The HBA Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Jim Standring of Westlund Industries and Jeff Fish of Fish Construction.

Jim Standring has served in every leadership capacity possible during his 25-plus years of involvement at the Home Builders Association including the Board of Directors, State Director, National Director, Portland HBA President and OHBA President. During his term as HBA President, he developed the Annual Housing Economic Forecast, a program which has grown and is one of HBA’s most successful industry-attended programs. Jim also has been a developer and builder in the Street of Dreams.

Jim founded, served on or chaired countless public policy task forces and committees; from local sewage agencies and parks districts to advising the governor’s office.  His relationships with 1000 Friends of Oregon helped HBA create an alliance that surprised many back in the early 90’s, but which had significant impact on land use planning in the joint legislation the two organizations supported. 

Jim was a founding trustee of the Home Builders Foundation when it formed in the late 90’s, a role he still serves to this day.  In this role, he led HBA to make a $500,000 grant commitment to Doernbecher Children’s Hospital – the largest pledge made and fulfilled ever in HBA’s history - through the “Miracle House” home in the Street of Dreams.  He has also been a heavy supporter of the Foundation’s Auction and Benefit Dinner. 

  Jeff Fish has been active in areas important to the survival of the building industry and lower-priced housing.  He was instrumental in convincing the City of Portland to continue to allow so-called “skinny lots” to be built on and then helped create a design competition that ended up making these types of houses something the City was proud to support. 

Fish has served on numerous City Task Forces and Commissions, and is universally respected by leaders in the City of Portland.  He has served on the Executive Committee and Board for HBA, served as a National Director at NAHB, helped with countless home shows and tours, chaired our Political Action Committee, and has served on our Government Affairs and Education committees – to name just a few of the additional ways he has provided leadership.

To date, he has completed and sold three homes over the last three years, helping raise close to $200,000 for HBA’s Political Action Committee, with two more houses still to come. Additionally, his concern for housing affordability has led him to also be very active in Habitat for Humanity.