Executive Committees, Board Members and Committee Biographies
NSA President
John Chan
Email | 504-899-8422
John Chan started slate, tile and copper roofing at The Durable Slate Company while on a summer breaks during college in 1986. He resumed his career full-time after graduating from UCLA with a degree in Economics in 1989.
After working through the ranks in the field, he became one of the principles of the company in 1992. In 1996, he moved and opened the Cincinnati branch office. Once that office was fully staffed, he went on to open up the New Orleans branch office in 2006. Over that time span, he has been on over 10,000 slate and tile roofs all over the United States and Europe.
John has given many lectures/workshops on slate, tile and copper roofing including ones for: The Preservation Resource Center, The Ohio Historical Society, Cincinnati Preservation Association, University of Cincinnati, Department of Design and Architecture, Tulane University, Department of Architecture, International Preservation Trades Network, Traditional Building, The Restoration Industry of America, The Slate Roofing Contractor’s Association and many others.
While at Durable Slate, John was instrumental in the completion of many high profile jobs such as The Ohio Governor’s Mansion, Columbus, Ohio, St., “The Wedding Cake House”, New Orleans, LA, Ephesus Seventh Day Church, New York City, NY, Church of All Saints, Keokuk, IA, and the Sarasota County Courthouse, Sarasota, FL. Some of these jobs have garnered some impressive awards, such as the Church of All Saints. It was Durable Slate’s 3rd Gold Circle Award, given to the Project of the Year, by the National Roofing Contractor’s Association. Durable Slate is also the proud winner of the Better Business Bureau’s International Award for Market Place Ethics. This award is only bestowed on one company per year, for each size of company (3).
John is proud to have served on the Board of the NSA since 2007.
NSA Senior Vice President
Robert Fulmer
Email | 603-828-2458
Robert L. Fulmer is a Principal and founding Partner of Building Envelope Consultants Inc. (BEC), a full service Building Envelope Consulting firm with offices in South Portland, Maine and Portsmouth, New Hampshire. He was formerly the founder and President of R L Fulmer Roof Consultants LLC.
Robert learned the trades of slate, tile and copper roofing as the fourth generation of his family’s historic roofing business, begun by his Great-Grandfather in Wilmington Delaware in 1910.Upon graduating from college, Robert moved to Maine and began his own historic roofing business. After owning and operating his Contracting business for twenty two years, he sold it and began his career as a Building Envelope Consultant.
Robert specializes in the forensic analysis and diagnosis of envelope issues as well as the specification and oversight of appropriate remedial actions. He provides a full range of Project Management and Construction Administration services.
Robert has consulted on many significant projects throughout the US, Canada and Central America. He is a published author of trade specific articles, has lectured throughout the United States on various roofing, historic preservation and exterior building topics and has appeared on national television. In addition, he has been qualified as an expert witness and provides legal support in cases involving roof related litigation. Robert is a former President and now currently serves on the Board of Directors of the New England Chapter of RCI.
NSA Vice Presidents
Dave Large
Email | 800-975-2835
David is Vice President of North Country Slate. North Country Slate (formerly Newfoundland Slate Inc.) has been a quarrier and distributor of natural roofing slate since 1988. As well as the distribution of Vermont roofing slate, North Country is the exclusive distributor for its sister company, Glendyne Quarries Inc., the largest roofing slate producer in North America. North Country Slate actively promotes the use of natural roofing slate through architectural and roofing trade magazines, industry trade shows and the dissemination of quality informational and technical literature.
David has been Vice President and General Manager of North Country Slate for the past 12 years, and has spent the past 34 years in sales/marketing capacities in various technical product industries. He is an active member of the ASTM (ASTM International) C-18 Dimensional Stone committee governing roofing slate and sits on the Test Methods C18.01 and Material Specification C18.03 sub-committees. He is a charter member of the National Slate Association, sitting on its Standards, Publications and Manual Committees, and holds memberships in several North American roofing industry associations.
Matt Hicks
Email | 518-642-2530
Matthew Hicks has been with Evergreen Slate Co., which his grandfather started in 1916, for nearly 30 years. He currently coordinates all material testing, including Miami-Dade approvals, for Evergreen. Matt earned a B.S. degree in Industrial Economics at Union College.
