Details

What is your position within your company? I am vice president, commercial roofing division, for Legacy Roofing Services, Akron, Ohio.

What is the most unusual project of which you have been a part? My company installed a new roof system on an outdoor trampoline gym. The facility’s ceiling was essentially the underside of the roof and the floors were full of trampolines, which created challenges because we could not use typical equipment or forms of interior protection. We had to adapt what we had so falling debris did not damage the trampolines or cause harm to anyone inside.

Why did you become involved in the roofing industry? I grew up in the construction business. My best friend’s father was a carpenter, and I did part-time work for him when I was in high school. I went on to get a degree in industrial technology and planned to pursue a career in construction. I was offered a position at a national roofing services company, and after working there for a bit I realized roofing was what I was most interested in pursuing.

What was your first roofing experience? When I was 12 years old, I helped my dad build a new roof on a friend’s hunting cabin in the woods. It was an A-frame building with a steep pitch. My job was to carry the shingles up to my dad. I learned a lot about safety and balance!

What is your roofing industry involvement? I often mentor people just starting out in the business. I have learned if you take someone “under your wing” and show him or her the ropes in the beginning, it sets that person on a much more successful and productive path. I believe this is somewhat an obligation we have to employees, and it pays back tenfold because we end up with better-qualified workers who genuinely care about the quality of the work they do.

What song are you listening to over and over? I am a fan of big hair 80s music, so I’d have to say “Paradise City” by Guns N’ Roses is pretty high on my playlist.

What do you consider your most rewarding experience? Seeing my children grow and develop. Education is valued in my family and watching my children learn to read, do math and discover the world is incredibly rewarding.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go? Why? I would go to Israel. I have always wanted to see firsthand the history and origins of that part of the world and the religions born there.

What was your first job? My first job with a paycheck was busing tables and washing dishes at a truck stop restaurant in Canton, Ohio. Not as easy as one may think!

People would be surprised to know … I own chickens and goats, and my family and I get our eggs and milk from them. We’re kind of into homesteading.

If you could meet any historical figure, whom would you meet? Why? Theodore Roosevelt. I consider myself an outdoorsman, and he was very much an adventurer, conservationist and advocate for the great outdoors.

What’s the most exciting/adventurous thing you’ve done? I have five children, so I’ll say being a father and a husband. When you have such a large family, it is pretty much nonstop adventure. There is always something going on.

What is your favorite stress reliever? Being outside is relaxing whether I’m working in my garden or going fishing

My favorite part about workingin the roofing industry is … The relationships I have with co-workers, customers, manufacturers and suppliers. I like helping people meet their goals, complete projects, grow and succeed. I also enjoy seeing how our customers operate their businesses whether we’re working on a hospital, school or shopping center.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up? I wanted to be a professional baseball player.