Winter/Spring 2006

TEAMWORKin Training

Lowe’s Is the Tops!Lowe’s invited industry leadership and students to help share the news of the HBI/Lowe’s BuildingCareers Scholarship program with a record 110,000 attendees at the 2006 International Builders’ Showin Orlando. Pictured are four HBI Job Corps Student Ambassadors with (l-r) HBI Chairman MichaelSivage, HBI Vice Chairman Bill Paul, Lowe’s Vice President of Commercial Sales Mike Horn andNAHB President David Pressly. Since 2004, the Corporate 50 has contributed $150,000 to help HBIJob Corps graduates transition to industry careers. (Story on Page 3)

2 Teamwork in Training 3Home Builders Institute

ambassadors” were kept busy throughout the show -assisting with booth construction and preparations,participating in the nail driving competition, talkingwith builder members, competing in the first annualJob Corps Jeopardy! Championships, as well as receiv-ing special recognition from Lowe’s for their part inmaking Job Corps the outstanding program that it is.

From the Chairman

One thing I’ve learned from my experience as a homebuilder and developer is that people discover their careerpaths in different ways. In my case, my family played arole. My father began his career as an electrician so Ialways had a summer job working with him. I went to col-lege and studied accountancy which I came to realize wasa handy degree if you want to own your business.

This experience is not unusual in our industry; in fact it isone element that makes our industry great. We happilywelcome experienced professionals from different sectorsof the employment world into the industry. While an infu-sion of employees from other industries can somewhatalleviate the shortages in the workforce, we must also findways to attract the upcoming generation.

The new “Make it Happen” campaign is the first time wehave sought to raise awareness about the array of careersin our industry. HBI has also taken the lead in using itsclose affiliation to the industry to benefit its students in JobCorps with new curriculum and credentialing in carpentryand electrical. Pilot programs+ are testing a new plumbingcurriculum on six centers with a similar goal for this trade.

In another first, Job Corps graduates from HBI’s electricaland carpentry programs at the Jacksonville Job CorpsCenter can receive up to 30 credits toward an Associatesdegree thanks to articulation agreements with local com-munity colleges and the Northeast Florida Home BuildersAssociation. Similar efforts are underway at theSacramento Job Corps Center, facilitated by the NorthState Building Industry Association. Key to these visionarypartnerships is local industry leadership, HBI’s distin-guished history in Job Corps and funding that breaks themold as a grant to HBI under the President’s High GrowthJob Training Initiative.

A common element in these efforts is that of expandingopportunity. Through awareness, new curriculum andcollege credits, prospective students can learn about indus-try careers, current students train using today’s industrystandards, and our students graduate with the career skillsand a college start.

I look forward to working with Job Corps’ new nationaldirector, Dr. Esther Johnson, and on behalf of the Boardand staff, wish her every success at the helm of thisuniquely worthy program.

I am proud to be part of HBI. It is an organization com-mitted to innovation and excellence in preparing JobCorps youth for careers in the home building.

Michael SivageChairman of the Board of Trustees

HBI BIN(Building Industry Networks)‘Superintendent-in-Training’ for PulteThanks to a visit to Pulte Home’s Sierra Morada site inTucson by Fred G. Acosta plumbing instructor JohnGallagher, the company initiated a pilot internship pro-gram for entry-level superintendents.

Working with Jose Moreno, Pulte’s superintendent at thesite, the company welcomed Albert Preston as the first JobCorps “superintendent-in-training” last fall. Each day, he

walked with the buildinginspector, keeping a daily logof inspections; contacted sub-contractors to correct work;maintained accurate spreadsheets; and called ahead forthe next day’s inspections.

Preston made a strongimpression on Pulte superin-tendents, City of Tucsonbuilding inspectors and sub-contractors alike. After com-

pleting the internship and graduating from the program, hewas hired as an assistant superintendent for the FramingDepartment by Pratte Building Systems, an exclusive Pultesubcontractor.

“I am extremely proud to see our students working atsuch a professional level straight out of Job Corps,”said Gallagher. “It’s a win-win situation for everyoneinvolved.”

2006 International Builders’ Show– The Biggest Ever! From start to finish the 2006 IBS was packed full ofspectacular exhibits, informative classes and excited vis-itors. More than 110,000 people attended the show atthe Orange County Convention Center (OCCC) inOrlando, Florida. The attendance mark broke the pre-vious record set in 2005 and all of the OCCC’s fourfootball fields of exhibit space were filled. Former USSecretary of State Colin Powell delivered the keynote

address at the OpeningCeremonies and spoke ofthe importance of thehome building industry toAmerica’s economy.

Once again HBI had astrong presence at the IBS,and the show served asthe springboard for anexciting year in the homebuilding industry. HBI’seight Job Corps “student

Teamwork in Training

HBITeamwork in Training is published by Home Builders Institute, the workforce development arm of the National Association of HomeBuilders (NAHB). It is designed to provide Job Corps training professionals, members of the building industry and others, with informationon HBI’s Job Corps programs.

