Volunteer Recognition Issue: Legislative Volunteers

by Edited by ASHI Staff June 1, 2002

Many ASHI members have volunteered countless hours to ensure that the best possible legislation regarding home inspection is enacted in their states. Here are just a few of those volunteers.

MISSOURI

Norm Richert, Steve McNamee, Tom Lauhon, Don Norman, Gerry Loesch, Brian Rawlings and Jim Naylor devoted many hours to attending public meetings, meeting with their chapter members to discuss the draft bill and working together to unify efforts among their chapters in Missouri. They worked with legislators to produce a bill that was beneficial to consumers and home inspectors.

ILLINOIS

Brent Harless worked hard on the drafting of the law that goes into effect Jan.1, 2003. ASHI Members who sit on the Illinois Home Inspector Advisory Board include Frank Johnson, Jack Fehlandt, Rob Claus, and Dana Strumpher.
They are working to represent the interests of consumers and home inspectors.

VIRGINIA

Faced with the threat of badly written legislation from the Virginia Realtors®, several Virginia ASHI members responded to the challenge. David Lee,
Fred Heppner, Robert Gwaltney, Jasper Mersereau, Tom Murley, Fred Simmermon and Bill Conner launched a statewide inspector organization, the Virginia Association of Real Estate Inspectors (VAREI). They were later joined by Candidate John Bouldin. Heppner and Bouldin were appointed by the governor to represent home inspectors on the Asbestos, Lead and Home Inspectors Board. All are still active in the process of drafting regulation for the “voluntary certification” program that was signed into law in 2001. Joining the VAREI Board this year are ASHI Members Peter Drenan, David Drewry, Mike Stephens, Steve Merritt and Bob Peek.

MISSISSIPPI

Mississippi adopted the ASHI  Standards and Code of Ethics. Scott Patterson, as a member of the Home Inspector Advisory Board, had a lot to do with that. Scott is a frequent contributor to the Legislative Discussion Board.

OKLAHOMA

When the bill was at the Senate and House, Rod VanGordon was part of a group that attended many meetings in which the bill was reviewed by the legislatures and answered questions and provided information for them. VanGordon has been appointed to the Committee of Home Inspection Examiners and has worked extensively on the rules and regulations. At the last committee meeting the rules for implementation were forwarded, along with a recommendation to use the ASHI Standards as the performance standard for Oklahoma.

ARIZONA

Arizona ASHI leaders aligned the interests of all home inspectors in Arizona to effectively influence legislation. David Swartz is Chair of the Arizona Home Inspectors Coalition, which raised money, hired a lobbyist and wrote the state licensing law. Brion Grant and Mike Williams helped negotiate the terms of the legislation, and now serve on the Home Inspectors Committee involved in writing rules for the profession. ASHI leaders working together can and do make a difference for the profession.


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