Built America Magazine | South
The Unexpected Hospitality of a Lumber Association At the core of that mission is the belief that good materials mean good homes — safe, enduring places where families can build their dreams. “We’re different than your local home builders association,” Kristina explains. “Every city has its own HBA, and t hey serve a great purpose. But we fill a niche that’s vital: we support the retail dealers, the lumber and building material retail dealers, of Florida and the Southeast. Our goal is to connect those people with manufacturers so the builders can get the best quality, the safest, and the most affordable materials possible.” It’s no accident that the FBMA feels like a family. In many ways, that’s because its leader came from an industry that understands connection better than most. Kristina’s professional roots are in hospitality management. “My background and my degrees are in hospitality,” she says. “I’ve worked in hotels, restaurants, retail. I even owned a state-licensed facility for mentally ill adults. We owned our own deli! So, when I moved to Florida, I saw this job as basically an event planner, a meeting planner — and within 15 months, I was the executive director.”
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