A predominately male trade association has appointed its first woman president.
Libby Hackel, 33, a customer service representative at FNCB Bank in Kingston, was named president of the Home Builders Association of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Edwardsville resident replaced Joe Stochla of Eastern Penn Supply Co.
The nonprofit association has about 80 members, who are builders and representatives of building industry related businesses in Luzerne and Lackawanna counties. The association once had about 300 members and Hackel hopes to increase membership again.
“I want to help build the membership back up. I have heard that the board meetings used to be standing room only and the most I’ve ever seen was maybe 10 people,” she said. “I think I could help them as a younger person with fresh ideas.”
Don Casterline, vice president of the Home Builders Association, said membership has declined as fewer people have been building homes in recent years.
As a result, the building industry associations of Luzerne and Lackawanna counties merged to form the regional group more than a year ago.
Casterline said the housing market is starting to come back but it’s “so slow.”
“Instead of building homes, a lot of our members are remodeling and doing other things,” he said. “We’ve had several bankruptcies.”
The region’s Home Builders Association is affiliated with the Pennsylvania Builders Association and the National Association of Home Builders, which represent local builders and building industry related businesses legislatively. Local members participate in meetings on a state and national level.
When the association’s board looked for a leader, Casterline said they decided a younger president would best serve longtime members as well as new younger members.
“With years of experience at FNCB Bank, Libby was a perfect fit to become the first female president to lead the new Home Builders Association,” Casterline said.
Hackel was born in Binghamton, New York, and spent most of her life in Pittston, graduating from Pittston Area High School in 2004.
She has served on the predominately male board of the Home Builders Association with one other woman member, Connie Martorella of Cornerstone Building Solutions.
In addition to offering fresh ideas, Hackel said, “In a room full of guys, I could be the peacemaker if there are any disagreements.”
Dave Balent, owner of Balent Construction in Exeter and past president and vice president of the Home Builders Association, said he likes having more diversity on the board. He also likes that Hackel could offer innovative ideas on issues such as increasing the number of members.
Balent has seen firsthand the trend of fewer people building homes since 2007.
“The economy changed significantly that a lot of builders were hurt,” he said. “Quite a few retired or they went bankrupt or could not find enough work to support their families.”
Balent has seen an improvement in the economy and he adjusted to the slowdown in the home building market by trying “a little bit of everything.”
“I got my hands in everything,” he said. “I will recommend people who I know are good in particular areas and that always works. This organization needs to expand on membership, younger membership and the trades. You can make a very good living but it’s a different kind of work. You have to be cut out for it.”
For information about the Home Builders Association, call 570-287-3331 or go to hbanepa.org.
Contact the writer:
dallabaugh@citizensvoice.com;
570-821-2115;
@CVAllabaugh on Twitter