b'Committee OverviewsMRCA News CERTA TaskforceChairperson: Mark Gwaltney, Diamond-Everley Roofing ContractorsPerry, KansasPurpose: The purpose of this Taskforce is to oversee the administrative and marketing aspects of the MRCA/NRCA CERTA Torch Applicator Training Program .Projects: MRCA continues to recognize the importance to the industry of the Certified Roofing Torch Applicator Program (CERTA) .MRCA CERTA Taskforce Chairman, Mark Gwaltney, has carried on and added to the aggressive marketing program for CERTA that had its origins with the previous CERTA Task Force Chairman, Greg Sprague .Listed below are Task Force accomplishments over this past year: MRCA has staffed the CERTA Booth at several industry tradeshows that have included the Chicago Roofing Contractors Association; IRE; Ohio Roofing Contractors Association; and the Ohio Valley RCI Annual Meeting . MRCA has met with several of the Partnering Associations concerning CERTA .MRCA assisted and sponsored applicator classes in conjunction with the Iowa Roofing Contractors Association; Ohio Roofing Contractors Association; and in the planning stages for a large applicator class to be held in conjunction with the North Texas Roofing Contractors Association . MRCA has assisted several Joint Apprenticeship Programs across the Midwest in offering Applicator Classes . In addition and an industry first, MRCA has purchased the sole sponsorship of the Mid States Roofers Apprentice Competition, for the purpose of promoting CERTA .CERTA standards will be a part of the actual competition .MRCA developed a new CERTA Brochure Making The Process Easy .This brochure outlines how MRCA can assist individual contractors and partnering associations to hold a CERTA applicator class(es) .This assistance ranges from handling the certification paperwork and up to sponsoring the class itself . MRCA is in the planning stages to promote the inclusion of CERTA Standards as a part of municipal building codes .The CERTA language that has already been adopted in several cities around the Midwest, will be used as a template to be offered to other cities for adoption . The planned approach is to conduct seminars on CERTA in conjunction with State Building Officials conferences . MRCA sponsored a Roofing Contractor Reception in St . Louis this past March .The reception was well attended, and the CERTA program was outlined as a part of the program .MRCA is going to offer both an Applicator and a Train-the-Trainer class in conjunction with the 2017 MRCA Conference and EXPO schedule for St . Louis in October of this year .CERTA Task Force Chairman, Mark Gwaltney, reported at the MRCA Summer Board Meeting some pretty impressive goals that he has established for CERTA .He has not only established definitive goals, but a detailed program on how to meet those goal . At the Summer Board Meeting Mark enlisted the entire Board membership in assisting him in the promotion of CERTA . www.mrca.orgMidwest Roofer 23 ANNUALREPORT | 23'