Letters

I want to say "thank you" for your excellent article about the Best of the Best Award winners, including our own Teri Stallion. [See "Cream of the crop," Professional Roofing Workers, April issue, page 12.]

Krista Reisdorf, Professional Roofing Workers' editor, did a superb job bringing our interviews to print. We really appreciate her hard work! She and Professional Roofing have given us a valuable gift that we will be able to display for years to come.

Tina Paschal
Innovative Roofing Group Inc.
Atlanta

I have to tell you upon reading NRCA Executive Vice President Bill Good's column "The one constant," Professional Roofing Workers, April issue, page 34, I experienced a moment of nostalgia.

As a young man, I had a decision to make—college or a trade? I wasn't much for school, and my father, a union roofer since 1974, had wise words I will never forget: "If you learn a trade, they can never take that away from you. There will always be a need for roofers. You can always go to college."

Decision made. Twelve years ago, I became a member of the United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers, Local 181. I started out as an apprentice. I didn't know the difference between a shovel and spade and never really knew when the hot lugger would be full or how many times I would have to climb the ladder to retrieve tools.

I am blessed to be a second-generation roofer and, under the guidance of my father and the extremely talented workers in our company, rose through the ranks not only to become a licensed journeyman but also to become the general manager of a 70-year-old roofing company grossing $10 million in sales annually.

I truly believe my development in the field has made me the success I have become. I can relate to everyday problems we face on each project and solve those problems with confidence and authority. The estimation of complex projects has become an art form—knowing how long an application should take but also knowing how long it will take.

I am proud. Proud to have listened to the smartest man I know, proud I learned a trade, proud to have been part of the skyline that has helped shape my city, proud to have changed so many lives, proud of my ability to help others and, most of all, proud to be a roofer.

Mike Black
Ferber Sheet Metal Works Inc.
Jacksonville, Fla.