JOE Sinagra
Joe Sinagra
Career Highlights:
Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Northern Vermont/ Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Vermont: Executive Officer
Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Northern Vermont/Home Builders and Remodelers Association of Vermont: Government Affairs Director
Political Consultant
Community Involvement:
Vermont Society of Association Executives
Lyndon State College Alumni Association
Commissioner, St. Albans Recreation Board of Directors,
National Association of Homebuilders Executive Officers Council
Board of Directors, Pleasant View Estates
Coach, St. Albans Little League
Commissioner, Vermont State Offender Work Release Program
Professional and Civic Activities
Favorite part of job? My favorite part of my job is the diversity, everyday is something new and different. We have over 700 members, so I get to interact with businesses that range from sole proprietor to very large corportations. Serving on the National Board of Homebuilders Executive Officers Council, I also get to travel and discuss association management with collegues from around the country.
Most inspiring mentor? Dom Capers was the first head coach of the Carolina Panthers football team. I read an article once about how Dom Capers became head coach. The Panthers were a new team in the NFL and were searching for a head coach. The Panthers interviewed a wide range of candidates from seasoned veterans to up and coming coaches. Dom was the youngest and the least experienced of the candidates that interviewed for the job. He entered the interview for the head coaching job confident and prepared for the interview. He had a detailed plan on how to make the Panthers a winning team, which he did in less than 2 years. In 2003, I was 25 years old and interviewed for the Executive Officers position with the Homebuilders. Like Dom, I was the youngest and least experienced of the candidates. I did my research and came prepared with a plan to take the Homebuilders from a 300 member organziation to 600 members in 5 years. I was able to accomplish this goal and the organization is the largest it has been since it was chartered in 1957. Although I have never met Dom Capers, I have always felt some connection to him and in 2002, my son Spencer was born on Dom’s 52nd birthday.
Who is your living hero? My living hero is my father. My father was a high school graduate, who worked full time for over 55 years. I have learned a great deal from him, he worked at times multiply jobs to support his family, my mother was a stay at home mother of 4. As long as I could remember, my father was involved in his community from serving on the City Council to working with the school board. I think I got my work ethic from him, my father always had “side jobs” to help bring in a little extra money. Although he didn’t attend college he encouraged all his kids to go. For 23 years my parents had a child in college and they helped each of us financially.
Favorite downtime activity? Watching sports
Favorite Vermont Escape? I grew up in New York in the 1980’s and going to the mall on Friday night was the “thing” to do. My favorite Vermont Escape is Church Street in Burlington , it has all the positive things I remember about New York, but none of the negative.
Favorite social network? Facebook
Favorite website? politico.com and tmz.com
Vermont Business Person you would most want to network with? The list of Rising Stars in a impressive list of people in Vermont. Many of them I know and some I don’t. I look forward to networking more with the people on the list, because we are the future of business in Vermont.
