CHICAGO — The Midwest Roofing Contractor Association (MRCA), serving the interests of roofing contractors and the overall industry for the U.S. Midwest, has announced the appointment of the 2015 Women in Roofing (WinR) leadership team. WinR is a council of the MRCA with goals of promoting the growth and leadership of women within the roofing industry. The leadership team is made up of leading roofing professional women representing the founding members of the organization.
Visualized by current women roofing professionals, the organization’s goal is networking for women within the roofing industry with a focus on mentoring for incoming young women, professionals and business owners. With an increasing number of women-owned roofing companies and women is C Suite positions for roofing publications, technology, distribution and manufacturing companies, the time is right to create a support structure that will not only mentor but provide ongoing education for career success in the industry.
As co-chairs of the new group, Heidi J. Ellsworth, EagleView Technologies, executive vice president of marketing, andShari Carlozzi, Hapco Inc., national sales manager, have worked with the MRCA and a large group of enthusiastic women to create this ground breaking organization. The leadership team for 2015 consists of Heidi Ellsworth, EagleView Technologies, co-chairperson; Shari Carlozzi, Hapco Inc., co-chairperson; Laurie Moore, Kreiling Roofing, MRCA board liaison; Steve Little, KPost Company MRCA executive committee liaison; Jennifer Ford-Smith, Johns Manville; Jill Bloom, Roofing Contractor; Frann Nichols, RoofLogic; Dena Elie, No Roof Left Behind; Aileen Stuble, KPost Company; Debbie Ocken, Sprague Roofing; and Rachel Pinkus, MRCA staff.
This newly formed team will continue to support the goals and objectives of the founding members which included Heidi Ellsworth, EagleView Technologies; Shari Carlozzi, Hapco Inc.; Alma Garnett, Convoy Supply, president; Mary Rhinehart, Johns Manville, president; Sheree Bargabos, Owens Corning, vice president, customer experience; Jill Bloom, Roofing Contractor, publisher; Karen Edwards, EagleView Technologies, marketing director; Pillar Garcia, Georgia Pacific, senior manager of analytics; Lindy Ryan, senior vice president of Tecta America and incoming NRCA president 15-16; Monica Gwaltney, Diamond Roofing; Kathy Hendricks, ABC Supply; Helene Hardy Pierce, GAF; Rachel Pinkus, MRCA, executive director; Dena Elie, founder of No Roof Left Behind; Aileen Struble, KPost Company, senior estimator; and Jayne Williams, KPost Company, CFO, and NRCA PAC chair.
WinR will be hosting a reception at the 2015 International Roofing Expo (IRE). The reception, sponsored by SRS Distribution Inc., will be Monday, Feb. 23 at 5 p.m. at the Sheraton Hotel, 500 Canal St., New Orleans. The event is open to all women roofing professionals and will continue the conversation of current and future networking, mentoring and education initiatives for the coming year and beyond.
“All women roofing professionals nationally are invited to network and get involved with this growing organization. We are excited and humbled by the outpouring of support and enthusiasm for this initiative,” stated Ellsworth. “Thanks to the MRCA, we will be offering these type of networking opportunities around the country throughout the year.”
Women in Roofing is a volunteer-based organization with the goal to provide networking, mentoring and education for women roofing professionals. With a strong focus in mentoring and education for incoming women into the roofing industry, the organization will also create opportunities for continuing education, support and networking for professional success.
For more information, contact heidi.ellsworth@eagleview.com.
