Meet Your 2024 President

Category: Member-Features
02/19/2024

Introducing the financial visionary:

Bill Rothman, 2024 BIA president

Get to know your board of directors:  As we welcome springtime and warmer weather, we also greet the Building Industry Association's new president, Bill Rothman, chief financial officer of Kilbourne Group.

Hailing from California, Bill was born in Oakland but grew up in San Rafael. When it came time to think about college and his future, Bill said, “I thought I would get a law degree and go into international law, but I decided in my freshman year at UC Davis that I didn’t want to go to law school.”

After his time as an Aggie, Bill went on to continue his education and got his master's degree in business administration at the University of Southern California, Marshall School of Business, with a concentration in finance. He landed an internship with a real estate company, and it was there he decided that was the field he wanted to be in.

After graduation, Bill pursued the financial sector and worked in corporate banking as a lender at Security Pacific National Bank then later moved into real estate finance within the company. 

Above top: Bill Rothman (far right) pictured with his wife, Leslie (far left), and children Courtney and Geoffrey.
Above bottom: Bill's grandchildren: Jake Rothman, Ellie Rothman, Nash DuBois and Harlow DuBois
 

His involvement with the building industry traces back to his days at Glenfield Development, Washington Mutual and IndyMac.

“When I was at Washington Mutual and IndyMac Bank, I was a member of the BIA in California and served on a couple of task forces for the NAHB (National Association of Home Builders)," he says.

Rothman was a member of the Acquisition, Development and Construction task force that developed a program to provide development financing for smaller builders who could not access credit from traditional banks; with Fannie Mae involved in the process as a potential source of capital. He represented the banking community in the underwriting and structuring of such facilities.

Rothman stayed active in the homebuilding industry, managing major builder groups nationwide through the lending division of IndyMac Bank and Washington Mutual. Rothman was the president of the homebuilding division at IndyMac Bank. In 2010, he returned to the development world and worked for a transit-oriented developer in Salt Lake City, Utah, where they built mixed-use and townhome projects along rail lines in Salt Lake City County.

Bill made his way to Fargo in 2017 when the chief financial officer position opened at Kilbourne Group.  His affinity for the area stems from a few factors.

Above: Bill Rothman with F-M Area Association of Realtors President Maureen Bartelt gearing up for Giving Hearts Day and the competition over the "Building the Future" cup.

"I enjoy the people and the vibrancy of the community," he says. "My wife and I had never spent much time in the Midwest prior to joining Kilbourne and we have found it to be a great experience and have made new friends since joining this community.” 

When asked about why he is a member Rothman says, “I am passionate about the work the NAHB does and being a positive force in tackling the issues that confront developers throughout the country. I believe success comes through being part of the local association. I joined the BIA  when I started attending Public Issues Committee meetings and was recruited to join the board in 2021.”

Above: Bill Rothman (fourth from right) with members from the Fargo-Moorhead area and the rest of North Dakota at the National Association of Home Builders' Fall Leadership Meetings.

As Bill Rothman assumes his new role, we look forward to a vibrant presidency characterized by financial expertise, a drive for advancement and a dedication to enhancing our region.

Above: Bill Rothman (left) shakes hands with National Association of Home Builders CEO Jim Tobin after being installed as 2024 BIA president in January.

Interested in getting involved with the Building Industry Association? Contact Marketing & Sales Intern Hannah Johnson at (701) 232-5846.

written by Rose Marcellus, Communications Intern.