No longer the new guy

I recently passed the one-year mark as NRCA’s CEO, and it’s been fascinating, enjoyable and, at moments, frustrating.

Someone (it may have been my wife) said when I first started: “The association has been around since 1886; try not to break it in 12 months!” Fortunately, our great association has survived multiple world wars, economic depressions, a few pandemics, and other challenges big and small, as well as innumerable changes in the industry, during its 137 years. It would be the height of hubris to think one person could destroy it in 52 weeks!

So I’m proud to report the association is as strong as ever.

NRCA has a stable, growing membership. We closed out the fiscal year May 31 with the second-highest number of new members in decades. (The highest year was 2021-22.)

Our financial condition is strong and stable. The association has no debt and is operating in a financially responsible manner. One thing I take seriously is the stewardship of the financial trust members have put in our organization. During a previous career consulting in political campaigns, I viewed each expenditure by how many maxed-out-donors our team would need to find to fund it. Was the purchase worth the effort the team would need to make to find new donors? At NRCA, I equate projects or purchases to how many members’ dues are needed to fund it. It’s not my money or even NRCA’s money; it’s money members have entrusted with us to support their companies and better the industry. We take that mission incredibly seriously.

And meeting the mission continues! Each NRCA department is working on new initiatives to improve the industry and the association’s effectiveness.

Whether it’s health and safety train-the-trainer programs or new technical publications or metal certifications to help contractors comply with ANSI/SPRI ES-1 and GT-1 standards, the work continues.

Although most folks cringe when thinking about government or regulators, our industry’s work to educate policy makers about our issues, perspectives and needs is vital to the roofing industry’s future. NRCA provides this crucial advocacy for the industry in Washington, D.C., and in code and regulatory hearings. It can be a lengthy, frustrating, windy process, but our engagement is necessary and one of the “If we won’t, who will?” issue areas. The answer is nobody, and so we must!

We continue to develop new Training in Roof Application Careers courses, and one addressing polymer-modified bitumen roof systems is next on the docket. A service and maintenance NRCA ProCertification® option is nearly complete. We continue working on making NRCA’s website and digital interactions more user friendly and seamless. And we all work diligently to reduce operational waste and inefficiency.

The status quo is not an operating policy, and resting on laurels is not a path for future success.

The successes and progress of this past year are possible in no small measure by the robust, passionate members actively engaged in the association. With more members interested in serving on committees and the board of directors than ever, the association is in a strong position. Our member volunteers are on the front lines seeing, feeling and living the issues and dynamics of the roofing industry. It takes that kind of engagement to ensure the best possible outcomes, and we appreciate the hundreds who give their time to help make that achievable!

To continue down the path of success, we must constantly evolve. Chairman of the Board Lisa Sprick has created a Sustainability Committee that has a contractor-focused objective.

Initially, the committee will identify contractors’ current and future roles in the sustainability space and how to communicate sustainability-related information to them and the industry at large. The committee won’t approach the issue with a political focus; politicians, building owners and government regulators will be providing that one way or another. Whether developing best practices for recycling materials following a tear-off or identifying gaps in navigating sustainability requirements in the bid process, there’s ample, and growing, work to be done to help contractors navigate these new and changing dynamics.

We also will continue to focus on workforce issues and consider how the prospect of a recession will affect our industry. Recently, the board of directors conducted a strategic review of NRCA and discussed the association’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. The conversation and evaluation of these broad areas is ongoing, and we will be as proactive as possible in moving the association forward to best suit the needs of our members and the roofing industry.

But we can’t do it alone. If you have ideas, observations or suggestions of things we can be doing better or differently, please shoot me a note at mdaniels@nrca.net.

It’s been an honor being fully immersed in this terrific industry this past year. When I first joined NRCA, person after person told me: “Careful. Once you get in the roofing industry, you never get out!”

I’m good with that. And I’m excited for the future and improving the roofing industry together.

MCKAY DANIELS is NRCA’s CEO.
mdaniels@nrca.net