Video Message from NAHI President...

[James H. Bushart]

....explaining why the ASHI/NAHI merger fell through.

Shame on ASHI.

[Nick Gromicko]

Zero plus zero = zero. They wouldn't be dying if they simply began offering membership benefits: www.nachi.org/benefits.htm

Otherwise, they'll continue to attract only those inspectors who are stupid enough to pay for nothing.... and that's an inspector who is too dumb to inspect IMHO.

[Nick Gromicko]

http://www.nachi.org/merger.htm

[Bob Elliott]

Originally Posted by gromicko

http://www.nachi.org/merger.htm

Funny

[lflores]

Originally Posted by gromicko

http://www.nachi.org/merger.htm

I like that.

[Nick Gromicko]

I was asked to post this:

NAHI/ASHI Task Force - The True Facts



In light of recent announcements and a video message from the President of NAHI, I feel it is my duty as a former NAHI board member to explain many facts that were not told.

The purpose of the joint venture task force was to explore all possibilities of both ASHI and NAHI working together. If everything worked out and the members showed enough interest, then a possible unification would be discussed. We all figured the last part would take at least two years. Initially, only one member of the NAHI board was adamantly against any cooperation with ASHI and that was Ralph Wirth (NAHI Vice-President). While Mr. Wirth has every right to his opinion, both he and other Past-Presidents appear to be strongly influencing the current Executive Officers.

When the task force was first formed, Jim Turner and Rick Bunzel volunteered to be on it. After some consideration, I joined with open mindedness. Then, once we began to gather speed, Curtis Niles and David Kratoska joined. I was curious why Mr. Niles joined, as he is a staunch supporter of Mr. Wirth's, however, his reasons later became very clear.

When the joint task force met in Chicago David Kolesari called up and stated he was stepping in and replacing Rick Bunzel on the task force, which raised an eyebrow as to why? Since he is the President of NAHI, we didn't question his motives to do so at the last moment. The sad thing is that Mr. Kolesari didn't even have the courtesy to call Mr. Bunzel and inform him he was no longer on the task force and that he was taking his place.

Halfway through the Chicago meeting Mr. Kolesari had to leave because he needed to pick up his girl friend. So much for being real interested in this historic and important meeting. Later, I heard that Mr. Kolesari told a couple of Chapters that he was firmly against working with ASHI and that he would do whatever it took to stop any unification or joint ventures.

The joint task force worked out a series of questions aimed at finding out if members from both sides were interested in a joint venture between the two associations and possible unification. These questions were presented to the NAHI board for approval. They were given the opportunity to change the questions and only one person sent any changes. Those changes basically said the same so it was decided not to make any changes. After some discussion, the majority of the NAHI board voted to send out the survey to their members. There was only one dissenting vote and it wasn't Mr. Kolesari or Mr. Niles.

Over one third of our membership voted and of those that voted, 80% were in agreement to move forward with the talks.

Immediately after this overwhelming positive response from members, the Executive Officers met in a closed door Executive session declaring the survey invalid and decided to disband the task force. Ralph Wirth's argument was that only 20% of the overall membership voted to move forward and that this did not represent the entire membership (using this logic only 16% of the membership voted to put him on the board so should he not be on the board?).

In his recent video to the NAHI membership, Mr.Kolesari claims 1500 members? Well, the last count I saw about a month ago, around the March 31st renewal deadline, there were only 1150 members including those that didn't have to pay for their membership. At the time of the survey, there were only 900 paid (entitled to vote) members. The survey was completed by 475 members.

The board voted on the Executive Officer's decision to disband the task force. The vote was five 'for' and three 'against'. Kolesari, Niles, Jeffcoat, Wirth and Kratoska voted to disband and Turner, Cravens and Falcone voted to continue the talks. The same 5 majority voters decided not to inform our members who voted for moving forward with the task force. I believe those that voted to disband the task force didn't want to have to answer to 86% of membership that wanted to move forward. The NAHI Treasurer, Sherrill Jeffcoat, was the most vocal about not wanting to let the members know the actual board member vote breakdown and insisted to simply convey that it was a unanimous board decision. JR Burke, the current Executive Director from the Harrington Company, advised the Executive Officers that it was up to them to decide the direction of the Association and not up to the members.

If this isn't bad enough, ASHI had to find out after our letter was sent out to our members notifying them of the board's decision. Kolesari didn't even have the courtesy to call ASHI and talk with them about the decision. ASHI found out when a dual member received the notification and called ASHI.

NAHI President Kolesari feels that these types of maneuverings are ok as it's just politics. He is known to side with you in a private discussion then vote the opposite when the vote is taken, again just politics.