Michael Sivage, Chairman of the Board of Trustees Frederick N. Humphreys, President and CEO

Pulte Homes superintendent intraining Albert Preston, addressesFred G. Acosta Job Corps studentsat Pulte’s Sierra Morada site.

(Turn to page 13 for more HBI BIN)

Dr. Esther Johnson Named National DirectorWith the recent transfer of Job Corps tothe Office of the Secretary, new leadershiphas been appointed to guide the programin its new home. Dr. Esther Johnsonbecame National Job Corps Director onMarch 27, 2006.

Dr. Johnson, the first African Americanwoman to head Job Corps in its 41-yearhistory, is a life-long public servant withextensive experience at both federal andstate levels in education and employmentpolicy.

Prior to her appointment to the Office of Job Corps,Johnson served as Administrator for the Office of Performance and Technology in the Employment andTraining Administration (ETA) at the Department of Labor.

Before coming to DOL, Johnson workedwith the Arlington County Public Schools inArlington, Virginia. She holds a Doctorate inEducational Administration from VirginiaPolytechnic Institute and State Universityand both Master of Arts and Bachelor ofArts degrees in education from Virginia com-monwealth University.

Dr. Johnson was quoted saying that she was“excited about the opportunity to build onJob Corps’ proud history by pursuing educa-tional and high skills training strategies for

our youth that will keep them in step with the needs of the21st Century workforce."

Lowe’s Donates $50K More!

The Lowe’s Home Improvement booth was a hub ofactivity at IBS, which made it the ideal location tospotlight its support of Job Corps and the HBI/Lowe’sBuilding Careers Scholarship partnership. The namesof the more than 60 Job Corps students who havereceived scholarship awards since the program’s incep-tion were engraved on three brass plates and encasedat the entrance of the exhibit.

Established in April 2004 with an initial contributionfrom Lowe’s of $50,000, the scholarships help HBIJob Corps graduates defray the costs of making a tran-sition to the workplace. Following the presentation atIBS, Lowe’s renewed its commitment to HBI and itsJob Corps students for a third year, bringing the com-pany’s total support to $150,000!

Lowe’s dedicated the exhibit’s principal stage to recog-nize the partnership with NAHB, HBI and Job Corpsand its role in supporting the nation’s building indus-try. Lowe’s Vice President for Commercial Sales MikeHorn welcomed 2006 NAHB President David Presslyand 2006 HBI Chairman Michael Sivage, each speak-ing about the critical importance of Job Corps to theindustry and thanking the corporate giant for its con-tinued support of HBI and its students.

NAHB Student Chapters Sponsors Jeopardy!Competition

NAHB Student Chapterssponsored its first annualNational Job CorpsJeopardy! Champion-ships at HBI’s JobCorps Skills and Emp-

loyment booth. The fast-paced compe-tition consisted of semi-final andchampionship rounds in which stu-dents were tested on their academic, tradeand employment skills.

Demonstratingan impressiveunderstandingof tools, safety,trade math andpersonal careerdevelopment,

Medissa Lopez, one ofJohn Gallagher’s plumbingstudents at the Fred G.Acosta Job Corps Center inTucson, Arizona, emergedas the Job Corps Jeopardy!champion.

For the first time, thestudent ambassadorshad a chance to attendthe NAHB StudentChapters Awards Cere-mony and received cer-tificates of achievementfor their inaugural JobCorps Jeopardy! effort.The winner also rece-ived a $100 gift cardfrom Lowe’s.

(Turn to page 10 for more NAHB Student Chapters News)

5Home Builders Institute4 Teamwork in Training

Graduate Success Recognized at IBS

2005 NAHB President Dave Wilson presented KareemDorsett with the second annual NAHB President’sAward during the meeting of the NAHB Board ofDirectors. Dorsett, 25, an electrical apprentice withAlligood Electric Company in Orange Park, Fla., grad-uated from HBI’s electrical program at the JacksonvilleJob Corps Center in 2001 and completed his work-based learning at the company.

A model student, Dorsettwas hired as an electricalhelper immediately aftergraduation in January2002 and enrolled in theNortheast Florida BuildersAssociation's four-year reg-istered electrical appren-ticeship program. He will graduate in May andplans to become a master electrician.

Wilson cited Dorsett’s achievements as an example fortoday’s Job Corps students. “Our hope is that they toowill follow in Kareem’s footsteps,” he said, “and thatthey too will have the strength of character and perse-verance that helped earn him this award.”

