Photo courtesy of NRCA.
Photo courtesy of NRCA. 
Photo courtesy of NRCA. 
Photo courtesy of Lagniappe Studio, New Orleans.
"Tomorrow is the most important thing in life. … It hopes we've learned something from yesterday."
—John Wayne
When planning its annual convention, NRCA's Convention Committee and staff examine the association's past conventions to determine how to build on their successes. To streamline its convention, NRCA changed the format of its 115th Annual Convention and Exhibit held in San Antonio Feb. 10-13.
This year's convention started on Sunday, Feb. 10, with a Western-style trade-show opening rather than a ribbon-cutting ceremony. And instead of a typical four-day trade-show run, the exhibit was open for three days.
Photo courtesy of NRCA.
NRCA President, Mike Promen, president of Clark Roofing Co. Inc., Broadview, Ill., and Judy Promen opened the trade show.
In addition, this year's educational sessions were more focused on attendees' needs; special forums, such as the Metal Roofing and Spray Polyurethane Foam Roofing programs, were held, and the National Roofing Legal Resource Center (NRLRC) Breakfast was extended so attendees could further discuss legal issues and trends in the industry.
Following are some highlights from NRCA's 115th Annual Convention and Exhibit.
Texas local
During the Opening Luncheon on Feb. 11, former President George H.W. Bush showed his sense of humor when he shared family stories and spoke about current events to an awe-inspired audience.
Since leaving office, Bush has written two books, visited 56 countries and served as honorary chairman of the Points of Light Foundation. While speaking to the sold-out crowd, Bush talked about his life as a former president and the tips he has learned.
Photo courtesy of NRCA.
During his speech, former President George H. W. Bush brought the audience, including NRCA President Mike Promen, to its feet.
For example, Bush said at Super Bowl XXXVI, he realized he wouldn't be booed by the crowd if he walked into the stadium to do the coin toss with National Football League Hall of Fame inductee Roger Staubach.
Bush also made the audience laugh when he poked fun at H. Ross Perot, members of the national press whom he now can admit hating and vomiting on Japan's former Prime Minister Kiichi Miyazawa—an incident he says overshadowed much of his presidency.
"What you don't know is after that incident, I invited Kiichi to dinner in Houston and said, ‘Kiichi, this time dinner is on me,'" Bush says.
But his most heartwarming stories are tales of having two sons in the political spotlight—President George W. Bush and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush—and remaining a close-knit family.
Bush says he stays out of Washington, D.C., because the nation only needs one president—but all bets are off when it comes to his wife of 57 years, Barbara. Bush says Barbara continues to treat the president as she always has—as her son.
Bush notes: "I was reading the early morning newspaper with George … who was in his running clothes. He put his feet on the table, and Bar yelled, ‘George, take your feet off the table!' I said, ‘Bar, he is the president of the United States; leave him alone.'"
Bush commended NRCA and its members for performing charitable acts. In addition, Bush said he was moved by NRCA's involvement with repairing and replacing the Pentagon's roof system. Bush said such acts make people points of light.
Reaping awards
Also during the Opening Luncheon, NRCA's 2002 Annual Gold Circle Awards were presented. NRCA created the Gold Circle Awards in 1995 to recognize its members for outstanding contributions to the roofing industry in four categories: workmanship, innovative solutions, service to the community and service to the industry.
The following received Gold Circle Awards for the corresponding categories: workmanship—Buckley Roofing Co. Inc., Wichita, Kan., for Exploration Place Inc., a children's museum and science center in Wichita; innovative solutions—Gooding Simpson & Mackes Inc., Ephrata, Pa., for the HPR Training Facility, Lititz, Pa., and Hamlin Roofing Co. Inc., Garner, N.C., for the First Citizens Bank at Six Forks, Raleigh, N.C.; and service to the community—Denchfield Roofing Corp., Silver Spring, Md., for its work with Rebuilding Together™ with Christmas in April® and Our House Dormitory, an organization that operates a residential job and education program in Maryland, and Kirberg Roofing Inc., St. Louis, for its $100,000 donation for and installation of a new roof system on the St. Louis-based South City YMCA, as well as its involvement with the organization. No award was given for service to the industry.
