LETTER FROM THE CHAIR
“When we change our relationship with rejection, we change our entire lives.” – Jamie Kern Lima
I was recently listening to a leadership podcast, and the guest being interviewed was Jamie Kern Lima, a New York Times Best Seller, the first female CEO of L’Oreal cosmetics, and a woman who recently sold her cosmetics company for $1.2 Billion cash. During her interview, she spoke about rejection, failure, and authenticity. Listening to her conversation, I couldn’t help but think how greatly these three things are intertwined in personal growth and development.
Her story is so familiar to those of success…you know the beginning and you know the end, but the middle gets lost. Headlines about Lima say she went from being a struggling waitress to selling her company for billions, but this didn’t happen in one magical day. It’s not a fairytale or what we see in the movies. Her story is one that starts with her seeking after her dream, or what she thought was her dream, in news reporting. It was there that she developed rosascea, a skin condition, that led her to develop a makeup product that now helps millions of women around the world. It was through her struggles, failures, and rejection that she learned to become the leader she is today. She learned the importance of being true to herself and her convictions and saw others follow.
Our industry is full of success stories from women in a male-dominated field, myself included. But many times we forget the “middle”. We forget the hurdles that successful women had to jump, the failures they had to learn from, the rejection they faced. Instead, we use words like “lucky” and “blessed” to describe women we admire. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve heard people tell me how “awesome” it is that I went from receptionist to COO at Rackley Roofing. And while, yes, it is awesome, it leaves out the reality of the struggles and difficulties I faced in the in-between. I do feel blessed, but it wasn’t an easy journey.
The other day I was at a friend’s office, and we were talking about day-to-day business, our struggles, and our celebrations. She had asked me how I dealt with a certain situation in leading a team, and my answer to her was an authentic one: I struggle with that same situation every day. And it was a reminder of WHY National Women in Roofing exists. We have a huge group of women to be our friends, our coaches, our leaders, our mentors, and our confidantes. I know that beyond a shadow of a doubt, I can share my “middle” with these ladies and their only concern is my best interest. And they know they have the same with me. National Women in Roofing gives us the opportunity to be our authentic selves and to share in our rejections and failures…and to celebrate in our wins.
Reach out to a friend in our industry. Tell her your “middle” and let her tell you hers. And celebrate the successes, the victories, the greats. But also, remember to celebrate the middle as well. It is there that we find authenticity. It is there that we find true empowerment.
Michelle Boykin, Rackley Roofing
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 COMMUNITY SERVICE
Susan DeGrassi, Antis Roofing & Waterproofing; NWiR Community Service Committee Chair
Stephanie Baird, Bliss Roofing; NWiR Community Service Committee Vice Chair
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Big Goal for November 2022
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 NWIR members have BIG hearts and are focused across the country on service in their communities! The Community Service Committee is pursuing the stories from YOU – your company, your council, your roofing industry network – to share all year with a SPECIAL FOCUS the entire month of November.
Specifically – NWIR members should share their stories about supporting women, girls & their families in their communities…this is the FOCUS of the NWIR Community Service Committee. Please share those stories and photos AS THEY HAPPEN ALL YEAR by emailing them to the committee. Read more...
Invest in the Future! High School Summer Internships
It is surprisingly easy to work with a non-profit program that develops young adults through summer intern and extern programs. Check into Boys & Girls Clubs, Girls Inc, United Way and more. These young people are typically Juniors and Seniors in high school. Many of them are college-bound. Today, the programs might be in person, virtual only, or hybrid with an expectation of 10-20 hours a week of experience. Read more...
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 EVENTS
Brittany Wimbish, Fields Roof Service; NWiR Events Committee Chair
Lee Lipniskis, Cotney Attorneys & Consultants; NWiR Events Committee Vice Chair
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 Come and join Bookclub for some amazing reads and wonderful chats! This is what is happening in the next few months:
May 19 – A Man Called Ove
June 23, July 26, & August 23….. Go vote on the books to see what we read next!
https://bookclubs.com/clubs/21427/join/b42734/
Career Strategies: Navigating Your Own Pathway
Join NWiR at the Florida Roofing and Sheet Metal Contractors Association (FRSA) Convention in Daytona, Florida on Thursday, July 20th from 3:00-5:00 for a panel discussion on Career Strategies: Navigating Your Own Pathway.
The first step to navigating your career path is to take stock of where you’re at and what you want to change. Are you feeling “stuck” in your current position? Maybe unsure of where to go, what your next steps would be, or even how to get there? Join National Women in Roofing where we will be discussing how to navigate and overcome different obstacles within the roofing industry and how you can create your own pathway to a prosperous and fulfilling career.
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 RECRUITMENT
Brenna Driver, Owens Corning; NWiR Recruitment Committee Chair
Paula Felix, AMS; Recruitment Committee Vice Chair
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Girl Scouts - Recruiting Girls into Construction Earlier!
