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!

1. 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.

2. Use three words or labels to describe yourself:
Confident
Intentional
Learner

3. What is a fun fact about you?
I am a poet.
I have always loved creating and even in my professional work I often make connections to art to help me understand things better.

4. What are the pros and cons of being a black woman in the roofing industry?
Pro: Being a black woman in this industry means that I get to write history. I see the work I am doing as a continuation of the work of generations before me who were “firsts” in their companies or industries. I am part of a community comprised of black women that have gone before me and others who will go on after me, and that is an honor.
Con: Being a black woman in this industry can often feel lonely. It is human nature to connect with people similar to you and I am constantly reminded of my “otherness” when I am the only woman, or only person of color in a room (or zoom room). Finding common ground with people from different cultures, who have different lived experiences, and building trust, can be challenging.

5. What do you hope to see change for women of color in roofing in the future?
I would like to see more of us!
The roofing industry serves a unique purpose in society as our job is to help create beautiful, thriving cities as we repair the places we live, work and play.
Black women have historically been leaders in our families and communities and continue to be one of the fastest growing groups of entrepreneurs and college graduates.
Thus, it seems only fitting that the heartbeat of society would be at the forefront of constructing it.