The RICOWI Foundation

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What We Do

The RICOWI Foundation supports roofing industry projects that investigate climate resiliency and related issues through evaluation and funding. The Foundation actively will seek proposals that will address these projects.

Mission Statement

The RICOWI Foundation identifies and provides funding for the advancement of research related to weather performance of roofing products and systems.

Guiding Documents

Thank you for supporting RICOWI Foundation Challenge Grant!

2023 Challenge Grant Pledges
  • Building Envelope Consultants, LTD.
  • Duro-Last
  • Eagle Roofing Products
  • Georgia Pacific / DensDeck
  • ISANTA
  • Lakeside Construction Fasteners
  • Malarkey Roofing Products
  • National Gypsum Company
  • USG
  • Westlake Royal Roofing Solutions
  • WindSmart, LLC
$25,000 Total
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Air Barrier Association of America logo Asphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association logo Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau logo Chemical Fabrics and Film Association logo Copper Development Association, Inc. logo Insurance Institute for Business and Home Safety logo International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants logo International Staple, Nail & Tool Association logo Metal Building Manufacturers Association logo Metal Construction Association logo National Research Council of Canada logo National Roof Deck Contractors Association logo National Women in Roofing logo Roofing Industry Committee on Weather Issues logo Single Ply Roofing Industry logo Spray Polyurethane Foam Alliance logo Tile Roofing Industry Alliance logo
The RICOWI Foundation Sponsor Organizations

Board of Directors

RICOWI Foundation member Annette Sindar

Annette Sindar

Chair
Eagle Roofing Products, Inc.
Ms. Sindar is a volunteer director, serving as the Chair of the Foundation. She is currently employed as the Technical and Marketing Administrator of Eagle Roofing Products in Rialto, CA. Ms. Sindar also serves as the Vice Chair of the Cool Roof Rating Council Technical Committee. Being an active participant in various roofing organizations, she brings an understanding of the issues that impact the roofing industry, and the importance of research and education to improve the roofing industry for the betterment of the community. Ms. Sindar’s duties are contained in the RICOWI Foundation Bylaws. Her duties include attending the Foundation Board Meetings, and voting on board decisions. She has agreed to abide by refraining from any conflict of interest votes that occur between her duties as a director and her position with Eagle Roofing Products.
RICOWI Foundation member Richard K. Olson

Richard K. Olson

Vice Chair
Tile Roofing Institute
Mr. Olson is a volunteer board member. He is the President and Technical Director of the Tile Roofing Institute (TRI). He has been involved with the roofing industry since 1978, having operated a multinational tile manufacturing company prior to taking the helm of the TRI in 1991. He has been involved with numerous industry groups, including NRCA, IBHS, CRRC, ASTM, WSRCA, FRSA, CRSA, and CSA. He has been a member of the Roofing Industry Committee on Weather Issues, Inc. (RICOWI, Inc.) since 1990 and served as Chairman of the Board. Mr. Olson will bring vision to the Foundation. He has experience in all areas of management, finance, sales, product, and government. He is also currently the District Governor of the Eugene, OR Rotary Club. Mr. Olson’s duties are contained in the RICOWI Foundation Bylaws. His duties include attending the Foundation Board Meetings, and voting on board decisions. He has agreed to abide by refraining from any conflict of interest votes that occur between his duties as a director and his position with TRI.
RICOWI Foundation member Michael Schroeder

Michael Schroeder

Secretary
SDII Global
Mr. Schroeder serves as a volunteer director, and is the Secretary of the Foundation. Mr. Schroeder currently is the Senior Principal Engineer of SDII Global. Mr. Schroeder area of expertise includes structural, civil, geotechnical, foundation engineering, litigation support/expert witness, commercial roofing systems, and determining the cause and/or origin of failures. He is licensed as a Professional Engineer in 21 states, and has taught numerous building envelope and forensic training courses. Mr. Schroeder has vast experience in observing roof failures and is committed to assist the RICOWI Foundation in setting the direction of the Foundation. He will be an asset in reviewing proposals that will make a difference in these failures. Mr. Schroeder’s duties are contained in the RICOWI Foundation Bylaws. His duties include attending the Foundation Board Meetings, and voting on board decisions. He is responsible to accurately record the minutes of the meetings. He has agreed to abide by refraining from any conflict of interest votes that occur between his duties as a director and his position with SDII Global.
RICOWI Foundation member Tony Hyatt

