Leadership

President’s Report to DBIA Upper Midwest Region Members

Bartlett "Bake" J. Baker Jr.

McGough»

Telephone: (651) 634-4668
e-Mail: bbaker@mcgough.com

Hello. Welcome to our website. I look forward to serving as your President of the DBIA - Upper Midwest Region in 2010. Over the last several years I have had the opportunity to serve on the steering committee and most recently as Treasurer and Vice President. I want to thank Rob Flickinger for his terrific leadership as our President this past year, particularly in these difficult economic times. He has done an excellent job! Thanks, too, to Ken Peterson and John Hamilton for planning six thought-provoking and relevant breakfast programs in 2009.

With the economic challenges of 2009, the Upper Midwest Region of the Design-Build Institute of America is pleased to have remained stable in terms of membership and finances throughout the year.

In 2008 the Upper Midwest Region initiated an organized sponsorship program among its corporate members. Sponsorship contributions have led to greater financial stability, revenue predictability and broader corporate participation. We intend to continue to nurture the sponsorship program in 2010. Our increased financial stability has also allowed the Region to expand our administrative support and, in turn, continue to enhance our communication to members and the broader business community. We are poised to expand sponsorship support and membership as the economy in our Region recovers.

Our regional awards program was initiated in the winter of 2009 and will continue in 2010. This program has brought increased visibility to the Upper Midwest Region. We will continue with our bi-monthly breakfast programs, and plan to include a design-build project tour in July. Cross-promotion of programs among affiliated industry associations will also expand visibility. We have a national DBIA educational program, "Design Build Contract and Risk Management", scheduled here in Minneapolis on March 18, 2010.

With the assistance of Richard Thomas, DBIA's national legislative representative, we intend to continue to advocate at our state level for enabling legislation to allow our cities and counties to move beyond pilot programs to full authorization of design-build delivery. We will also be working with the AIA and AGC to advance job creation legislation in the state of Minnesota this legislative session.

We will continue targeting owners in the Region and inviting them to our programs, where we will be promoting the National education courses and the designation program. We will be formally focusing on owners in a position to influence and make project delivery decisions including owner's representatives, corporate and health care facilities executives, and government and academic project managers.

We have completed the launch of our regional website. The website content includes: a program registration page, benefits of membership in DBIA, DBIA documents, featured Design-Build "showcase" projects, national and local press on Design-Build and links to the National DBIA website. Please take time to explore I and share your thoughts.

To further gain awareness of our Region, in late 2009, we started sending press releases to local media to showcase our Region's programs, educational offerings, awards competition, and more. Our Region also has monthly column scheduled in Finance & Commerce newspaper through the year 2010. Please check it out.

Your comments and suggestions are very welcome.

Thank you,
Bake Baker
President, DBIA - Upper Midwest Region