The award is reserved for the HBI Job Corps graduatewho most ably displays the ability to overcome adver-sity and achieve success in the building industry

Kisna Tatum Wins Shirley Wiseman Lach Award

Kisna Tatum, 25, was presented with the 2006 ShirleyWiseman Lach Award for Exceptional Promise and a

$1,000 cash prize from 2-10 Home Buyers Warranty.Tatum moved to Florida from the Virgin Islands insearch of a career, enrolling in Richard Pickover’sFacilities Maintenance class at the Homestead JobCorps Center and focusing on plumbing.

When she broke her leg skating, some suggested shereturn home, but Tatum would not abandon her goalsand was back in class the following week on crutches andready to get to work. She graduated in 2004 and heremployer, Seaway Plumbing in Key Largo, was in theprocess of enrolling her in an apprenticeship program.Last year, she was reunited with her daughter, Elina.

Former NAHB President and HBI Trustee ShirleyWiseman Lach presented the award to Tatum. “Kisna’sstory is one of courage and determination,” WisemanLach said. “She had the courage to leave her home andfamily behind and the determination to do what she setout to do for herself and her young daughter. Job Corpsgave her the skills with which to do it. That is all theproof we need that Job Corps works!” she concluded ascheers and applause greeted her final words.

The Shirley Wiseman Lach Award for ExceptionalPromise is presented every year to an HBI Job Corpsgraduate who personalizes commitment to the industryand has displayed remarkable promise. ■

From Making a Difference toGroundhog Burrows andBeyond

From making a difference to groundhog burrows andbeyond, HBI Job Corps students from coast to coast wereputting their skills training to work in the community,learning about the industry, or simply donating their timeto help others.

Make a Difference Day, October 22, and Groundhog JobShadow Day on February 2, were calls to action andbrought attention to activities many HBI programsundertake year round through community projects, jobsite visits and volunteer efforts.

Cassadaga JCC Paints the Town; Inland Empire,Cedar House

Dan Nalepa’s painting crew hit the streets of Dunkirk,NY and even went under them to paint a pedestrianwalkway bright white from top to bottom. Pictured:Vladimir Samson rolls the top; while Quenton Henryand Jeramie Bradley work below.

Meanwhile, across the country at the Inland EmpireJCC, Walt Ridgeway’s electrical students painted allthe doors at the Cedar House, a transitional living cen-ter for recovering drug and alcohol patients.

Treasure Lake Students Waste No Time onGroundhog Day

HBI plumbing students from Treasure Lake JCC par-ticipated in several Groundhog Job Shadow activities

spending the day at job sites ranging from WinnelsonPlumbing Supply to the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refugeand the Lawton, OK, Waste Water Treatment Plant.

Golconda Visits Dam, Haunts Royal

John Gaddis took nine of his electrical students fromthe Golconda JCC to assist with the Royalton CivicPride organization’s annual “Haunted Hayride.” Itwas the fourth consecutive year that Golconda stu-dents assisted in the event, laying a path for the ride byinstalling posts, furring strips and installing 600 feet ofblack cloth through the woods.

Hawaii Students Work to Prevent Flooding

Looking ahead tothe rainy season thatflooded many areasthis year. EddieOnishi’s facilitiesmaintenance stud-ents cleared out the stream bed, andworked to repairand repaint a bridgein Waimanalo.

Saint Vincent de Paul Soup Kitchen Gets a Little Help

Paul Drake’s plumbingstudents at the Red RockJCC made a difference atthe Saint Vincent de PaulSoup Kitchen in Wilkes-Barre, PA, unloadingfood donations, stockingshelves, taking inventoryand distributing clothing.

6 Teamwork in Training 7Home Builders Institute

Students Steal the Show!

HBI’s Job Corps Skills and Employment Boothbustled. Thousands of people stopped by duringthe week and observed the students at work set-ting brick or installing dry wall, many musteringup the courage to challenge HBI’s apprentices in anail driving competition. All the materials for thebooth were donated by Lowe’s, a steadfast sup-porter of HBI’s Job Corps students, which helpedmake it an attractive destination.

This year’s Student Ambassadors came from as faraway as Weber Basin JCC to as nearby as theJacksonville JCC. Regardless of how far they trav-eled or the trade they represented, each becamepart of the booth team working side by side withHBI staff to let thousands in the industry learnabout Job Corps.

Five students and instruc-

tor Chloveta Caudill were

given a tour of the plant

to see first hand the end

result of municipal

residential plumbing

(pictured at plant).

Student Job Corps Center HBI TradeAmbassadors

Monique Johnson Weber Basin Brick MasonryNicholas Lightner Red Rock ElectricalMedissa Lopez Fred G Acosta PlumbingAngel Marquez Sacramento CarpentrySherman Rice Whitney Young Facilities MaintenanceDaniel Rivera Loring PaintingJames Simmonds Red Rock CarpentryDavid Smauldon Weber Basin Brick Masonry

9Home Builders Institute8 Teamwork in Training

Center NewsTool Demo Day and Safety Rodeo, Runaway Hits

Treasure Lake JCC plumbing instructor ChlovetaCaudill and Fastenal Assistant Manager WaylenKnapp organized a tool demonstration day for theTreasure Lake students. Dale Hughes from Metaboshared safety information on power tool use.Hitachi’s Elizabeth Castillo demonstrated the use of50 different powertools and everyone gotthe chance to do somehands on testing oftheir own!