Tony Hyatt

Treasurer
Cedar Shake & Shingle Bureau
RICOWI Foundation member David Balistreri

David Balistreri

International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants, Inc.
Mr. Balistreri is a volunteer board member. Mr. Balistreri is President of Building Envelope Consultants, Ltd. – a professional engineering company with six offices in the Midwestern United States. Mr. Balistreri is a second generation Registered Roof Consultant. He has performed thousands of roof condition assessments, quality assurance inspections, and provided technical design assistance across the United States. Mr. Balistreri represents the roof consultants nationally as the IIBEC liaison to the board of the Roofing Industry Committee on Weather Issues (RICOWI, Inc.) the leading think tank for the roofing industry. He currently serves as Chair of the RICOWI Inc. Board. He has been recognized as a building envelope expert in both state and federal court. Mr. Balistreri brings a wide knowledge as a business owner and of the roofing industry to the Foundation board. Mr. Balistreri’s duties are contained in the RICOWI Foundation Bylaws. His duties include attending the Foundation Board Meetings, and voting on board decisions. He has agreed to abide by refraining from any conflict of interest votes that occur between his duties as a director and his position with Building Envelope Consultants, Ltd., and IIBEC, Inc.
RICOWI Foundation member André Desjarlais

André Desjarlais

Oak Ridge National Laboratory
André Desjarlais is the Program Manager for the Building Envelope and Urban Systems Research Program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. He has been involved in building envelope and materials research for over 45 years, first as a consultant and, for the last 30 years, at ORNL. Areas of expertise include building envelope and material energy efficiency, moisture control, and durability. Desjarlais has been a Member of ASTM since 1987 and serves on Committees C16 on Thermal Insulation, D08 on Roofing, and E60 on Sustainability. He is the past Chairman of ASTM Committee C16 and was awarded the title of Fellow in 2011. He has been a member of ASHRAE since 1991 and serves on Technical Committees TC 4.4 on Thermal Insulation and Building Systems, TC 1.8 on Mechanical Insulation Systems, and TC 1.12 on Moisture Control in Buildings, and is past Chairman of TC 4.4. André is also a founding director of the IIBEC Foundation.
RICOWI Foundation member Jason M. Hoerter, PE

Jason M. Hoerter, PE

RICOWI, Inc. Chair
RICOWI Foundation member Albert Janni

Albert Janni

Duro-Last Roofing
Mr. Janni is a volunteer board member. He also holds the position of Manager of Engineering Services at Duro-Last Roofing, Inc. He has over 40 years manufacturing experience with Duro-Last in various leadership roles. Mr. Janni brings a wealth of knowledge about product strengths and concerns. His dedication to outstanding product development, will be useful to the foundation as the board seeks to identify quality research projects. Mr. Janni has served as President, Treasurer and currently chairs the Member Services Committee for the Single Ply Roofing Institute (SPRI). Mr. Janni is a member of the technical committee for the Cool Roof Rating Council (CRRC) and is a member of the Special Interest Group for the Dynamic Evaluation of Roofing systems (SIGDERS) – Phase V, VI, and VII & VIII in cooperation with the National Research Council of Canada. In addition, he is also a member of RICOWI, NFPA, ICC, IIBEC, and ASCE. Mr. Janni’s duties are contained in the RICOWI Foundation Bylaws. His duties include attending the Foundation Board Meetings, and voting on board decisions. He has agreed to abide by refraining from any conflict of interest votes that occur between his duties as a director and his position with Duro-Last Roofing, Inc.
RICOWI Foundation member John Kouba

