Gone are the days when our fore fathers were practitioners of land surveying prior to becoming president of the United States. Gone, too, are the days when citizens were given the opportunity to purchase land (and receive an education) in return for their service to their country. In the present time, buying a home is most of the country’s biggest asset and the biggest purchase for an individual – a verbal anecdote from a San Diego developer. But, do people understand their land rights, are they paying attention to the housing changes coming from the state that are forever altering San Diego of the past? The changes encourage densification to not only provide housing for those who migrate to San Diego, but the families that are already here and growing.
As the experience of San Diego attracts people to stay and social media encourages others to come to the beautiful community, organizations like the Building Industry Association of San Diego (BIASD) help provide transparency with local, regional, and state regulations and development standards that impact our communities. This transparency is not learned in schools or encompassed within a single job description. This transparency is derived from a collective group of leadership that looks to improve the communities we live in – making sure people’s quality of life is maintained and home ownership opportunities exist for the new and growing families. What the industry advocates for today sets the course for our collective future.
Our goal as a yGEN board is to provide a platform for the cohort to find relationships amongst their peers, mentors who can help clear career hurdles, and provide education surrounding the challenges of providing shelter for everyone in San Diego. Our hope is that members can grow to be leaders and role models for the greater BIASD and advocate for housing development and smart growth in our San Diego communities.
The 5 pillars of yGEN through the next 5 years have recenty been established. The cornerstones are: education, mentorship, diversity/inclusion/equity in the community, advocacy, and networking. As we work to implement these foundational pillars, we recognize our generation is where the Future is Built over the next 20 years. With every speaker, social, education or advocacy event offered by yGEN, our hope is to foster growth and mentorship with a mastermind of experinece that is the BIASD. We are striving for education through practice.
I encourage you to strive to be leaders in our industry and inspire the next generation that follows to take action. And, during your travels in our cyclical industry, work to connect active, passionate, diverse members with one another. This industry requires the help of everyone, not just one person or one profession.