The tools were bothbattery operated andelectrical, includingHitachi’s new com-pound mitre saw withLCD display and lasertechnology, a hot ticketat the demo.

Sixty students from the Woodstock JCC competedin the “Safety Is No Accident” rodeo on January 27.The competition consisted of twelve stations rangingfrom fire protection to identifying incorrect scaffoldassembly. Each station hosted judges, who scoredthe five-person teams on various safety rules and

practices.

The rodeo was the cul-mination in a week ofsafety training for thestudents includingOSHA 10 course onsafety, CPR and FirstAid, as well as how touse the Hilti PowderActuated ToolOperator and maneu-ver a lift truck.

Letter from The Dillers

Shortly before the Christmas Holiday, as 2005 drewto a close, Teamwork received a letter from Maggieand Peter Diller, grandparents of HBI carpentry stu-dent, Mitch Sarra. The letter was originallyaddressed to all Harper’s Ferry Job Corps employ-

ees, particularly Carpentry Instructor Steve Bish andthe Principal of Education Keith Leverit. An excerptfrom the letter follows:

It is with heartfelt appreciation that we send youthis note of thanks. You have contributed so muchto the well being of our grandson Mitch. When hecame to your facility several months ago, he waswithout direction but thanks to the dedication of allthe staff at Harper’s Ferry, Mitch has blossomed. Hehas earned his GED, a certificate in carpentry andhas a clear picture of where he wants to go in life.Thank you.

Maggie and Peter Diller

Loring Students Raise Funds for Katrina Victims

Loring JCC electrical students, with help from theirinstructor Otis May, organized a center-wide fund-raising campaign to help the victims of HurricaneKatrina. The students eagerly took on the responsi-bility of organizing the effort, often challenging cen-ter staff to match their contributions. Within aweek, the students had raised $854.00 which werequickly sent to the Hurricane Katrina Disaster Reliefefforts through the National Job CorpsAssociation’s Foundation for Youth Opportunities.

Culinary Tales from Treasure Lake

Chloveta Caudill, HBI Plumbing Instructor at theTreasure Lake JCC took off her tool belt to assistsome of the other programs at Treasure Lake.Culinary Arts held a student competition where thestudents prepared and served their best dishes.Caudill was invited to judge the event and got totaste every single one! ■

Builders Direct Brings Relevance to Training

HBI students from KeystoneJCC along with plumbinginstructor Jack Pape went toBuilders Direct in Hazletonto shadow Bill Parise. Parisegave the students an insidelook at his business, demon-strating the relevance oflearning applied in the

workplace. Other stu-dents participating werefrom Tim McNulty’sElectrical Wiring and JoeGorolis’ Carpentry classes.

Cantali’s Cassadaga Crew and Red Rock Brick Help Vets

The Cassadaga JCC’s carpentry class and instructorGretchen Cantali participated in a large scale Make aDifference Day project at the Disabled American VeteranPost in Dunkirk, NY. The entire class spent two and ahalf weeks building awheelchair ramp, a27-foot long con-crete sidewalk and aset of stairs. Thecrew also appliedvinyl vented soffitand wrapped all thefascia boards in aluminum.

A little ways South, Joe Entiero’s brick masonry studentsfrom the Red Rock JCC in Lopez, PA, were also makinga difference for veterans. The group visited the VANursing Home in Wilkes-Barre, where many of residentsshowed them their rooms and shared stories about theirservice. After a tour, the students and veterans playedgames and received an invitation to come back.

Sacramento Birdies for The First Tee

Carpentry instructor Mike Kohlbaker brought elevenHBI landscaping students and twelve of his carpentrystudents from the Sacramento JCC to work with TheFirst Tee of Greater Sacramento. The students spent timeweeding and refurbishing sand traps, fixing sprinkler

heads, placing new plants along the golf course and pick-ing up debris. The golf course is sponsored by the city ofSacramento to assist inner city youth develop golf skills.

Tongue Point Returns to Rainy Camp Rilea

For the eighth consecutive year, Tongue Point JCCstudents returned to lend a hand at Camp Rilea, anArmy National Guard training site. Despite consis-tent rain, electrical instructor Joyce Capehart’s stu-dents along with several from Doug West’s facilitiesmaintenance class, helped out with maintenance proj-ects around the camp and barracks.

