Air Date: 7-9-2021|Episode 632
This week we welcome a cast of restoration all-stars for an update on the state of the industry following the RIA’s 75th Diamond Anniversary Convention last week in Orlando, FL. RIA is the Big Daddy of the restoration industry and their convention is the highlight of the year.
Hot topics at this year’s event included what RIA has identified as the top three issues facing contractors today: Pricing, Third Party Adjusters (TPA’s) and Consultants. There was also a lot of talk about the RIA’s Advocacy and Government Affairs (AGA) Committee which has now formed three task forces to create position statements that articulate a shared stance for the industry.
The AGA work product contains 10 total position statements including a groundbreaking TPA scorecard, hours of videos on pricing and a nationwide resource document on assignment of benefits. In the past year, RIA also released eight Third Party Consultant (TPC) position statements. These position statements educate restorers on best practices for working with consultants. There was also a town hall discussion on how RIA responded to the global pandemic, past president’s panel with lessons learned and much more. LEARN MORE this week on IAQ Radio+.
Guest Bios
Kristy Cohen, RIA CEO
Kristy serves as the CEO of the Restoration Industry Association and Executive Director of NADCA, the HVAC Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Association. Kristy has over 20 years of nonprofit experience driving organizational growth through strategic leadership. Her specialties include strategic planning, financial management, program development and volunteer management.
Kristy’s motivation to deliver exceptional results for her association clients is driven by her passion for working with volunteer leaders, many of whom are entrepreneurs and small business owners. The opportunity to positively impact the growth and success of businesses and industries through a strong, innovative association is what Kristy enjoys the most about her work in association management. Kristy holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science from Appalachian State University. She is a member of the Mid-Atlantic Society of Association Executives (MASAE) and the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE).
Mark Springer, CR
Serving in the communities that Dayspring operates in has always been a priority for Mark and he has been a board member for many not-for-profit organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce, children’s outreach, hospital foundations, and medical research. Mark is also very passionate for the sustainability of the property restoration industry. He is the President-Elect for the Restoration Industry Association, an international trade association that advances professional practices and advocacy for their members. Mark has been married to his high school sweetheart, Angie for 20 years and they have been in Montana accentuates the dream as he is able to pursue doing things he loves like downhill skiing, bow hunting, competitive shooting, and the mountains in general.
Ed Cross, Esq.
Ed Cross, “The Restoration Lawyer” has dedicated his 26-year legal career to the representation of restoration contractors across the country, and has recovered many tens of millions of dollars for them. He is the Restoration Industry Association’s Restoration Advocate, pursuing a fair and level playing field, legally and financially, for restorers and remediation contractors nationwide. He is the host of Face the Advocate, the show where restoration industry stakeholders
respond to peer reviewed positions taken by the Restoration Industry Association. He recently released two books: The Book on the Assignment of Benefit and The Book on Restoration Collections. In June, he was awarded the Martin L. King Award, the restoration industry’s most prestigious award.
Katie Smith, CR
Katie Smith, CR is the second generation owner of PHC Restoration in North Carolina, an independent company committed to making a positive impact on its team, customers and community. Passionate about servant leadership and building relationships, Katie plays an active role both inside of her company and within the industry and serves as the Restoration Industry Association President-Elect and Chairwoman of the Advocacy and Government Affairs Committee.
Jon Isaacson
Jon Isaacson, The Intentional Restorer, is an author and host of The DYOJO Podcast. Jon speaks, writes, and coaches through his organization The DYOJO helping the start-up phase owners and growth-minded restoration professionals to shorten their DANG learning curve for personal and professional development. For over two decades Jon has been working in leadership roles with organizations in the construction, hazards abatement, and property restoration industries. Jon recently published two books, Be Intentional: Estimating addressing mindset and habits for insurance claims estimating and Be Intentional: Culture which is a collaborative work discussing how small things enhance or undermine your efforts to build a strong workplace culture.
