Had Year of Changes : CBIA Executive Seeks to Boost Membership

For George R. Cook, 1987 was a year of new beginnings. He remarried, lost weight and became the new executive vice president of the California Building Industry Assn.

In fact, the only fresh starts not being made in Cook’s life are in the housing industry:

A week after he accepted the chief executive officer post of the 5,877-member organization, it was announced that the number of nationwide housing units started in the third quarter of the year had dropped by 13%, compared to the same period the prior year.

“It didn’t come as a particular surprise, frankly,” Cook said in a recent interview at the association’s offices two blocks from the state capitol.

“After the passage of the Tax Reform Act of 1986, which contained a lot of provisions that made real estate at least seem less attractive, it had to be expected. I think of this as part of the normal swing of things in this industry.”

Cook, 46, developed that calm approach during 11 years as senior vice president/director of state government relations for the California Bankers Assn. Prior to that, he spent six years as deputy director for legislative affairs of the County Supervisors Assn. of California.

Cook said his immediate goals, as set by the directors, are twofold: “Yes, there are a number of legislative issues we’ll be looking into and working hard on,” he said, “but we also have a goal of increasing (the association’s) membership to 7,000 by October of 1988.”

In addition, he said, the board has indicated it wants Cook to work at improving the level of services for the members--specifically liability insurance. CBIA also offers health and dental plans.

Among the issues on Cook’s legislative agenda is the increase of slow-growth initiatives throughout the state which, he said, “will have a dramatic impact on not just builders but anyone who wants to find housing.”

School construction bonds and accompanying fees--paid by builders and passed on to buyers--are other primary lobbying concerns for Cook.

A graduate of Sacramento’s Lincoln Law School, Cook holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from UC Berkeley, and a master’s in public administration from Cal State Sacramento.