Denison Mentors Welcome HBI Students

HBI students at theDenison JCC in Iowa,shadowed several localemployers on GroundhogDay including Do it BestHardware, Eventide Luth-eran Home, and the ColorCenter. Pictured is LucasWinebrenner at the Even-tide Lutheran Home. ■

Pictured l-r: James Peters, Pape,Travis Schoenberger, Alvin Cintron,Alan Santos, Brandon Sommers,Shawneeq Johnson and SequoaiJefferson.

in Lopez, PA, donated both their timeand money to worthy organizationsthis past Holiday season. The stu-dents worked as bell ringers for theSalvation Army at the localWyoming Valley Mall and thenpulled their money together to buytoys for the U.S. Marine CorpsReserve Toys for Tots program.

Guthrie’s First Habitat Home

HBI students at the Guthrie JCC willalways be able to say they helpedconstruct the first home built inGuthrie by Central OklahomaHabitat for Humanity. Working sideby side with church groups, builders,contractors, andhigh school stu-dents, Philip Orrand his electricalstudents wereamong the morethan 60 volunteerson the project.

The crew also putin landscaping and a brick sidewalkto fit with the area’s historical her-itage. “Guthrie was the territorialcapital of Oklahoma from 1889 to1907”, said Orr, “and many of itssidewalks and streets are still brick.”

On October 15, exactly two weeksafter the volunteers started, ChristineMartin became the city’s first Habitatfor Humanity homeowner.

placed on the National Register ofHistoric Places. All usable materialswere donated to Habitat forHumanity. Local media coverageincluded a front-page story in TheArizona Daily Star and reports byCBS and ABC affiliates.

Students Practice CherokeeTradition of Gadugi

In the tradition of Gadugi, meaningworking together for the bettermentof families and communities, theTalking Leaves JCC’s facilities main-tenance class partnered withCherokee Nation Home HealthServices (CNHHS) on the newCNHHS Community Health Park inTahlequah. HBI instructor DarylMartinez spearheaded the effort toput their training to work for a goodcause. Other projects that TalkingLeaves’ students have been workingon include Xtreme Internet, Jacob’sLadder bookstore, Moore Bros.Flooring and various painting jobsthroughout the community.

Entiero’s Brick Crew Pulls Double Duty

Students from Joe Entiero’s BrickMasonry class at the Red Rock JCC

Chapel Is History in Tucson

In October, a week-long revitaliza-tion project at the historic MaryImmaculate Chapel in Tucson testedthe skills of students from the FredG. Acosta Job Corps Center.Spearheading an effort to give thechapel a face lift were Alex Jacome,the Southern Arizona Home BuildersAssociation's government liaison;Greg Miedema, owner of DakotaBuilders and the association’s chair;and HBI Plumbing Instructor JohnGallagher.

The project called for the removal ofeverything that was not in the origi-nal structure, and students were putin charge of ripping out walls, dry-wall, glass, stairs, cabinets, plumbingfixtures and floors from an officespace remodel. The goal of the proj-ect was to restore the chapel to itsoriginal 1916 condition and have it

11Home Builders Institute10 Teamwork in Training

Community TiesPotomac JCC in “Mall Build” for Hurricane Victims

Gary Shavlik’s facilities maintenance students at thePotomac JCC in Washington, DC, were eager to helpbuild homes for victims of Hurricanes Katrina andRita. It turned out that they didn’t have to leave hometo do it. Habitat for Humanity, America Build andFreddie Mac sponsored a large-scale building event onthe national Mall where volunteers assembled sectionsfor shipment to the region.

On November 15, Shavlikand three studentsEmmalyne Dizon (pic-tured), Camile Rodriguezand Robert Reinwalljoined thousands of vol-unteers and proudly rep-resented Job Corps and thehome building industry.

Acosta Student Chapter Helps Emergency Food Bank

NAHB Student Chapter members at the Fred G.Acosta JCC suggested volunteering at the local TucsonEmergency Food Bank to their instructor and chapteradvisor, HBI plumbing instructor John Gallagher.Gallagher thought it was a wonderful idea andallowed the students to take ownership over making ithappen. The students made over 200 Thanksgivingfood boxes to donate to the Food Bank.

In an amusing turn ofevents, a regular FoodBank staff membermade a sharp turnwith a fork lift result-ing in a major cucum-ber spill. “I am espe-cially proud of thisproject because it wasa student generatedidea, this is what thechapter wanted to do”Gallagher said.

Cassadaga JCC Students Lend a Hand to 10,000 Maniacs

Mike Giardina’s plumbing, Dan Nalepa’s painting andBen Henry’s electrical students at the Cassadaga JCCparticipated in a community service project to help theChautauqua County HumaneSociety. The students helpedthe stage and sound crew setup for the fund raising concertheadlined by recording artist“10,000 Maniacs.” Studentsreceived valuable experiencehelping with stage setup, thelighting tracks and the soundequipment. All proceeds fromthe event went to help theHumane Society build a newadoption center.

