A Letter From The Chair
Shari Carlozzi, Director of Safety Services at WTI & NWIR Chair 
As we close in on NWIR Day 2019, it gives me a great sense of pride knowing that we have remained focused on what brought us all together in the first place…the empowerment of women in our industry, supported by our 4 pillars: education, mentorship, recruitment and networking.
I want to thank each and every one of you for your efforts: in your council, as a mentor within your company or community, or if you have been empowered by our message. Every effort makes a difference! You may have noticed a big change in our website, membership renewal efforts, our educational webinars, council growth and their events on social media, from regional and local trade shows to our efforts supporting women in crisis.
Much of this growth and new programs have been made possible by our talented, dynamic NWIR Board of Directors. I have never seen a group of harder working volunteers focused on bringing positive change to their industry! As our NWIR Day theme states, we truly are Building Better Together!
At NWIR Day we will review all that their leadership has accomplished and vote on our new NWIR Board of Directors for 2019. All of our outgoing board members are committed to remaining active with NWIR through a committee or their local councils to support our new board. Jennifer Stone will take the reigns as your new NWIR Executive Chair. Jennifer has a great passion for our industry and the women in it and I look forward to supporting her as Past Chair in 2019.
If you have not already registered for NWIR Day I wholeheartedly welcome and encourage you to join us…you still have time! We also understand that business, family demands or distance can stand in the way of participating in our event, but even if you can’t be with us in-person, we are with you in spirit and are happy to share it with you via video on the NWIR Website later this month.
Thank you all for such a wonderful year. Let’s continue to build better together in 2019.
Shari
RECRUITMENT
Michelle Boykin, Rackley Roofing; NWIR Recruitment Committee
Please send in your photos on the roof!! We are always seeking photos, videos, and stories to share. Keep an eye out for the Recruitment Toolkit which will be published soon and can be used within your company or NWIR Council to help recruit women into the roofing industry.
MEMBERSHIP
Mardee Billingsley, Tremco Inc.; NWIR Membership Committee
Memberships are at 1,125 members! It’s easy to renew your membership here.
Look for our new #BetterTogetherNWIR campaign to start posting on social media next week. Be sure to follow us and share our posts to help encourage membership!
EDUCATION
Jennifer Keegan, GAF; NWIR Education Committee
New Content Resource Library
We welcome submissions of webinars and articles of interest by members and sponsors; they may be submitted to the newly developed Content Resource Library.
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Webinar Recap: Advantages of a Multi-Generational Workforce
We started the year by embracing our differences! Our first webinar, held with our Alliance Partner, RCI, Inc., discussed the Advantages of a Multi-Generational Workforce. Senior Director of Technical Services, Wanda Edwards was joined by fellow RCI members, Julie McDonald, Branch Manager at Building Envelope Consulting, LLC and Stephenie Williams at WJE. Want to hear the conversation again? Click here for the recording.
For the first time in history, five generations are working side by side, each with different leadership, communication and career development styles. Whether you’re part of a multi-generational family business, or part of a generationally diverse team, understanding what motivates each generation and how to communicate with each other will help you thrive in this diversity and leverage the competitive advantage.
Understanding the circumstances, attitudes and values that influence each generation and their skill sets can lead to a dynamic team. Our multi-generational panel will discuss these differences and skill sets, highlight the strengths of each generation and their natural roles within your organization, and review the blueprint of successful multi-generational teams.
Our panelists, George Smith, Chair of ASTM D08 and former VP at FM Approvals; Leslie Franklin, VP of Brand Marketing at GAF; Julie Palmer, Sales Manager at GAF; and Lindsey Mahnken, student at Stevens Institute of Technology, brought some great perspectives to the discussion. Join the conversation on our LinkedIn Page.
We will continue the discussion at the International Roofing Expo in our session on Mastering the Multi-Generational Workplace, held February 12th at 7:45am cst. Kent Schwickert, Chairman of the Board at NRCA, Kevin Palmer, President of Schwickert’s Tecta America, and Jack and Jesse Scalo, President/CEO and Sales Executive & Client Satisfaction Director at Scalo Roofing, will share their multi-generational experiences in running a family owned business.
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Work/Life Balance
Roof Safety in the Winter
If you find yourself in an area that accumulates snow, how do you know if you are protecting yourself and your workers from potential accidents and injuries while working on a roof? Learn more about snow loads in this article from the education committee.
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New Content Resource Library
We welcome submissions of webinars and articles of interest by members and sponsors; they may be submitted to the newly developed Content Resource Library.
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Work/Life Balance: Can We Do it All?
Mom, employee, friend, partner, and boss are just some of the many roles we find ourselves in as women. Being our best version of each role can be challenging to accomplish though. Find out how properly setting priorities can help you to manage it all in the latest Work / Life Balance blog from your Education Committee.
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Roof Safety in the Winter
If you find yourself in an area that accumulates snow, how do you know if you are protecting yourself and your workers from potential accidents and injuries while working on a roof? Learn more about snow loads in this article from the education committee.
COUNCILS
Cynthia Lang, SRS Distribution Inc. & NWIR Councils Committee
Did you know that we have 33 councils across the US? Find one near you on our website. If you don’t see one, why not start your own? If you are a new council just getting started and looking for ideas for meetings and activities, don’t hesitate to reach out to any of the other councils across the country. Just visit the councils page on the website and you can find contact info for leadership, along with a contact form. Here’s what some of our councils have been up to lately:
NWIR Oregon Council
Our January meeting was all about reflecting on the year and being “our best self” in 2019. We welcomed a wellness coach to share her story with us and give us some tips about “6 daily acts of mindfulness” and starting our day off on the right foot.
In addition, NWiR Oregon Council has been invited to be part of a women’s shelter pod build in SE Portland put on by the local Home Builders Association. We hope to donate all materials and labor for the project. This opportunity has also got us in touch with the Professional Women in Building. More details to follow!
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NWIR Northern New Jersey Council
Member Profile: Dawn Holsinger
Dawn Holsinger, like most women in roofing, is a multi-faceted and fascinating woman. Her calm demeanor puts people at ease as she speaks confidently about her business and the roofing industry. One of her favorite quotes is “Hustle and Heart will set you apart” and she lives this daily. Read Dawn’s story on our blog.
Supporting the West Coast Roofing Contractors Association and Military Veterans
The WCRCA had their first charity sporting clays event on a beautiful crisp Friday morning of January 11, 2019. The Black Dagger Military Hunt Club Inc was the honored charity benefited that day. Charlie Belcher, feature reporter of Good Bay Tampa Bay on Fox 13 kicked off the event on the morning news. Black Dagger is a non-profit organization that provides shooting, hunting, fishing and outdoor opportunities for veterans and active duty military, both wounded and well. The event had 85 shooters and over 100 people attended.
Next meeting: February 21, 5:30 p.m. at Jackson’s Bistro.Bar.Sushi, 601 S. Harbour Island Boulevard, Tampa. Mark your calendars for a lunch and demo at Suncoast Roofers Supply on March 26. More details to follow.