SLM Builders Inc

General information

It all began May 1, 1958 when the North Coast Builders Exchange decided it had enough of the civilized life of Marin County and wanted to strike out in the wild frontier of Sonoma County. The North Coast Board of Directors met and agreed to allow the Marin membership segment to form its own Association. The keys to the office at 35 Jordan Street in San Rafael were turned over to the new organization along with its staff of Doug Roberts as Manager, and Judith Glodnis, as Godmother, disciplinarian and key person of the new group.

The By-Laws for the new organization were soon developed, membership dues collected, and the first Marin Builders Association Annual Meeting was held on June 11, 1958, (with œbeer and pretzels on the house), and the first fifteen directors elected:
Roy Bishop Roofing Service & Supply Art Bresnan Piombo & Bresnan

D. M. Brownlee Cement Contractor Dante Brusatori San Rafael Glass Co.

Bob Cook Cook Plumbing

Eugene Crawford Architect

Ove Hansen Painting Contractor Jack Hemingway Perimeter Heating

Leo Hopkins Hopkins Tile Co. Ray I. Johnson General Contractor

Frank Knolle Day Electric of Marin Pete Larkins Larkins Construction

Eugene Malerbi Construction Supply Don Presco General Contractor

Ed Richmond R & F Plastering

The first Board of Directors meeting occurred eight days later and the directors voted in Don Presco as the first President, Ed Richmond as Vice President, and Gene Malerbi as Secretary-Treasurer.

Along with the new officers, the Board decided on the type of committees the organization would need. These included Membership, Finance, Ethics, Labor, Legislative, Insurance and (keeping in mind the need for beer and pretzels) Entertainment. In the years since, the Legislative Committee evolved into the Builders Association Political Action Committee and the Insurance Committee evolved into the Marin Builders Association Insurance Trust, each with its own financial responsibilities, authority and relationship to the Associations Board of Directors, and ultimately, to its members.

Bid rejection and rapid resubmitted plans for new bids were among the first problems the new group had to contend with. It was too often an abused process and led to the development and adoption of a member Code of Ethics, with special emphasis on bidding procedures by general and sub-contractors as well as suppliers. The Ethics Committee had no enforcement powers, except persuasion, but this was quite effective.

Entertainment was quickly given committee status and the first event was a dinner dance featuring the five-piece Paul Faria dance band at the Meadow Club with hosted hors d’oeuvres, cocktails and an entrée choice of prime rib of beef or lobster thermidor. Things haven't changed too dramatically except for the price. In 1958 the cost was $7.50 a person.

Through the years the one aspect of the Marin Builders Association that has not changed is service service to its members, service to the public and service to the community-at-large. The Plan Room began as an all-purpose room on Jordan Street with a telephone, adding machine and table and chairs underwritten by the Pacific Coast Title Co.

In the 60s, the Association moved from Jordan Street into a two story, 5,200 square foot office complex at 110 Belvedere Street, San Rafael, which provided an expanded plan room, office space for members and a telephone answering service. The key staff people were still Judy Glodnis and Manager Doug Roberts. Dougs assistant was David Greenlee, who later became the General Manager and served until his departure in 1977.

Peter Arrigoni was appointed General Manager in April 1977 and retired on May 1, 2003, from the Marin Builders Association where he worked for twenty-six years. He was a former Marin County Board of Supervisor serving two four-year terms. He also served on many boards and commissions including the Golden Gate Bridge Highway and Transportation District, the Bay Area Air Pollution Control District and was Chairman of the Marin Community Foundation. Currently he serves on The Marin County Retirement Board.
The Board appointed David M. Bernardi, the former Director of Public Works for the City of San Rafael, as General Manager on May 1, 2003. Dave came to the association with 32 years of experience with the City of San Rafael. He is a registered Civil Engineer in California and Nevada.

In Fiscal Year October 1, 2001, with Ted Van Midde III as President, the organization surveyed the membership with regards to changing the name from Marin Builders Exchange to Marin Builders Association. The membership overwhelmingly supported the name change.

In 2004, under the Presidency of Klif Knoles, the Board of Directors purchased a building at 660 Las Gallinas Avenue, San Rafael, as the existing building at 110 Belvedere Street, San Rafael, had become inefficient in running the business and providing the services required of the MBA. The Association moved into the new facilities on August 20, 2004, and an Open House for the members and special guests was held August 31, 2004.

We have been able to buy the building and do extensive remodeling without a dues increase. The dues of which are the lowest in the State of California of any Builders Exchange or Association, were not been raised until 2005. Today we have a state of the art facility with an electronic On Line Plan Room, wireless computer connections, private booths and over one-hundred project plans for member perusal in the Associations new 7,000 square foot facility.

Klif Knoles was appointed as General Manager replacing David M. Bernardi in August 2005. Klif is a retired General Contractor with over 30 years in the industry. He serves on the County Building Board of Appeals as well as the Whistle-Stop Board and is a member of the Rotary Club of San Rafael.