Give Back to Your Industry - Serve on the Board

Serving on the OHPBA Board

OHPBA's board of directors encourages members to get involved with your trade association. OHPBA is run almost entirely by people just like you! Many of the individuals serving on the board or on committees are volunteers that make their living selling and servicing fireplaces and stoves. These are volunteers that have typically gained a lot from our industry and have felt a need to give a little back for the well being of everyone. OHPBA’s volunteers invest in their future as well as yours. There are several board positions and ways to get involved on committees. 

Why do we need your help?

Too many Hearth Retailers take for granted that the OHPBA will always be there to represent their interests with regional, state and local legislative and regulatory issues. There is no “they” who will take care of it. The reality is the “they” is people like you.

Also, there are a number of legislative and regulatory issues facing us. First, the Oregon legislature meets every year now. In odd years it meets for six months, and even years for 90 days. Of course, the OHPBA has been very involved policing and monitoring issues that all affect the Oregon Hearth Industry both at the legislature and in agencies like the Oregon DEQ and Department of Energy. In the coming year or so the industry will face dramatic changes in woodstove certification requirements. We need to monitor the Department of Energy’s tax credit program for wood and pellet stoves. We need to stay in front of the Environmental Quality Commission because they are now the primary governing body we deal with on implementation of wood stove laws. We must make sure that our industry needs are adequately represented.

How to get Involved

Consider being part of the OHPBA Board of Directors. We are always looking for new people who will bring new insights and ideas. Our board election is held in the spring. Please take a look at the enclosed sheet that describes all of the board positions.

Board Meetings

We generally have four board meetings per year, usually held in or around Portland, Salem or Eugene. One of the Board meetings is held at the annual conference in the spring, and sometimes we will hold one by teleconference. We are also trying out online meeting technologies like Zoom Meeting. There are a couple of committees that you may be interested in serving on. Generally these take a little less time than board service, but they are also very important.

Most committee meetings are held via teleconference, which helps significantly with time and travel. Current committees are Communications, Government Affairs, Education and Membership.

G. Harvey Gail, MBA is the Executive Director and he has been helping OHPBA achieve its goals for 25  years. Harvey’s help ensures that the inspiration and ideas you provide as a board member are effective at impacting the industry.

Feel free to contact our office if you are interested in serving on the board, or if you have any questions or comments.