Other roofing professionals were recognized for their contributions to the industry during the CNA-sponsored Member Breakfast on Feb. 12. The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress recognized roofing workers' accomplishments by granting nine roofing workers its second annual Most Valuable Player (MVP) Awards. The alliance established the awards to annually identify exceptional roofing workers from 10 regions: New England, mid-Atlantic, South Atlantic, East North Central, East South Central, West North Central, West South Central, Mountain, Pacific and noncontinental.
To qualify for the award, nominees could not hold positions higher than foreman. Roofing workers were nominated for achieving the following criteria: outstanding on-the-job performance; attracting new roofing workers and helping retain existing ones; contributions to a team effort; community service and volunteerism; and other noteworthy contributions and activities.
Judges included representatives from contracting, manufacturing and supplier companies. Decisions were based on evidence of professionalism; uniqueness or significance of a nominee's contributions; and how companies, co-workers, customers and communities benefit from a nominee.
Forty-seven nominations were received. Following are this year's winners by region (nominations were not received for New England, East South Central and noncontinental regions):
Information about the 2003 MVP Awards will be mailed to NRCA members during September; the nomination deadline is Nov. 15. For additional information, contact Chris Seidel, executive director of the National Roofing Foundation, at (847) 299-9070, Ext. 264; cseidel@nrca.net; or fax (847) 299-1183.
Also during the breakfast, NRCA's Charlie Raymond Award was presented to Timothy J. Kelly, vice president of sales and estimating for Tuckahoe Metal & Roofing Inc., Yonkers, N.Y. The award, named after former NRCA President and J.A. Piper Award winner Charlie Raymond, is presented to the NRCA member who recruited the most members during the past year. Kelly recruited nine members.
And The Mountain Co., Vienna, W.Va., was recognized for being an NRCA member for at least 50 consecutive years. The company joins the ranks of two other NRCA member companies that have reached the milestone.
After awards were presented, James Bradley spoke to breakfast attendees. Bradley is the son of Iwo Jima flag raiser John "Doc" Bradley and wrote about his father's experiences in Flag of our Fathers.
Photo courtesy of NRCA.
James Bradley spoke at the CNA-sponsored Member Breakfast about his father, who was one of the Iwo Jima flag raisers.
Bradley intrigued the audience by sharing stories about his father and the five men who raised the flag with him. Through these stories, Bradley showed that giving up never should be an option and people can do the impossible.
New management
NRCA's 2002-03 slate of officers was announced during the Opening Luncheon and confirmed following the NRLRC Breakfast. Terms will begin June 1.
W. Don McCrory, president of Kiker Corp., Mobile, Ala., was elected president. McCrory has more than 30 years' experience in sales, roof system design and consulting. McCrory was an NRCA director during 1986-89 and 1991-94; officer during 1990-91, 1996-98 and 1999-2000; and vice president from 1999-2002. McCrory has served on several NRCA committees and groups, such as the Education Operating Committee, NRLRC, National Roofing Service Corp. and Standards Development Task Force. In addition, McCrory has been chairman of the Environmental Action Task Force, Public Relations Committee, Consumer Awareness Committee and PAC Advisory Committee, as well as others.
John Gooding, chairman of the board and chief executive officer of Gooding Simpson & Mackes, was named senior vice president. Gooding served as an NRCA director during 1989-92, 1994-95, 1995-96 and 1999-2002. Gooding also was a vice president during 1997-2000 and served on several committees. Gooding was chairman of the Substance Abuse, NRCA/SPRI Liaison, and Health and Safety committees, among others.
In addition, three vice presidents were elected to two-year terms: Reid Ribble, president of The Ribble Group Inc., Kaukauna, Wis.; Robert Therrien Jr., president of Al Melanson Co., Keene, N.H.; and Kent Tolley, president of Tolley-Hughes Inc., Boise, Idaho.
NRCA's new directors' names can be found in "Industry Briefing."
