b'OutgoingPresidents MessageHONORED TO HAVE SERVED AS THE PRESIDENT OF MRCAA lmost one year agothat makes the Midwest Roofing Contractors Bill Seibert, 2023 MRCA Presidenttoday I sat down at myAssociation one of, if not the best, regional roofing computer to type myindustry Associations. I would like to thank Past incoming Presidents message.Presidents Greg Sprague, Bob Swanda, and John At that exact moment in time,Daly for sponsoring this event and for always I didnt quite know what I wasbeing so awesome to me during my journey with going to write about or really what my intentionsthe MRCA. were as the incoming MRCA President. I knew atMissing from this years Past Presidents dinner that time that some of my biggest rewards with mywas my great friend Kevin Gwaltney. Kevin was involvement of the Roofing Contractors Advocatethe MRCA President in 2019. He was a huge were the friendships I had built with my fellowcontributor to the MRCA, and he is credited with Roofing Contractors. Here we are, one year later,helping to get the MRCA back on solid ground. and the importance of those friendships are on fullUnfortunately, in January of this year Kevin passed display again.away after a hard-fought battle with cancer. While The MRCA held our annual Conference and ExpoKevin was not with us physically, he was with this year in Omaha Nebraska October 18-20th. Theus in mind and spirit. Kevins contributions to show of friendship and camaraderie was on fullthe MRCA could not go unnoticed. After Kevins display during this show. Whether it was kickinguntimely passing the Board of Directors knew off the conference with the Past Presidents dinnerhis contributions to the MRCA needed to be or the final day of the Expo, or one of the manymemorialized. Therefore, the MRCA Foundation educational sessions or industry partys in-betweenBoard made a recommendation to form a new the two, there was something for everyone andFoundation Scholarship in honor of Kevin and everyone had a smile on their face. In todaysthe entire Gwaltney family. Combined between world we need more smiles and more friendships.Kevin, his dad Rick, and his Uncle Mark, the One of my goals was to bring unity back to theGwaltney family has contributed well over 30 MRCA. As with all groups, there is always ayears of service to the MRCA Board of Directors. potential for animosity to creep its way intoThis service could not go unnoticed and hence an organization.During my 15 years on thisthe Gwaltney Family Scholarship was formed. Board of Directors, I had witnessed some of thatThis Scholarship will always be worth double the animosity and I was hopeful we could start toamount of the other Foundation Scholarships and break down that division and start to build thewill be awarded to the applicant who plans on unity that makes organizations like the MRCAmaking a career in the roofing industry and who so unique. I feel like this years Past Presidentshas the best application. While it is with great dinner was a great starting point for that. We hadsadness that this scholarship has been formed, I close to 20 Past Presidents at the dinner alongam incredibly honored to have been the President with many Board members and guests. It was aduring its formation. KevinThank you for the fantastic event, a great kickoff to the start of thefriendship you have always shown me. From our Conference and Expo and an excellent opportunityfirst meeting in the bar in Ft. Lauderdale to our to start bringing back the unity and camaraderielast phone conversation, your friendship will be 4 www.mrca.orgMidwest Roofer'