Having been on the joint task force and working alongside ASHI task force members, I was impressed with their professionalism and the courtesy they extended to NAHI at the Chicago meeting. Needless to say, I am not impressed with NAHI's current leaders and their unprofessional demeanor.

The Executive Officers feel it is up to them to tell our members what they really want and that their survey results do not count if it goes against their views. Because of this and other issues I have resigned as a NAHI Board member and have moved my membership to ASHI. I have also canceled my membership in the National Association of Home Inspectors in protest.

Best regards,

Charles Cravens

[Nick Gromicko]

At the time of the survey, there were only 900 paid (entitled to vote) members.

I have also canceled my membership in the National Association of Home Inspectors in protest.

Best regards,

Charles Cravens

I guess that means they are down to 899.

[James H. Bushart]

There are no national associations in our hemisphere that operate by majority rule. Mr. Cravens' expectations are unrealistic.

To the educated consumer, no national association membership serves as a credential that proves competence. In this regard, the expectations of every newby joining an association are unrealistic.

In the end...after your business survives beyond the 90% fail rate of the first five years...you are simply looking for the association that offers you the greatest amount of satisfaction.

[Nick Gromicko]

In the end...after your business survives beyond the 90% fail rate of the first five years...you are simply looking for the association that offers you the greatest amount of satisfaction.

In the beginning... when your business is facing a 10% chance of making it through the first five years... you should simply be looking for the association that offers you the greatest amount of success tools: www.nachi.org/success.htm

Every penny you use to pay dues to a do-nothing, provide-nothing, rip-off association is a penny wasted. And you just can't waste any pennies. They all need to be invested in your biz.

[Nick Gromicko]

Furthermore, 899 guys (dumb enough to pay an association for little more than logo usage) calling themselves a "national" anything is totally ridiculous.

It's cute when the neighborhood kids throwing a nerf around in the back yard call themselves the "National Football League." But it's embarrassing to our profession when pompous grown men do it.

[smeyer]

It appears to me that two loser organizatinos merging together equates to just a somewhat larger loser organization??? What's the benefit to the members of either organization? They are still on the titanic, and it's going down. Pick your deck chairs! Doesn't look good!!

[Nick Gromicko]

Their 2008 Member of the Year just quit.

Fellow NAHI members,

After reading Charles Craven's resignation, I decided that resigning quietly from NAHI was not something I wanted to do. As many of you may know, I have been involved in NAHI both at State and National levels for many years. In 2008, I was named NAHI's Member of the Year. Now, in 2009, I find myself resigning and joining ASHI. My philosophy has been to give back to the organizations I belong to. I can no longer belong to an organization that offers no tangible benefit to its members and is allowing a management company to suck its finances dry.

Greg Wayman, who was on the Board of Directors (BOD) Treasury in 2008, uncovered billing and mismanagement issues that eventually led to the Executive Director's departure. In conversations with him and my own conversation with Board members and the office staff, I was able to see bias actions of the Harrington Company. The Harrington Company was managing NAHI's office functions and the management costs were out of control. Worse, the majority of our Board of Director's were aware of these missteps and allowed it. Even with this information, the Board did not go out for competitive bids, they just renewed the contract for another year. Perhaps this is one of the reasons members of NAHI never get to see minutes from our BOD meetings.

In recent years, my business partner has questioned the value of our NAHI membership and the number of volunteer hours I have spent supporting NAHI. My response was always, "it can't get better unless we try to make it better." With the recent ASHI-NAHI survey results and the Board's response to it, it is obvious that NAHI is not looking out for its members and going to squander any financial strength it has away. The only beneficiary will be Harrington who will continue to collect fees until there's nothing left. As many of you know we have less than 1,200 paid members left (not the 1,500 that President Kolesari talks about in his video), there are no functioning committees, the website hasn't been updated in over a year, and the Board continues to operate in secrecy. The only regular communications vehicle, the Forum magazine, is turning into a newsletter with little original content.

Some may say that this resignation was written by someone with a chip on their shoulder and they are entitled to their opinions. However, I am writing this to encourage members not to invest in an organization that is sinking. Vote with your feet, ask for a refund of your membership dues and move to an organization that has responsible leadership and better future.

The future is yours - make the most of it.


Rick Bunzel, CRI
Pacific Crest Inspections

[rmaday]

Seems the "merger" is happening, one member at a time. Although not so much merging as abandoning ship.

Can you throw these guys a lifejacket, Nick?

[Nick Gromicko]

I am writing this to encourage members not to invest in an organization that is sinking. Vote with your feet, ask for a refund of your membership dues and move to an organization that has responsible leadership and better future.

The future is yours - make the most of it.


Rick Bunzel, CRI
Pacific Crest Inspections

898 members and dropping.