Treasure Lake (Re)Wires Local Bank

HBI Electrical Instructor Donnie Garrett and his classworked to rewire the new Cache Community Buildingand Senior Center. The building was a bank and need-ed to be completely rewired before the new communi-ty center could open. The students were excited to getthis kind of first hand experience on such a big job.They also got a hand from the Carpenter’s Union crewheaded by instructor Glenn Mahan to do demolition.

The project’s crew takes a photo break outside the future home of the community build-ing and seniors’ center in Indiahoma, OK: L-R: HBI’s electrical volunteers – MatthewBlackburn, John Mooreman, Jeremy Gonzalez, Kris Overstreet, Garrett, Shaun Paukuneand Clevland Craig. Right: The Carpenters’ crew John Santos, Mahan, Ricky Smith,Michale Brackensick, Isaac Varnado, Justin Wilkins, Michael Franciski and NicholasLedoux.

Entiero’s students with their toy donations. Front: JuanMora Gamey, Rasheed Owens, Doug Seiler and RasheedHall. Back row: Devin Boomer, Quinten Hill and LeonardWhitehead.

Construction Career Days last fall. Theevent showcased all the constructiontrades to thousands of young peoplefrom around the State through demon-strations, hands-on activities andexhibits.

Shoemaker wrote, “It was a marvel tosee the whole event come together likeit did and I was very proud to be asso-ciated with such wonderful people likeyourself… I am continually hearingpositive feedback on the event and lookforward to working with you on thenext Construction Career Days…” ■

Gratigny Elementery’s 50th Anniversary Facelift

Landscaping studentsat the Miami JCCunder the supervisionof HBI LandscapingInstructor DanielPerez transformed thegrounds at the school.The front entranceand interior gardenswere cleaned, newflowers, shrubs andpalms planted and

decorative mulch spread. The Gratigny students andstaff were very pleased to receive this gift from JobCorps on their school’s 50th anniversary.

Community Service Rewards Chilson

Paul Chilson, HBI Plumbing Instructor at the SanDiego JCC, was recognized by the center for his“Commitment to Community Service.” Chilson playedan instrumental role in achieving the San Diego JCC’sgoal of increasing its service in the community. Thanksto Chilson, center students could be seen working allyear in projects for the Chula Vista Salvation Army, theGreyhound Dog Shelter, Estuary and Bay Refuge andthe community of Imperial Beach, to name a few. Intotal, Chilson helped coordinate 5,650 hours of com-munity service by center students and staff.

Students Restore Historic Maryland Cemetery

In 1935, the Rosa Bonheur Memorial Park was found-ed in Elkridge, MD, as one of the world's first pet ceme-teries. In 1979, the decision was made to allow ownersto be buried next to their pets, which made nationalheadlines. When the former caretaker left, the RosaBonheur Memorial Gardens was left unattended andbecame overrun with debris.

The current owners did not have plans to maintain thecemetery when HBI landscaping instructor MichaelBull visited the site. The grass was tall, headstones wereovergrown, graves sunken into wet ground, fallen treesall around, trash and debris scattered throughout,markers and gravestones damaged.

When he went to work at the Woodstock Job CorpsCenter, he told his students about the condition of thecemetery and they were enthusiastic to help. The coor-dinators of the renovation project, Penny and GilBlakenship have kept an ongoing web loghttp://www.gimpydogs.com/rbjobcorps.html on theentire experience, including the work by Bull and hisstudents:

“This afternoon, Gil and I had some free time, so wewent out to the cemetery to meet the Job Corps stu-dents. What an amazing job they are doing out there!So far they've felled about 13 dead trees, cut down thestumps, stacked the wood as neatly as possible forremoval (we haven't figured that part out yet).

They are all so verycareful not to disturbheadstones or sites,very professional,and very good atwhat they are doing.There's no way wecould have done asmuch work with suchextreme care andprofessionalism thatthey've done so far!”

Martin Ramps It Up for EAA

Mark Martin’s carpentry students at the Penobscot JobCorps Center built 18 handicap ramps for the EasternAgency on Aging (EAA). They also ripped, cut androuted out 384 balusters to go with the ramps. TheEAA supplied all the materials. Students will help theEAA volunteers install them this summer at variouslocations in the greater Bangor area. Pictured are HBI’sPenobscot carpentry students with EAA volunteer,Dave Smith.

12 Teamwork in Training 13Home Builders Institute

Center Up and Running in R.I.!

A story in the December 2005 issue ofThe Rhode Island Builder Report, theRhode Island Builders Associationnewsletter, proudly shared the newswith its members that a brand newstate of the art training facility openedits doors - the Exeter Job CorpsCenter is finality a reality.

New HBI carpentry instructor GlenTao, recently moved to Rhode Islandto share his expertise with the stu-dents, and he was encouraged by theabilities of his first class. At the time,the students were learning to con-struct their own ladders, frame ahouse and building a 16x30 woodplatform base for a maintenanceshed.

