BIA

The Building Industry Association of Southern California, Inc. (BIASC) would like to congratulate Labor Director, Pam Ackrich, on her 30 years with the BIA.

Pam’s building industry experience, prior to the BIA, was spent in the Assistant Labor Director position for the Associated General Contractors for 8 years. She then began work as BIASC’s Labor Director in December of 1986.

As BIASC’s Labor Director, Pam negotiates various construction trade union agreements on behalf of the organization’s union contractor members. She represents them in resolving grievances, in picket line situations, and all types of union issues. Pam also oversees the organization’s Union Contractors Council which holds regular dinner meetings inclusive of presentations about major upcoming union projects, legal issues, and other topics which impact union contractors.

When asked what aspects she enjoys most  about working with BIASC she responded by saying how she loves working with the people associated with the organization. “I love the people! During the 30 years I have been with the BIA I had the opportunity to work with some terrific contractors and BIA staff and even union officials. Many have become good friends and we have had some really crazy experiences together.”

While working full time as the Labor Director and overseeing one of BIASC’s specialty councils, she also created and Chair the Alliance for Quality Construction which is composed of 40-member union and contractor associations for promoting public awareness about the benefits of utilizing union contractors.

Pam Ackrich and her husband Jerry Ackrich have been married for 29 years. Having never had children, it has been said that BIASC’s Labor Director is “the woman longest in labor without child.”

Anaheim High School, Valencia High School and Luther Burbank High School have combined their efforts, completing four playhouse structures, to win this year’s Inaugural Statewide Design/Build Competition on June 27th and 28th at the California State Capitol in Sacramento.

The schools are a part of the Building Industry Technology Academy (BITA), a comprehensive four-year high school program aimed at producing skilled professionals who will be qualified and confident to enter the homebuilding workforce. The program is promoted by the California Homebuilding Foundation and developed by BIA member companies and education leaders.

The statewide construction competition gathered educators and over 350 students from Youth Build divisions and various Southern California High Schools, Community Colleges and Regional Occupational Programs (R.O.Ps) in a collective endeavor to highlight the importance of Career Technical Education (CTE) and workforce development programs at the high school level.

Students received a warm welcome from some of the State’s top leadership, Assembly members Jim Cooper (D - Elk Grove), Tom Daly (D - Anaheim), Ling Ling Chang (R - Anaheim), and Jim Frazier (D - Oakley), as well as, staff from the offices of Senators Richard Pan, Tom Berryhill, Bob Huff and Assembly member Ken Cooley.

Valencia High School and Anaheim High School previously won 1st and 2nd place at the 27th Annual Design/Build Competition in April, which was coordinated by the Home Builders Committee (HBC) and the Building Industry Association of Southern California, Inc. (BIASC). The competition was held at the OC Fair & Event Center’s 2016 Imaginology Event in Costa Mesa on Saturday, April 16 and Sunday, April 17 where the state winners previously competed alongside Cordova High School, another BITA school.

Watch the video coverage of the statewide competition from Good Day Sacramento below.

LOS ANGELES, August 26, 2016 – The Building Industry Association’s LA/Ventura Chapter hosted an invigorating exploration on how Greater Los Angeles can increase housing production and reduce costs to provide new homes, thus improving housing affordability and reducing homelessness. 

"I am committed to continue building on the momentum that we currently have here in Los Angeles,” stated Mayor Garcetti during his keynote remarks. “Together, I am convinced that this room is the right room of builders.” The Mayor addressed his support for the City’s $1.2 billion housing bond, dubbed Measure HHH, which will be on the November ballot, referring to it as, “Measure Homelessness, Housing, and Hope.” 

The Mayor concluded by stating, “If I could be anyting, I’d want to be a builder. I’d want to be able to build the city’s economy, build the infrastructure, and build trust.” 
LA County Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas stated passionately, “Building affordable housing in the County of Los Angeles is a must in the fight for homelessness!” 

Discussion at the summit focused on California’s state housing policy and the local impact that it has, specifically the impact on development fees and how they have evolved in 30 years. It was then followed by a discussion about different perspectives from the planning departments--County Regional Planning Director Richard Bruckner and General Manager from City Planning Vince Bertoni. The Housing Summit concluded with a panel discussion on housing challenges and the possible solutions that may lower housing costs and the homelessness rate. 

“The major issue that the city is facing is the lack of housing production,” said Tim Piasky, CEO of the LA/Ventura Chapter of the Building Industry Association. “The goal for this Summit is to bring the full industry together, government, non-profit, for-profit and talk about the housing needs and issues that we have.”   
“It’s simple.  We need more housing to make it more affordable,” said Piasky. 

About Building Industry Association 

The Los Angeles/Ventura Chapter of the Building Industry Association of Southern California, is a non-profit trade association representing more than 1,000 member companies in the housing industry, construction trades, and affiliated businesses throughout the region. The BIA advocates on behalf of the building industry. Visit its Website at www.bialav.org.