Person of the Week

Bill Paul

By Paul M. Thompson, CAE

Tampa builder-developer Bill Paul is taking his passion for workforce training to the national scene.

The former Chair of the Florida Home Builders Association Foundation and the current Vice Chair of the FHBA Governmental Affairs Committee, Paul has been named 2007 Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Home Builders Institute.

HBI is the workforce development arm of the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). Paul assumed his new role at the International Builders’ Show in Orlando on February 7, taking over from Michael Sivage, a builder and developer from Albuquerque, New Mexico.

Paul has worked as a developer, builder and consultant throughout Florida for more than a quarter century on projects ranging from single-family and town home communities to office and retail centers.

Bill Paul is the chairman of the National Association of Home Builders Home Builders Institute (HBI) for 2007.

“I’m excited about becoming chairman of HBI. It is an exceptional organization, serving the residential construction industry while helping people in need” said Paul. “HBI has a strong foundation on which to grow as it serves our communities and our industry... I want to be a part of that and do what I can to make it happen.”

Paul has served on the Board of Trustees since 2003 and his access to policymakers has played a major role in the growth of HBI programs in the Sunshine State.

During the 2006 legislative session, for example, he was instrumental in securing funding and support for Project CRAFT (Community, Restitution, and Apprenticeship-Focused Training), HBI’s congressionally-recognized training program for adjudicated youth.

Paul also chairs the Tampa Bay Builders Association’s (TBBA) governmental affairs committee working with community planning and regulatory offices to create a builder-friendly environment that also protects consumers.

Throughout his years in the industry Paul has remained active at every level of NAHB. Along with several committee responsibilities, he is Past President of TBBA and serves on the Board of Director of the Florida Home Builders Association (FHBA) and NAHB. 

About Home Builders Institute
Home Builders Institute (HBI) is the workforce development arm of the 225,000-member National Association of Home Builders (NAHB). HBI is a non-profit organization offering craft education, training and placement programs for the residential construction industry. For more than 30 years, HBI programs have trained people in the trades, promoted the industry as a career and helped the residential construction industry and NAHB membership address its workforce needs.

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