Acosta Students Take on Skills USA

HBI students from all three trades atthe Fred G. Acosta Job Corps Center,Michael Flores, facilities mainte-nance, John Gallagher, plumbing andGerardo Ortiz, electrical, attendedthe Skills USA competition held atthe East Tucson Home Depot. Thecompetition required students tobuild wood planter beds whichwere later donated to the TucsonBotanical Gardens.

MORE COMMUNITY TIESStudents Help Build FirstAccessible Home forHabitat Affiliate

Chloveta Caudill and herHBI plumbing students atthe Treasure Lake JCC spentseveral months working withHabitat for Humanity on thefirst handicap accessible

home built by the Lawton – Ft. Sill affiliate in Oklahoma.The students began work on October 14, 2005, gaining valu-able hands on experiencein the process, from fram-ing, roofing and sheetrocking to installing vinylsiding. On February 26,2006, Caudill and severalstudents attended the ded-ication of the Kennethand Virginia Moultonfamily’s home. ■

Students had no information onwhat the competition would entailbefore arriving at the East Tucsonlocation. They had four hours inwhich to complete the planters andwere graded in seven areas:

• Use and care of tools

• General safety

• Layout

• Construction

• Assembly

• General workmanship

• Written test

Twenty-eight students from six highschools and Acosta participatedwhile facilities maintenance instruc-tor and Assistant Faculty Advisor toAcosta’s NAHB Student Chapter,Flores and Student Chapter PresidentDarin De La Mater, were asked tojudge the competition.

Weber Basin Commended forUtah’s Construction Career Days

Keri Shoemaker, Program Coord-inator for Utah’s Local TechnicalAssistance Program (LTAP), wrote toHBI Brick Masonry instructor at theWeber Basin JCC, Jason Talbot,commending the group for its partic-ipation in the LTAP-sponsored Utah

More HBI BINCommunity Ties cont.

14 Teamwork in Training 15Home Builders Institute

PPE or no PPE?When contemplating how to deal with potential haz-ards in the workplace, Personal Protective Equipment(PPE) should be your last choice. This may soundsomewhat strange but, believe it or not, there aresafer ways of dealing with hazards.

Let’s say you’re planning to build a new storagebuilding. You receive the blueprints from the archi-tect and notice she specified some very high qualityepoxy paint for the floor. At first you’re thinking,“Yeah, that’s great. That’s some really tough stuff.”However, after thinking about it, and readingthrough the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) forthe product, you realize “Wow, this stuff is reallydangerous to work with.”

Now you’re in a panic. You start thinking about howyou’re going to pay for the Self Contained BreathingApparatus (SCBA) they recommend on the MSDS.Then you start considering the cost and time involvedin training your crews on how to use the SCBA prop-erly. As you start to calm down a bit, you consideranother idea. You contact the architect and discussyour concerns about the paint. She says, “You canuse this water based stuff which is just as tough. Itrequires two coats but doesn’t require the use of anyPPE.” Now as you wipe the sweat from your browyou’re thinking “Whew.”

What you just did is apply an “engineering control”to deal with a hazard. Engineering controls shouldalways be your first choice for dealing with potentialhazards. Instead of trying to work safely around ahazard you should first try to avoid it altogether.

This approach of using engineering controls for deal-ing with hazards can be applied to many other sce-narios. Using water to suppress dust, mechanical ven-tilation to control fumes, guardrails instead of per-sonal fall arrest equipment and soundproofing equip-ment to control noise are just a few examples.

Unfortunately, there are times when the hazard can-not be avoided and the only way of getting the jobdone is by using PPE. It’s important to remember thatif PPE is required for the job, workers must be trainedto use it correctly. If PPE is used incorrectly, the

worker may still be exposed to the hazard and notrealize it. This might create a false sense of security.The truth is improper use of PPE can create a greaterhazard than the one you are trying to avoid.

Do You Know the URL to Your RL?Yes, HBI’s Job Corps Resource Library is now e-lec-tronic, located in the Public Folders section ofOutlook. To access it, just follow the path as youwould when accessing your hbi.org e-mail. Check itout! To request materials, contact Azeb Samuel-Britton at ext. 8943 or via email at abritton@hbi.org

OBS Giving You Stress? On Board Strength or OBS refers to a center’s ortrade’s student capacity. Efforts to recruit studentsinto the home building industry just got a boost withHBI’s new careers campaign. “Make It Happen” waslaunched at the 2006 International Builders’ Show inOrlando to promote the wealth of careers in thehome building industry, and targets young people, aswell as, the parents, counselors and educators whoinfluence these decisions.