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 It’s no secret that women are highly underrepresented in our industry. In fact, we make up only 3% of the construction labor force. The Girl Scouts are aiming to change that by empowering girls at a younger age to learn about the construction industry. Read article here
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 COUNCILS
Christine Mockenhaupt, SRS Distribution Inc.; NWiR Councils Committee Chair
Mary Beth Reed, GAF; NWiR Councils Committee Vice Chair
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If you have been part of a successful council startup, consider joining the NWIR Councils committee. We meet regularly with councils across the country who are looking for guidance and support to get their own local councils established. Your insight and wisdom will go a long way toward helping others find success. If you are interested, please contact the Councils Committee Chairs at councils@nationalwomeninroofing.org.
Here’s what some of our councils have been up to lately:
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NWiR Tampa Council
 Diversity and Inclusivity
Dr. Jessica Stahl with Ignite presented to the Tampa Council-Understanding Unconscious Bias: The key to creating a more inclusive workforce.
She did a fantastic job interacting the members with different scenarios showing how we can be more aware of our unconscious biases. Dr. Stahl explained the difference between our system 1 and system 2 brain function. Read more...
NWiR Seattle Council
Waterproofing Training with SIKA
Join us at Chinook Building Envelope Services on May 17th from 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM for hands-on waterproofing training with SIKA! This training will teach you traffic coating fundamentals along with detailing. Read more...
NWiR Tennessee Council
Join us for our hands-on TPO Lunch & Learn. Safety first- please bring your PPE.
When: May 18th 11 am – 12:30 pm
Where: Rackley Roofing’s Training Facility. 105 Hunter Ave, Carthage, TN, 37030.
NWiR Columbus Council
Diaper Drive
The Columbus National Women in Roofing Council held a diaper drive with the Columbus Diaper Coalition in honor of celebrating women throughout the month of March.
In this, we collected 3,768 diapers and 2,280 wipes as well as multiple monetary donations!!! Kimberly Stalica and John Kiesel of Division 7 Roofing and Michelle Howes, Gary Howes, and Gabi Criado of The Durable Slate Company dropped of all donations at the Columbus Diaper Coalition on March 31st.
Thanks so much to everyone who donated to the drive!!!
NWiR Northern New Jersey Council
Come Grow With Us in Northern NJ
 The Northern NJ council met Wednesday, April 20, 2022. The “Grow With Us” in-person event was hosted at PB Roofing in Elwood Park, NJ and dinner was sponsored by GAF.
In celebration of Earth Day, Capitol Roofing Company presented the benefits of vegetative roofing. Eric Deriben and Sej Sorathia answered questions on system compatibilities, installation and spoke about the pros and cons of tray and built-in place systems. Read more...
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 SHAPING OUR FUTURE
Celebrating women and their accomplishments
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Dawn Holsinger
Dawn Holsinger with Delta Rep Group was appointed as President of the Florida Chapter of IIBEC for 2022. She is a past chair of the local Tampa Council of NWIR and also a leader on the NWIR Community Service Committee. She is passionate about supporting and bringing young women into the consulting & roofing industry starting with education on diversity & inclusivity. She has served on the board for JDRF and has been a volunteer for over 15 years.
IIBEC is dedicated to the development and maintenance of the highest standards in education, performance, and professionalism within the roofing, waterproofing, and exterior wall disciplines. Become a member of IIBEC today.
Congratulations Dawn!
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NRCA
National Roofing Week 2022: June 5-11
 Each year, National Roofing Week increases awareness about the significance of roofs to every home and business and shares the good deeds of the industry. NWiR encourages members to participate in National Roofing Week by engaging in their communities and informing the public about the essential role roofs and professional roofing contractors play in every community. More information about National Roofing Week is available on the NRCA website.
IIBEC
Call for Presentations at the 2023 IIBEC International Convention & Trade Show
The International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC) is an international association of professionals who specialize in roofing, waterproofing, and exterior wall specification and design. The mission of IIBEC is to advance the profession of building enclosure (roofing, waterproofing and exterior wall) consultants.
IIBEC is seeking papers for consideration for its 40th anniversary at the 2023 IIBEC International Convention & Trade Show. Put your skills, knowledge, and talent to work for your profession! The 2023 IIBEC International Convention & Trade Show, taking place March 2–6 in Houston, Texas. More information on the IIBEC website.
CWIR & NAWIC
 NWiR is so fortunate to be supported by other not-for-profit associations, non-governmental organizations, and business coalitions. We seek these colleagues both in and outside the roofing industry, in adjacent industries, those that represent women in male-dominated fields and those that we have issues in common with. Read more...
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EVENTS, WEBINARS &
MEETINGS
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NOTES FROM THE OFFICE
Ellen Thorp, M.A., CAE; NWiR Executive Director
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Q1 2022 Market Index Survey for Reroofing Shows Increases
The Q1 2022 Market Index Survey for Reroofing shows increasing customer inquiries and increasing project contracts.
Respondents include both roofing contractors and roof consultants with the vast majority of respondents doing business on both steep-slope and low-slope roofs; about 15% of respondents do business on steep-slope only. Below are a few topline highlights of the recent survey. Read more...
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