RIBA Annual Meeting: New president calls for concerted action amid industry challenges

Launching his administration with a powerful message urging members to get active in industry, legislative and regulatory affairs, Robert Baldwin became the 34th president of the Rhode Island Builders Association on October 5th. "If you stay the same, you fall behind. The opponent will figure you out and beat you," said Baldwin, repeating a lesson he learned while playing basketball for legendary Providence College coach Joseph Mullaney. "We must change to meet the challenges of our time." Baldwin made it a point to acknowledge and thank RIBA's staff and board members, all those who are part of the new administration, and the Baldwin family. Baldwin also shared some of his personal history, including his decision to forego Harvard Law School out of love for home building and his family's construction business. The setting was the Alpine Country Club, Cranston, where nearly 160 members and guests gathered for the event, which included complimentary cocktails and buffet, along with awards and recognitions for member service to RIBA, and the installation of officers for 2010-2011. New this year was a "50/50" raffle to raise money for RIBA's Builders Helping Heroes charity. The winner was David Gardner, PLS, of David D. Gardner & Associates Inc. Another feature of the evening was the pre-meeting visit by several political candidates, including independent gubernatorial candidate Lincoln Chafee, District 1 Republican congressional candidate John Loughlin II, District 2 congressman James Langevin, and District 2 Republican candidate Mark Zaccaria. As for RIBA's officers, installed along with president Baldwin, who heads Lincoln-based R.B. Homes, were vice president Felix Carlone of F.A. Carlone & Sons, treasurer Steven Gianlorenzo of Gianlorenzo and Sons Construction Corp., and secretary Roland Fiore of South County Sand & Gravel Co., Inc. Also elected at the meeting were local directors: Thomas D'Angelo of Terry Lane Corp., Michael DeCesare of DeCesare Building Co., Robert Pesce of Lehigh Realty LLC., James Tavares of James P. Tavares Construction Inc., Timothy Stasiunas of The Stasiunas Companies, Dennis DiPrete of DiPrete Engineering Associates Inc., Christine Whatmough of Granites of America, and Stephen Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald Building and Remodeling. Approved for nomination as national directors were: Thomas McNulty of E.A. McNulty Real Estate; John Anderson of Insurance Reconstruction Services/Tech Builders; Brian Arnold of B.R. Arnold Construction Co., Inc.; Robert Baldwin of R.B. Homes Inc.; Michael DeCesare of DeCesare Building Co.; Raymond Gallison of Newport Plate & Mirror Glass; Steven Gianlorenzo of Gianlorenzo and Sons Construction Corp.; Paul Norbury of Norbury Construction Co.; and Peter Rogers of Gerard Building & Design Co., Inc. Nominated as alternate national directors were: Joseph Cracco of Modern Yankee Builders Inc.; Louis Cotoia of Arnold Lumber Co., Inc.; Vincent Marcantonio of Marcantonio Design Builders; and Richard Welch of Apple Construction Corp. Barbara Gallison of Newport Plate & Mirror Glass was nominated for re-election as RIBA's National Association of Home Builders representative. Anyone nominated for national office at the annual meeting will be officially elected and installed at the National Association of Home Builders convention in January in Orlando. RIBA thanks the many sponsors and donors who helped make the evening a success! Paul Eno is the owner and editor-in-chief of New River Press, Woonsocket and is the editor of the monthly RIBA newsletter, The Rhode Island Builder Report.