A four minute DVD or VHS, brochures and postersin English and Spanish as well as a PowerPoint pres-entation, all work together to share the message ofopportunity and well-paying careers in home build-ing. A new Web site, buildingcareers.org offers indus-try facts and information on job growth projections,college construction programs and salaries. And it’seasy to get to…. Click on Career Services or theMake It Happen banner on HBI.org and soon, it’ll bea click away on DOL’s Career Voyages Web site. ■

www.buildingcareers.org

2004 HBI Instructor of theYear Garry George Dies at 53HBI Electrical Instructor Garry George passed awaySaturday, March 11 at the Geisinger Hospital in SouthWilkes-Barre, PA, of heart failure. He was an instructorwith HBI at the Red Rock JCC since 1985 and eachyear he served as a guide to every student that passedthrough his program.

George himself began to learn the electrical trade at theage of 10 from his father; he graduated from James M.Coughlin High School in Wilkes-Barre, PA, and wenton to become a master electrician. He was self-employed in the trade until he took the job with HBIand it wasn’t long before he was lead HBI instructor atRed Rock.

HBI recognized Garry’s dedication as an educator nam-ing him HBI Instructor of the Year in 2004. “He wasdefinitely one of the best instructors that we’ve ever hadat Red Rock,” said Center Director Jim McGee. “Hejust had a passion for working with and helping youngpeople. He was always a caring individual and alwayswanted the students to excel in everything they did.”

While Garry served as an outstanding instructor at RedRock, his love of teaching and for kids extended farbeyond the scope of the classroom. He took everyopportunity he could to be involved in shaping studentsinto well rounded human beings through sports -coaching basketball, baseball and soccer over the years.

He was the head coach of Meyers High School BoysSoccer, taking the team to the District 2 Class A finalthis past fall. George also served as treasurer of theMeyers Quarterback Club. “I never met a guy whocared more about kids,” said Jack Nolan, the assistantsoccer coach at Meyers.

He also found time to be a member of the F&AMLodge 332, Plymouth, and the Irem Shriners, where hewas a member of the Motor Corps and chaired theShrine Circus Committee. His passing came as a sur-prise to all those who have been touched by his gen-erosity. Garry is survived by his wife Leslie and childrenJaron and Kelsey.

Each year around the Holidays, five HBI staff membersget together. This photo, taken in 2004, included Garry,with Tim McNulty, and Joe Gorolis, instructors at theKeystone JCC; Keith Albright, HBI VP for Job CorpsOperations, and Jack Pape, plumbing instructor atKeystone JCC.

Dave Henn, HBI Regional Program Manager andGeorge’s supervisor, forwarded the photo of Garrytaken during his recognition as Instructor of the Year inNashville, TN in July 2004. With it he enclosed a note“I know Garry, he would prefer this one because itincludes his “brothers” from “The Rock.” We havehonored his wishes. Pictured: HBI instructors JoeEntiero, Brick; Jim Rafter, FM; Gary Wanyo, Painting;Garry; Paul Drake, Plumbing; and Skip Hooper,Carpentry. ■

Tips and Tools of the Trade People

materials at the following Job Corps centers: DelawareValley, Old Dominion, Golconda, Jacksonville, Roswelland Tongue Point.

The new HBI Carpentry and Electrical course train-ing materials were approved by the National Officeof Job Corps, and will be applied to all current andfuture HBI Carpentry and Electrical programs. NewTARs for these programs are posted on the JCCDRCWeb site.

A newly designed HBI Plumbing Curriculum and TARwill soon be piloted at Sierra Nevada, Cassadaga, OldDominion, Bamberg, Clearfield and Flint Hills JobCorps centers. Plans for the new Plumbing TAR com-bine the current three separate TARs into one and will befurther revised to align with industry skill standardsonce the results of the pilots are available. ■

HOME BUILDERS INSTITUTE

1201 15th Street, N.W.Sixth FloorWashington, DC 20005www.hbi.org

Housing Industry Takes the Lead New Plumbing Pilots Fly as Carpentry and Electrical Settle In

A recent post on the Job Corps National Office website,praised HBI for its leadership in developing new train-ing methods and curriculums for the housing industry:

“HBI officials and instructors are to be com-mended for taking the initiative to raise the stan-dards of career technical training by creatinginstructional tools that are more aligned withindustry standards. These revisions are expectedto bring about better student outcomes in termsof placement, wages, and career advancement.”

HBI and Job Corps have worked closely with industryand NAHB members to develop up-to-date training cur-riculum that places greater emphasis on trainingthrough initiatives such as internships and work-basedlearning.

From 2003 to 2004, HBI designed new Carpentry train-ing course materials, (Trainining Achieviment Records)TARs and a Task Analysis. HBI piloted the new materi-als at the Keystone, Albuquerque, Sacramento, WhitneyYoung and Cassadaga Job Corps Centers. In October2004, HBI also developed a new Electrical training cur-riculum using the same design format and piloted these

2006 Calendar of EventsJuly 3-7 HBI Job Corps Instructors’ Conference

Scottsdale, AZ

September 13-17 NAHB Fall Board MeetingSalt Lake City, UT

October 28 Make a Difference Day Nationwide!