Masonry Magazine April 2005 Page. 16
Contractor
MCAA member contractors respond to the industry issues of the day.
"Sometimes people mix up our names," Jim laughs. "Sometimes people mix up our names."
Their few differences provide the yin-yang of a good partnership. Jim, 53, says his strengths are his community-based work: He's incoming President of the Builders Association of North Central Florida and is involved with the North Florida Regional Planning Council, Work-Force Development, and Gainesville Area Chamber of Commerce. He served on the Gainesville City Commission from October 1990 through May 1994, the last year as Mayor-Commissioner. He has so many appreciation plaques that they no longer fit on the walls of his office.
Jerry, who is 57, says his "hobby" is masonry, and that he is more technology-oriented, with membership in several state and national masonry societies and Alachua County codes enforcement board. He's also active on numerous committees working on national masonry standards, workmanship and safety, and he's on the editorial board of two trade magazines. "I guess I work for the community of man; I like the big picture."
Locally, he is active in Rotary Club of Gainesville and attends Gainesville Church of God; he teaches a Bible study group every two weeks. He said church attendance has been a constant in every place his family has ever lived, which was several cities in six states over 17 years.
He considers being a volunteer a responsibility.
"No finer thing in life is when it's over, you're known to have made a difference. A lot of people want to be on the receiving end, not the giving end. If you don't make a deposit, you can't make a withdrawal," Jerry says. And when he gives, it's his all. For instance, when his company joined a national mason contractor's association, "I told them, you're getting not only our (dues), you're getting us and our opinions."
Roger Brower, Executive Director of the North Central Florida Safety Council, met the Painters in the early 1980s and has remained close friends with them.
"I met Jim through the chamber and knew him from his community activities and his time as Commissioner and Mayor. He was good in that job and made an effort to reach out to the business community, getting it and government together for economic development and job creation. He was also instrumental in the development of the airport industrial park, through the exchange of undevelopable city land for federal land, which was high and dry.
"Jerry is so well thought of in his industry that he is constantly on the road to Washington and elsewhere, helping develop industry standards. He's been voted one of the outstanding contractors in the country."
Brower is also a fellow Rotarian and has seen Jerry's work up close. "He's given a great deal of time to Rotary, particularly to the major fundraising event, the Wild Game Feast.
"I have the highest level of appreciation for what they both do for the community," Brower says.
"If you don't make a deposit, you can't make a withdrawal."
One of Jim's passions is creating a hospitable environment for residents, particularly the lower-income ones, but it is frustrating. "We have such a wealth of talent in our community, but for 20, 30 years we are still talking about East Gainesville, homelessness, the number of reduced lunches and lack of affordable housing."
Jerry says when he works on a building, it comes first. "The building is bigger and more important than the parts of us that are building it. Except for three that were torn down to make way for something bigger or better, the buildings will outlast us. We need to do it right and do it well."
He carries a small International Brick in his pocket wherever he goes. When he gives presentations, he pulls it out and tells the audience: "Brick is a nearly eternal product. It's just clay that's been dug out of the ground and been through the fire. It's that fire that separates this brick from the mudpies we used to make as kids. That purifying fire is good for all of us. If you've never been through the fire, you're not durable."
Reprinted by permission of The Gainesville Sun.
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