John Kouba

Malarkey Roofing Products
RICOWI Foundation member Wade Shepherd

Wade Shepherd

Boral Roofing, LLC, a Westlake Company
RICOWI Foundation member Eric J. Velliquette

Eric J. Velliquette

Lakeside Construction Fasteners
Mr. Velliquette is a volunteer director, serving as Vice Chair of the Foundation. He is a respected executive with a nineteen year leadership career as an entrepreneur, sales and marketing, operations, and new business development in manufacturing operations. He currently serves as Vice President of Lakeside Construction Fasteners in Jonesboro, AR. His education level includes He is active in the Metal Building Manufacturers Association (MBMA), National Frame Builders Association (NFBA), Metal Construction Association (MCA), American Institute of Architects (AIA), the Roofing Industry Committee on Weather Issues, Inc. (RICOWI, Inc.),Florida Roofing Contracts Association (FRSA), National Roof Contractors Association (NRCA) and Western States Roof Contractors Association (WSRCA. Mr. Velliquette brings a passion to improve the roofing industry, and through his involvement in the RICOWI Foundation will assist it to meet its mission. Mr. Velliquette’s duties are contained in the RICOWI Foundation Bylaws. His duties include attending the Foundation Board Meetings, and voting on board decisions. He has agreed to abide by refraining from any conflict of interest votes that occur between his duties as a director and his position with Lakeside Construction Fasteners.
RICOWI Foundation member Jordan Loudon

Jordan Loudon

RICOWI, Inc. Executive Director
RICOWI, Inc.
RICOWI Foundation member Joan Cook

Joan Cook

Executive Director, RICOWI Foundation, Inc.
The RICOWI Foundation, Inc.
Ms. Cook is currently volunteering to oversee the Foundation. Ms. Cook is a seasoned professional who has focused on “making a difference” in communities, companies, and families, through employer driven workforce and industry initiatives. Her 40 years’ experience in addressing manufacturing and industrial distribution industry issues has led to local, regional, national and international recognition. Her work has taken her across the US and internationally, special economic development/workforce projects included working with NASA; National Center for Tooling / University of Toledo; Cepacimex among many others. She possesses diverse skills that allow her to strategically lead and grow an organization. With both private and nonprofit experience, she has led successful start-up and turn around operations focusing on sustaining initiatives.

As a consultant, she has enjoyed working for both national and international organizations, serving on local, state and national boards and committees. She served as Executive Director to RICOWI (Roofing Industry Committee On Weather Issues, Inc.), an international think tank that focuses on extreme weather impact on buildings, from 2009-2019. Her time there led to expansion of industry and volunteer involvement. Her previous experience leading non-profits resulted in successful grant awards that received national recognition for excellence in results.

Since 1996, Ms. Cook has served as a Team Leader with the National Institute for Metalworking Skills (NIMS). Serving as a Team Leader has given her the opportunity to not only review high school and college programs across the United States, but to share best practices with the programs, discuss concerns with employers, educators, government and students about various issues.

Ms. Cook will provide vision and leadership to the Foundation. Her past experience with nonprofits, profits, employers, community, education and government will assist with developing a broad base of support for the Foundation. Ms. Cook will keep the Foundation focused on its mission. Ms. Cook’s duties are listed in the Foundation Bylaws. Ms. Cook is a non-voting member of the board. She has agreed to abide by the Conflict of Interest policy.

Questions or Comments?

If you have a question, comment, or suggestion, please let us know!

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Antitrust Policy

This is a reminder about Restraint of Trade limitations: we are not permitted to discuss or agree/disagree upon actions that would limit the free marketplace function, or put onerous business plan limitations on a member, supplier, vendor or other entity associated with the RICOWI Foundation. Recording of meetings or seminars by audio or video devices is not permitted.

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