LETTER FROM THE CHAIRS
Alexander Graham Bell quotes, “When one door closes, another opens; but we often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us.” This quote speaks volumes to the year behind us and how we have adapted and continue to do so.
I’m proud that so many in our industry have adapted quickly and truly looked forward to the unknown opened doors. That being said, the International Roofing Expo will be hosting their VIRTUAL Expo March 2 – March 4, 2021, followed by their LIVE expo August 10 – August 12, 2021 in Las Vegas (we can’t wait to see your eyes in person in August). Please be sure to register for the March expo to take advantage of the education, expo hall, some fun events, and exhibits with your comrades online until we see you in August.
Additionally, February is Black History Month and I believe that Mr. Bell’s inspiration has had an impact on this forward movement and that it also speaks to us on a historical level as we celebrate. Please remember that we all need to push forward “TOGETHER” with an open mind and perspective regardless of sex, age, religion, race, or ethnicity. This is a time for us to strengthen our bonds.
As you look at tomorrow, the next month, or the next year, I hope you stop and think about the door that is open and the opportunity that lies within.
Renae Bales, KPost Roofing & Waterproofing
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DIVERSITY, EQUITY &
INCLUSION
Rae July, Chinook Roofing; NWiR DEI Committee Co-Chair
Jess Cress, Bone Dry Roofing Company; NWiR DEI Committee Co-Chair
Meredith Marsh-Shaevitz, Pitch Perfect Roofing; NWIR DEI Committee Vice Chair
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Celebrating Black History Month With HERstory
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This month the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee will be celebrating Black History Month with features of strong Black women within our industry. Stay tuned for the blog posts featuring five of these amazing women in our industry:
- Lisa Russell, NaturaShield
- Deidra Johnson, GAF
- Manaya Robertson, CertainTeed
- Crystal Grisham, Rackley Roofing
- Rae July, Chinook Roofing
We are looking forward to Women’s History Month in March as well. We are excited to begin putting out content to share education and insight within the industry. All are welcome to join the DEI committee meetings on the 2nd Thursday of each month at 3:00 pm EST. Please reach out to Jess (jcress@bonedryroofing.net) or Rae (rae@chinookroofing.com) to get involved or if you have any questions.
On behalf of the DEI committee, let us all celebrate the achievements and vital roles of our Black women in roofing!
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Celebrating Black History Month with HERstory: Lisa Russell
This month the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee will be celebrating Black History Month with features of strong black women within our industry. Let us all celebrate the achievements and vital roles of our Black Women in Roofing!
How did you get involved in the roofing industry?
I was managing a café, when I met the CEO of Naturashield commercial roofing. We shared a similar passion for business and creating opportunities for local communities. In May 2020, when business at the café began to slow due to covid, the CEO asked if I would be interested in doing some administrative work for his company. I was unsure where this opportunity would lead at the time, but I am so glad I took it! It has been eight months already and I am now taking on a sales and marketing position and very excited for the future. Read more...
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EDUCATION
Heather Estes, GAF; NWiR Education Committee Chair
Maureen Greeves, Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance; NWiR Education Committee Vice Chair
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2021 - What the Education committee is working on!
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 The Education Committee would like to talk about resilience. Financial, emotional, technician and professional resilience! The word started to replace other words that had dominated our conversations over the last 11 months. Words like: pandemic, unprecedented, remote, and exhausted to name a few. We know that simply turning the calendar doesn't guarantee that struggles are behind us. Instead we focus on how we will continue, in the face of future challenges and changes with resilience. We are working to create content and materials with this one common thread throughout 2021. Read more...
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It’s time to get your reading glasses out again!
Join us for the next Books & Bubbly with National Women in Roofing and Women in Restoration Engineering. We are reading “Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close” by Aminatou Sow & Ann Friedman. Summary: A close friendship is one of the most influential and important relationships a human life can contain. Anyone will tell you that! But for all the rosy sentiments surrounding friendship, most people don’t talk much about what it really takes to stay close for the long haul. Read more...
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 EVENTS
Melissa Mulligan Chapman, M2C Services; NWiR Events Committee Chair
Monica Pedrique Vornbrock, Marketing & DesignSolutions; NWIR Events Committee Vice Chair
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 IRE Virtual Edition
The International Roofing Expo is excited to launch a virtual conference and expo in 2021 in addition to our physical event. The virtual event will be held on March 2-4, and will feature both live and on-demand educational sessions, a virtual exhibit directory, a product showcase, and a networking platform where attendees and exhibitors can engage with each other via chat, video call, and more. Read more...
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MEMBERSHIP
Christee Holbrook, Graham Roofing; NWiR Membership Committee Chair
Kathleen Howard, Tremco Roofing and Building Maintenance; NWiR Membership Committee Vice Chair
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WE WANT TO GET TO KNOW YOU!
The NWiR Membership Committee is excited to announce our new initiative Membership Mondays. On the 3rd Monday of every month starting February 15, 2021, we will have STAND UP MONDAY, an informal 15 minute or less meeting when new members can meet each other. This will be a great opportunity for new members to tell everyone who they are, what they do, why they have chosen to join NWIR, and meet some of the other members. Read more...
