RCS Representing at Roofing Day 2024

The Coffee Shop Crew is five members strong at the 2024 Roofing Day in D.C.  

Editor’s note: The following is a transcript of a conversation the Coffee Shop crew had after the prep day for Roofing Day 2024. 

Karen Edwards: We just finished day one of roofing day. It was a beautiful, warm and sunny day. We went to the National Air and Space Museum. And then we had lunch and we went to the Roofing Day opening session where we learned about the issues that we're going to be speaking to our representatives about tomorrow, and some tips and tricks for making sure you have a good meeting.  

There were about 230 people in attendance. And it was very interesting and cool to see all our friends who we haven't seen in a while, and to sit with the folks from my state, which is Pennsylvania and figure out who has meetings when and who's going to be the lead and who is going to talk about what, because it's very important to share our message correctly with our representatives. Heidi, what did you think? 

Heidi Ellsworth: You know what? You really made me think there about the issues when I think about immigration when I think about career and technical education, CTE, and when I think about taxes, Main Street taxes specifically for LLCs, and for so many roofing companies that are out there, I really think about how important it is for us to be here and speaking to our congressmen and women, and really sharing their real life stories of the roofing industry because we are the heartbeat of America, and we are the ones who are working every single day.  

All the amazing people who work in roofing on all levels and we need to have a voice and NRCA does that so today showing up and being part of the education ahead of Roofing Day where we go talk to our congressmen and women. We saw all of our friends like Karen said, everyone is so excited to really share this great information. And one of the things I love the most is that it is bipartisan. And in a world that is so divided by politics today. You can bring a whole industry together in a bipartisan manner for the good of so many people to really do great things around immigration, CTE and taxes. And that makes me really happy that we can be part of that and really rise above the craziness of what's going on in Washington. D.C. even though we're here right now. And Lauren, what do you think? 

Lauren White: To go off of what Heidi was saying, just having 240 people from the roofing industry coming together for the same purposes, no matter where they vote, where they register. You know, there are three common goals.  

This is my first year coming. I haven't been back to D.C. since I was in eighth grade. So, it's very fun to be here and see the Capitol and walk through the mall like we did today and go to the Smithsonian museums. The Air and Space Museum was very fun.  

And the prep leading up to this, I've been so impressed and so I've felt very informed and very prepared for today for tomorrow. Even though I you know, I'm not in politics, I don't follow everything political. But the emails, the advocacy day app, the all their pamphlets, everything is so streamlined and so laid out for you that you don't have to know it all you don't have to be on Capitol Hill to understand what we're talking about, but you can go and you can share your story and relate it to yourself and make it personal so that the people that you're meeting with your senators, your representatives, hear it and understand it and understand your point of view, which I think is really powerful. 

Dani Sheehan: I just want to echo the sentiments that everyone's shared as my first time not only being at Roofing Day but being at any sort of roofing get together in the industry. There's been so much energy and really positive energy, and it's so great to see how many people are just so devoted to what we're doing and to improving where we are today and moving forward. As someone who also just moved out of state into a new state and is representing Arkansas, as this one entity, I think of RoofersCoffeeShop and I think of all of us, kind of in the industry together. And I didn't realize until today that having one extra person from a different state and being able to meet four additional representatives and senate members that maybe we couldn't have met because there weren't constituents there means so much and it really does make a difference who you talk to what you're telling them about. And to Lauren's point, I feel very informed and ready with the topics that are important for tomorrow. 

Heidi Ellsworth: I have to tell you, I am so impressed with Lauren and Dani being here for the first time and I think everybody, every company out there should think about bringing people to Roofing Day, whether it's from the field, from the office, from wherever. This is not just for owners, this is just not for CEO’s, this is for the industry as a whole. And so I'm really proud that we at RoofersCoffeeShop have brought five people and for a small company, we have really made a commitment to this because we believe in it and we believe in what is being said. But I'm going to go back and say again that this is because of NRCA and ROOFPAC because they make this such a bipartisan, I'm not gonna say easy, nothing is easy in politics, but they do it in a way that the industry can all stand behind it, no matter their political beliefs. And I think that is the power of what's happening. 

We can’t wait to meet with our representatives and senators tomorrow to talk more about and advocate for CTE funding, the Main Street Tax Act and immigration reform.  

Stay tuned for our recap from Roofing Day 2024!