Sarasota official to lead group for builders

Construction industry executive and entrepreneur Jon Mast has been named CEO of the Manatee-Sarasota Building Industry Association.

Mast replaces Executive Vice President Alan Anderson, who is retiring April 30, according to a release. Anderson has been the executive vice president since 2008, and a board member with the organization since 1998.

A Sarasota native, Mast has worked in construction and development for more than 30 years, according to the association. He's owned and run several companies, and has been a contractor, remodeler, land developer, architectural principle, designer and real estate agent. Mast has also worked on the government side of the industry: His most recent post was with Sarasota County, where he was manager of land development.

Mast's interest in political affairs dates back to high school, the release states, when he was a congressional intern for U.S. Rep. Andy Ireland, R-Winter Haven.

The Manatee-Sarasota Building Industry Association, formerly the Home Builders Association, was founded in 1983. It's a professional trade organization and lobbying group, affiliated with the Florida Home Builders Association and the National Association of Home Builders.