From Staff Reports

It’s been a pretty big year for Phil Crone, the executive officer of the Dallas Builders Association, and getting recognized by your industry has to be the icing on the cake for him. The Dallas Builders Association relaunched their Parade of Homes, hosted a City Council debate, and worked to get more trade education in public schools — all initiatives that deserve recognition. 

And that’s exactly what Crone received on July 24 with the National Association of Home Builders named him Executive Officer of the Year. The award was presented at the annual Association Management Conference in Baltimore and honors a dedicated executive officer whose actions, commitments, and accomplishments in a single year has been truly exceptional. In addition, Crone was recognized for promotion of the national Executive Officer’s Council and for assisting in the advancement of his peers. The award is in memory of Gary Komarow, former chief legal counsel of NAHB.

In 2014, Crone received the New Executive Officer Award, which is presented to an EO who has served no more than three years in an association management position, but who is judged to have made major contributions to the profession during that time. Crone has served as the Association’s executive officer since January 2013.

Crone completed his term as president of the Texas Executive Officers Council in 2018. During that time he created a resource center of association operation documents accessible for fellow EOs. Crone currently serves as a Region D director for the NAHB Executive Officers Council.

In addition, the Dallas BA received an Association Excellence Award for Best Website for DallasBuilders.com, the Association’s consumer-based site. The Association also won the prestigious NAHB Membership Cup recognizing outstanding membership and retention efforts.

Dallas BA President Matt Robinson of BGE, Inc. states that Phil has proven his ability to, very successfully, balance all the elements involved in a home builders association to meet the needs of membership, the community, staff, the organization as a business and the industry as a whole.

“It comes as no surprise that Phil is being recognized nationally for what we at the Dallas Builders Association have known for a long time,” Robinson said. “Phil exemplifies the best of us and goes above and beyond representing the Association on a daily basis. We are genuinely ecstatic he was honored as the best executive officer in the country. This honor couldn’t have gone to a more deserving individual.”

Highlights of the year include:

• Successful advocacy on numerous local ordinances and regulatory issues. Working with municipalities to implement statewide legislation on tree ordinances. Legislation that Crone championed along with the Texas Association of Builders.
• The Association reached new heights in membership boosted by a successful May membership drive that added nearly 100 new members.
• The Association launched six new websites. In addition to the award-winning DallasBuilders.com consumer site, a streamlined member site was launched at DallasBuilders.org. Other sites developed in 2018 were developed for the Parade of Homes, Dallas Builders Show, McSAM Awards and Green Built Texas.
• The sixth Operation FINALLY HOME project was completed for U.S. Army Specialist Daniel Dumas and his family. The Association’s seventh project—a home in Irving for U.S. Army Major Eric King—got underway.
• The Association began construction on a facility at Patriot Paws that now serves as a place for veterans to stay while they train with service dogs who help them lead a more independent life.
• The Parade of Homes™ returned after almost a decade.
• Crone and staff successfully advocated for Past President George Lewis’s nomination to the Texas Housing Hall of Honor.
• The Dallas BA was cited in numerous local publications and several leading national ones including Bloomberg, The New York Times, and The Wall Street Journal.

“I’m very honored to be recognized with this prestigious award,” said Crone. “However, it has less to do with me personally and everything to do with the incredible team of Dallas BA staff and dedicated members who serve our industry so well.”