Building Stronger Coalitions: RIA Strengthens Its Relationship with BOMA

Director of Advocacy & Government Affairs, Vince Scarfo, shares his day & insights after meeting with BOMA on June 23, 2026. 

Today, I had the pleasure of meeting with Jeff Janas, an accomplished government affairs professional with the Building Owners and Managers Association (BOMA), to continue building a meaningful relationship between our organizations and identify shared priorities that can strengthen advocacy for the emergency restoration services industry.

On my walk to our meeting, I passed a First Onsite truck and saw members of their team working hard to help a commercial customer. It was a powerful reminder that, throughout our industry, we are all doing our part—whether in the field serving customers or building relationships that strengthen the collective voice of restoration professionals.

About a month ago, Jeff and I worked together in support of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, demonstrating coalition advocacy in action. The House approved its version by a vote of 396-13 in May, and the Senate passed an updated bipartisan package 85-5 on June 22. The House must now act on the Senate-passed bill before it can be sent to the President; with fingers crossed, this significant housing package may soon become law.

Although not written specifically for the restoration industry, the legislation could benefit RIA members by supporting whole-home repairs, converting vacant and abandoned buildings into housing, streamlining development and expanding access to local financing. These provisions should create opportunities for qualified emergency restoration services contractors to help repair, remediate, restore and protect more properties within our communities.

Effective advocacy is rarely accomplished alone. Strong coalition relationships allow RIA to expand its reach, share knowledge and ensure the experiences of emergency restoration services contractors and professionals are considered earlier in legislative and regulatory discussions. They also create opportunities to collaborate on disaster response, housing, construction, insurance, workforce development and consumer protection.

I appreciate Jeff’s time, perspective and willingness to explore where our organizations and industries may be able to work together. Building RIA’s advocacy presence begins with building trusted relationships, and today was another positive step forward.