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MENTORING
Melissa Walker, Johns Manville; NWiR Mentoring Committee Chair
Chelsea Steinbock, JFerg Pros; NWiR Mentoring Committee Vice Chair
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A Wise Man Supporting Women
Submitted by John Kenney
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 When you were starting out did you have a mentor, and if so, was it someone you sought out or they found you?
My father and grandfather were my mentors. This happened naturally; working for a family business, you get to see a wide range of day to day challenges, and my goal was to absorb all the information and do my best to help grow the business. I was also fortunate to have another mentor who was a WWII veteran that taught me all the technical installation aspects of roofing. Read more...
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COUNCILS
Karen Edwards, Casimir Group; NWiR Councils Committee Chair
Christine Mockenhaupt, SRS Distribution Inc.; 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 Canada Council
Submitted by Ellen Thorp
We’ve always had Canadian members but are so happy to welcome our roofing sisters from Canada as an official new NWiR Council. In the beginning we will launch Canada as one big Council who will meet remotely for now. Once we are able to gather in person again, we will plan gatherings in cities where we have a concentration of members. Eventually we hope to build up to Councils in all cities where there are women who want to launch a Council there. The leadership launch team has been hard at work soliciting sponsors, recruiting members, and spreading the word about NWiR Canada Council. They have been generously assisted by the Canadian Roofing Contractors Association. Read more...
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NWiR Northern New Jersey Council
Submitted by Erica Sherman
The Northern New Jersey Council wants to thank everyone who attended our January meeting, Balancing Motherhood and Your Career. Members gathered virtually to discuss challenges and best practices for finding balance between their many roles and responsibilities. We were grateful to create a space where moms – new and experienced – could connect over shared struggles and find strength and encouragement from one another. Read more...
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SPONSOR HIGHLIGHTS
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 As a global building and industrial materials leader, the heart of Owens Corning is our 18,000 employees across 33 countries who bring our brand to life through their actions. What unites this diverse team of people is our shared professional and personal passion to drive meaningful change. Together, we are focused on advancing environmental, social and corporate leadership to provide a material difference to our customers and make the world a better place. Read more...
SRS “Raises the Roof” with Donation in Honor of NWiR
 SRS has been a supporter of National Women in Roofing since its inception in various ways: They were a Founding Sponsor, they continue to be a Diamond Sponsor, and they maintain leadership within NWiR. In addition to this, their Women’s Leadership Forum and SRS Raise the Roof Foundation surprised our Executive Committee with even more exciting news…a $10,000 donation to the Purple Purse Project! Read more...
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SHAPING OUR FUTURE
Celebrating women and their accomplishments
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Crystal Grisham
Crystal Grisham has been promoted to Service Manager for Rackley Roofing Carthage/Cleveland and RD Herbert. She has been with Rackley for 2.5 years, her first introduction to roofing. Prior to her promotion, Crystal was a Service Coordinator for Middle Tennessee. When asked what makes Rackley stand out from other companies, Crystal said the Core Values, because they give a vision and lead her, and the company toward success. Congratulations Crystal!
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Join NWiR at Roofing Day "in" D.C.
 Roofing Day in D.C. is going virtual in 2021! Join fellow roofing professionals at the premier roofing industry advocacy event as we take the industry’s priorities to Washington, D.C.!
It is crucial members of Congress hear about the critical issues facing your company, especially during a time of transition. We encourage you to include field employees and others to attend the event so the industry can speak with one voice to Congress about the issues that mean the most to us! Don’t miss this opportunity to make a difference for your business and our industry! Read more...
Education Offerings at IIBEC
NWiR and IIBEC are supporters of each other's edu cational offerings. Here are some great upcoming items on the IIBEC calendar:
CRCA Partners with NWiR to Promote New NWiR Canada Coun cil
January 21, 2021 (Ottawa) – The Canadian Roofing Contractors Association (CRCA) is pleased to announce that they have partnered with the National Women in Roofing (NWiR) to establish a Canadian Council of the organization. Read more...
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Updates f or WORLD AWARD
Councils, Members, and Friends…We’re looking for WORLD Award Nominations! If you know someone in the industry who is a respected leader, you are invited to nominate her. The WORLD Award Winners will be announced at the 2021 NWIR Day Conference. Read more...
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EVENTS, WEBINARS &
VIRTUAL MEETINGS
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NOTES FROM THE OFFICE
Ellen Thorp, M.A., CAE; NWiR Executive Director
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Roofing Coalition Urges Widespread COVID-19 Vaccinations
 The Coalition of roofing industry associations has released a statement, urging eligible individuals to roll up their sleeves for COVID-19 vaccinations when available and recommended by local health officials and medical professionals. The widespread distribution and acceptance of COVID-19 vaccinations is critical to our shared social and economic recovery. Read more...
Roofing Industry Association Coalitions
 Thank you for your responses to the Market Index Survey. The survey had over 1300 respondents from a variety of roofing contractors and consultants about their business activity in the 4th quarter. No link to share for results, only respondents are able to see the results. Stay tuned for an email and social media from NWiR in early April so you can participate in the Q1 survey and see the results.
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