Good times
After a full four days of meetings, touring the trade show and participating in educational sessions, attendees relaxed at the Final Banquet on Feb. 13 to the tunes of the Eclipse Band and Orchestra.
During the banquet, NRCA's prestigious J.A. Piper Award was presented to Conrad Kawulok, president of B & M Roofing of Colorado Inc., Boulder. The award recognizes roofing professionals who have devoted constant, outstanding service to NRCA and the roofing industry.
Photo courtesy of Lagniappe Studio, New Orleans.
Conrad Kawulok, president of B & M Roofing of Colorado Inc., Boulder, won the J.A. Piper Award.
And Kawulok fits that description perfectly. He was NRCA president from 1997-98 after serving as senior vice president from 1996-97; vice president during 1989-90, 1991-93 and 1994-96; and director from 1985-88, 1990-91 and 1993-94. Most of Kawulok's NRCA committee involvement has been with technical groups, such as the Technical Long-Range Planning Committee, Technical Operating Committee and NRCA/ARMA Quality-Control Document Task Force. He has, however, worked with other committees, including the Government Relations Committee, Convention Committee, Work Force Training Task Force and Standards Development Task Force. Many of Kawulok's peers believe his unique leadership style is the key to his success within the roofing industry.
"Conrad has a quiet, calm and confident way about him," says NRCA President Mike Promen, president of Clark Roofing Co. Inc., Broadview, Ill. "Maybe it comes from being born in Wyoming—he really is an American cowboy. But whatever the reason, Conrad completes jobs he has been asked to do and gets people to do jobs he asks them to do. Either way, the people Conrad works with feel good about working with him."
In addition to his work with NRCA, Kawulok is involved with the Midwest Roofing Contractors Association, Western States Roofing Contractors Association and Colorado Roofing Association, for which he served as president.
Kawulok, similar to many roofing professionals, was born into the industry. He began his roofing career by working for his father at B & M Roofing of Colorado during summer vacations. After trying several careers and graduating from college, Kawulok returned to B & M Roofing of Colorado and worked through the company ranks; Kawulok became company secretary/treasurer in 1974 and president in 1981.
Within the roofing industry, Kawulok is well-known for his analytical style but also as an outdoorsman and builder. In fact, he is a licensed general contractor and built B & M Roofing of Colorado's facility and his home. In his spare time, Kawulok can be found fly-fishing, an activity he would like to do more often when he retires.
NRCA Executive Vice President Bill Good, the 2001 J.A. Piper Award winner, presented Kawulok with the award and believes no one is more deserving.
"[Conrad's] activities as a volunteer leader didn't end with his term as NRCA president," Good says. "And I'm sure they never will end completely—in NRCA or anywhere else—as long as there are problems to solve, buildings to build and fish to catch."
A shocked Kawulok accepted the award and was proud to join the ranks of award winners.
"The privilege of receiving the J.A. Piper Award is humbling given the character and contributions of the men who have preceded me [in receiving the award]," Kawulok says. "It is with a great sense of pride and appreciation that I have been afforded the opportunity to contribute only a portion of all that I have received from the roofing industry."
First presented in 1948, the J.A. Piper Award is named for former NRCA President Joseph A. Piper whose extraordinary efforts kept the association alive during the Great Depression.
The Big Easy
Although convention attendees were about 550 miles (880 km) west of the real Mardi Gras, they got a sample of New Orleans in Texas. San Antonio held its Third Annual Bud Light Mardi Gras River Parade on Feb. 10 and Fat Tuesday festivities on Feb. 12. The events made people look forward to next year's convention—NRCA's 116th Annual Convention and Exhibit Feb. 11-14, 2003, in New Orleans.
The New Orleans convention will occur a few weeks before Mardi Gras, but that will not stop attendees from celebrating Mardi Gras-style when they reunite with friends, meet new people, learn about new technologies and work to enhance the roofing industry.
Attendees also should expect to see more changes at the New Orleans convention. Although the San Antonio show was a success, it always is important to look to what tomorrow can bring.
Kate Gawlik is associate editor of Professional Roofing magazine.
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