Home Inspectors Elect New Leadership: Moving in a Strong New Direction

With near-record votes recorded, the Ontario Association of Home Inspectors elects a new Board to revitalize the Association. Committed to increased consumer protection, a new business vision and plan, and emerging opportunities for its members, the new Board has been charged with facing media criticism, working with government on mandatory licensing, and enlarging the type of inspections for which members are qualified.

MISSISSAUGA, ON, April 15 /CNW/ - In tumultuous times, with the real estate economy in flux, the possibility of provincial mandatory licensing looming, media attention on the rise, and new business opportunities such as energy audits presenting themselves, members of Ontario's lead inspection association elect a new board of directors with an active and aggressive mandate.

On the weekend, the Ontario Association of Home Inspectors held its Annual General meeting in Mississauga, attracting members from across Ontario. The meeting attracted almost 50% of eligible member votes and high candidate interest producing a board election instead of what has often been an acclamation process.

This renewed interest in leadership is two-fold. David Leech, a new director, said "I am tired of members being critics and only critics. It's time to step up and volunteer." Robin Green, President, commented "Increased recognition of our credential Registered Home Inspector (RHI) is testament to our commitment to education, both mandatory minimums and continuing, among the highest in Canada if not in North America. Our members have optimized this training and understanding of the house as a system to create new opportunities in fields of endeavor such as energy auditing. This is only one example of our Members potential, making this an exciting time to lead this well established organization into the future."

With the advent of mandatory energy audits on residential resale homes introduce by the recent Ontario Green Energy and Green Economy Act, members are excited about the prospects for expanding to these essential services. The members also reviewed several other provincial and municipal programs requiring extensive inspection services, to which the association will respond.

Further discussions related to public and media criticism of the whole inspection community relating to limitations of current inspections, and the performance of inspectors who are not members of the association. In response, the Association is expanding its recent proposal to the Government of Ontario that all home inspectors be licensed under a high-level mandatory provincial scheme in the same way that other real estate professionals are.

Elected directors and officers of the Association are;

    
    Robin Green, RHI, President, Toronto
    Gerry Quackenbush, RHI, Vice President, Toronto
    Glen Gogal, RHI, Secretary, Toronto
    Kirk Iredale, RHI, Treasurer, Exeter
    Don Beneteau, RHI, Windsor
    David Cook, RHI, Stayner
    Brad Durant, RHI, Guelph
    David Leech, RHI, Meaford
    Phil Robinson, RHI, Toronto
    Peter Weeks, RHI, Ottawa
    

About the Ontario Association of Home Inspectors:

The OAHI was formed in 1987. In 1994, the OAHI became a self-regulating professional body when the Ontario Association of Home Inspectors Act received royal assent, granting the OAHI the exclusive right to define qualification requirements, regulate its members and grant the designation "Registered Home Inspector" and "RHI" to qualified practitioners in the Province of Ontario, under control of title. The OAHI is dedicated to providing consumer protection by enhancing the technical skills and professional practice of home inspectors, and maintaining high professional standards through education and discipline.

For further information: Aubrey LeBlanc, Chief Operating Officer, Ontario Association of Home Inspectors, [phone], [email protected], www.oahi.com