ANN ARBOR – With the year coming to an end, so is the career of BRAG Ann Arbor Executive Officer Maureen Sloan.
Maureen has guided this local trade Association through the ups and downs of our home building, trade and supplier sector for nearly four decades. Over the course of her leadership, the organization previously known as the Home Builders Association of Washtenaw County, grew from a few hundred members to nearly eight hundred in the mid ‘90s. The housing crash of 2008 closed many similar Associations throughout Michigan, but the HBAWC adjusted and rebranded themselves as The Builders and Remodelers Association of Greater Ann Arbor (BRAG Ann Arbor or “BRAG”).
Now with membership of over 350 companies, ranging from national corporations to local services and suppliers, BRAG has endured as an institution since 1956, with Maureen at the helm for over half of that time. She will retire at the end of the year, on December 31st, 2022. Greater Ann Arbor’s business community will bid a fond farewell to an accomplished steward of home ownership and small business advocacy.
Maureen has been instrumental in coordination between municipalities, developers, environmental entities, and property owners – running joint meetings at the BRAG Ann Arbor offices and event center at 179 Little Lake Drive in Ann Arbor. Maureen began as the HBA’s accountant in May of 1985. As her responsibilities at the office grew, so did her family – with four children with her husband, Dick Sloan. Over the years, staff was added to handle government affairs, event planning, marketing and more.
The early years of her work at the HBA were within an economy remembered for high interest rates of over 18% in the 1980s, followed by sustained growth in the 1990s as rates were halved. In that time, the Association worked to expand access to local home services, resources, and professionals with the creation of the Builders Home & Improvement Show, the Showcase of Homes, and the Remodelers Home Tour, all of which continue annually.
In 1992, Maureen oversaw the thriving Association’s building of a new office building, a 4,000+ square foot bi-level plan with a private event space on the lower level to accommodate large meetings and events in a quiet lot on Little Lake in Scio Township, Michigan. Eight private offices were included for staff and tenants on the main level, along with a lobby and board room. This allowed the Association to host countless networking and education events, and to offer the space to the larger community to rent for everything from weddings and graduation parties to testing centers and charitable fundraisers.
The BRAG Ann Arbor Foundation was also established to support housing related charities. Volunteers organized to present 25 years of Festive Affair auctions for the Salvation Army Staples Family Center. For the Association’s 50th Anniversary, members built a 4-bedroom “House of Dreams” in Dexter in 2006 with proceeds donated to local charities. The Foundation continues to complete service projects for veterans, support homeless shelters, and housing providers. Under Maureen’s leadership, BRAG is active in soliciting financial support as well as facilitating their volunteerism, labor and material donations to people in our community in need.
Maureen also helped to create several scholarship funds and “go-to-work grants” to help young people pursue education and careers in the home building industry. A strong partnership with The Ann Arbor Student Building Industry program has helped this nationally acclaimed public – private partnership to succeed at building a new home every year and provide students with valuable skills. She also served on the Board of the South and West Washtenaw Consortium Home Building program.
In recent decades, the Association became one of the first in the nation to opt for an independent break from the National Association of Home Builders and HBA of Michigan. Maureen says of this chapter. The overwhelming majority of members voted to create a new independent charter for the organization, keeping the annual dues lower, and focusing on local advocacy & development.
BRAG remains strong after weathering several recessions and a myriad of issues resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. BRAG staff work year-round on seasonal public Home Shows and Tours as well as dozens of social and professional meetings that regularly draw a crowd of nearly 100 people. The annual Home, Garden & Lifestyle Show draws nearly 4,000 people every March at the Washtenaw Farm Council Grounds.
On January 1st, 2023, the Executive Officer position will be taken up by Andrea Salemi, the long-time Meeting and Events Director for BRAG.
Maureen’s knack for planning, hiring for advancement, and making sure the budget and building are in solid shape, made for an impressive list of achievements. Members note her management savvy, ability to listen, and resilience for reasons they hold her in such a high regard. With gratitude, we wish Maureen Sloan a happy retirement!
Listen to the recent interview on the Lucy Ann Lance Show (1290WLBY) HERE
