Bill Paul - President of the Tampa Bay Builder's Association

Bill Paul is President of the Tampa Bay Home Builders Association, which comprises over 1100 member companies and is the largest trade organization in Tampa  Bay. Bill has been active on many governmental and political affairs committees and is well known and respected by countless local and state government officials.  Bill is one of only 20 national Trustees for the Home Builders Institute, which is the education and workforce development arm of the National Association of Home Builders. During the 2003 legislative session he was instrumental in securing funding for the Home Builder’s Institute juvenile rehabilitation effort known as Project Craft.

Florida Home Builders Association
Features an Article on Bill this Week

By Paul M. Thompson, CAE

Tampa-based builder-developer Bill Paul is pursuing a dream that will add nothing to his net financial worth.

At a time when most developers are busy looking for the next lucrative land deal in Florida's red-hot real estate market, Paul, the immediate past president of the Tampa Bay Builders Association, is devoting his time, energy and money to attract and train young people for careers in the construction trades.

"There's lots of money to be made in our industry right now," says Paul, Tampa Bay BA’s Builder of the Year for 2004 and FHBA's current Area V Vice President, "but there's also a window of opportunity to make a difference in the lives of young people."

Paul is clearly seizing the moment.

Locally, he is a driving force behind the Tampa Bay BA's Future Builders of America (FBA) chapter. He is a Trustee of the Florida Home Builders Association Foundation, which assists young people entering the construction field. And, he serves on the Board of Trustees of the Home Builders Institute (HBI), the workforce training arm of the National Association of Home Builders.

Paul believes the FBA chapters will prove a powerful magnet for future leaders of the construction industry. At a summer camp the Foundation hosted last year for FBA students, Paul worked with generous suppliers to get all the tools and materials donated for the kids' hands-on construction projects.

"FBA is filling such an important void in our educational system," says Paul. "Unfortunately, we're discovering that most high schools today have abandoned the old 'shop' classes that used to attract kids who liked to work with their hands and their minds. FBA gives those kids the opportunity to learn and hopefully enjoy rich and rewarding careers in our industry."

In his role on the HBI Board, Paul has gleaned insights into national workforce training issues and become personally involved in the development of a program known as Project Craft, which trains low-risk juvenile offenders for careers in construction. The Florida Department of Juvenile Justice has invested over $1 million annually for Project Craft programs around the state.

"I believe people should have a second chance," says Paul. "Kids can make stupid mistakes. What helps them recover from those mistakes is to get a focus in their life. I've seen first-hand that learning a construction trade can be a lifeline for these kids."
Paul's obvious passion for the industry has served him well in his leadership roles with the Tampa Bay BA and FHBA.

As Tampa's president last year, he immersed himself in every aspect of the Association and triggered a high level of member involvement. As an example, he attended all the meetings of the BA's Sales and Marketing Council, going table to table to express his appreciation for the role sales and marketing professionals play in our industry.

Joseph Narkiewicz, the veteran Tampa Bay BA Executive Vice President, says “Bill Paul is a member committed to participating at the local, state, and national levels of the association structure. Bill Paul devotes the same, high intensity enthusiasm whether it’s chairing a committee, serving as a member of a committee, or participating as a volunteer.  ‘Dedication’ is his middle name…he’s always there for our industry and our Association.”

Paul was selected by his peers to chair the FHBA Local Presidents Council last year and this year, he has stepped up to become the Area V Vice President, serving in key posts on the state association's Executive, Legal Action and Industry Issues Committees.

His involvement ties in perfectly to another of Paul's passions: politics. "The land development business demands that you become involved in the political process at the local, state and federal levels," says Paul. "I've tried to develop relationships with elected officials at every opportunity. I support those who have demonstrated strong character and who understand the importance of our industry… and aren't afraid to stand up for what’s right.”

From his days growing up in Tarpon Springs, Paul has long been close to the Bilirakis family, including Republican U.S. Congressman Michael Bilirakis and state Rep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Palm Harbor). He is a strong supporter of his area's state legislative delegation, including Reps. Kim Berfield (R-Clearwater) and Kevin Ambler (R-Tampa).

On those rare occasions when Paul is not working on a land deal or an association project, you might find him involved in one of several personal pursuits, including collecting Coca-Cola memorabilia.

"My grandfather ran a Coca-Cola plant in Ohio and he left me a bunch of Coke stuff," says Paul. "I didn’t think much about it at the time until I came across Petretti's Coca-Cola Collectibles Price Guide and realized the value of what I had. From then on, I preserved the items I had and collected more along the way."

For Bill Paul, his Coke collection is both a labor of love and a good investment… not unlike his tireless and unselfish work to create opportunities for the next generation of Florida's home building professionals.