should be able to decide for themselves whether the extra expense is needed.

“I’m always in favor of common sense measures but always tend to shy away from the word mandate,” Thrasher said.

As Oklahoma-native Thrasher settles into an empty office, he is calling and inviting members to an August luncheon. With an annual retention rate of roughly 90 percent, he said the organization has had strong leadership and members who continue to see the value of the networking and advocacy group.

“There has got to be good give and take, good involvement from the people who actually do the jobs,” Thrasher said. “I want to energize the membership.”

Shift to banking
Both Godfrey and HBA board member Sam Bradley declined to say whether Roling stepped down on her own or was asked to resign. Roling told Springfield Business Journal last week she left HBA because of time commitments connected to the declining health of her parents.

“I have been the caretaker for my parents and they have had some major health issues and still have some ongoing,” Roling said. “The Home Builders Association was a lot of responsibility. When you start a new job like that, you feel really guilty if you have to be gone. It wasn’t right to them, and I just had to be the caretaker of my parents.”

Roling was hired around July 1 as a mortgage loan originator for Southern Missouri Bank of Marshfield, said David Lurvey, the bank’s vice president and director of mortgage lending.

She works out of Southern Missouri’s newest office at 3335 E. Ridgeview St., which opened May 1 northwest of Battlefield Road and Highway 65.

“We think she’s a great asset to our company because of her connections in the community,” Lurvey said, adding he thought the arrangement was mutually beneficial. “I think it was a good fit for her.”

Prior to joining the HBA, Roling worked for three years as the marketing director of Springfield architecture firm Esterly, Schneider & Associates Inc. She also previously served as business development manager for Walton Construction Co. and as program coordinator for the Springfield Area Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Springfield initiative.[[In-content Ad]]