He is proud to be a member of the Board of Directors of the NSA, serving on it’s Membership and Standards Committees. He is also a founding Board Member of the Slate valley Museum in Granville, NY.
Secretary / Treasurer
Pete Papay
Email | 610- 767-4601
Pete J. Papay, of Penn Big Bed Slate Company, Inc.
Biography coming soon…
NSA Immediate Past President
Jeffrey Levine
Email | 610-642-4081
Jeffrey Levine is President of Levine & Company, Inc., Roof Consulting and Architectural Conservation. Mr. Levine’s responsibilities include condition assessments, leak investigations, construction documentation and administration, materials analysis and selection, hands-on surveys and test probes, and maintenance planning. Mr. Levine’s expertise in the field of slate roofing is nationally recognized. He has served as Project Manager for over 200 restoration and rehabilitation projects, preservation plans, and maintenance programs for a large variety of building types, including academic, commercial, and ecclesiastical buildings; museums; industrial structures; and, ruins.
Mr. Levine has an M.A. in Historic Preservation Planning from Cornell University, has written numerous articles on slate roofing, including “Preservation Brief No. 29″ published by the National Park Service, is a founding Director of the National Slate Association, and is a member of the Historical and Architectural Review Board, for Lower Merion Township, Pennsylvania.
Board Members
Mike Bregenzer
Email | 609-466-1296
Michael is CEO of Bregenzer Brothers, Inc. in Hopewell, New Jersey and represents the third generation of this family business that began in 1919.
Michael grew up in the construction business and has loved his work since the beginning. With his deep roots in the tradition of a family business built on quality and impeccable workmanship, Mike has positioned Bregenzer Brothers as a prominent figure in the slate roofing industry in Central New Jersey. Mike has been a part of many prestigious projects in the Central New Jersey area – both new construction and historic restorations. Under Mike’s leadership, Bregenzer Bros. has been a two time finalist for the NRCA Gold Circle Awards for Workmanship in a Steep Slope Roofing Application.
Mike is passionate about the slate roofing trade and is happy to be a part of the National Slate Association to promote and preserve its future.
Alan Buohl
Email | 717-733-5735
Alan Buohl has been a Sheet Metal Superintendent for eight of the 28 years he has been employed at GSM Roofing. GSM is a commercial and specialty roofing contractor serving the mid-Atlantic region.
Several honors and awards have been bestowed upon Alan during his dedicated service at GSM. The Roofing Industry Alliance for Progress, an affiliate of National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA), sponsors the Roofing Industry’s Most Valuable Player Awards (MVP) Program, which annually identifies and honors a maximum of 10 outstanding roofing workers nationwide. Alan was one of the NRCA’s MVP Award Winners in 2001.
NRCA proudly recognized GSM Roofing by presenting them with the Gold Circle Award for the Lititz Watch Technicum project located in Lititz, PA in 2002. Alan served as foreman for this project. His leadership demonstrated the high standards of craftsmanship and exceptional effort by professional roofers.
In 2006, Alan joined over 43 employees that have been with GSM for over 25 years.
Alan and his wife Deborah are enjoying the teen-age years with their son and daughter. Josh keeps him active with hockey while they also enjoy hunting and fishing together. Mallory is attending Penn State University’s Berks campus and enjoys her job as a waitress at an upscale restaurant near her home. Alan and Deb both work out at the gym together to keep their health in check.
Brian Chalsma
Email | 757-867-6600
Brian Chalsma is the President and co-founder of The Roofing Company Inc. and The Remodeling Company in Hampton, Virginia. TRC offers a full range of roofing and remodeling services and specializes in the preservation and repair of historic homes and structures. Recognized as a local expert on historic slate roofs, Brian and TRC have assisted hundreds of residential customers in the historic areas of Williamsburg, Norfolk and the surrounding Tidewater region.
With an emphasis on customer service, TRC has received The Virginia Pilot Readers Choice Best of Hampton Roads Award; Angie’s List Super Service Award, The Daily Press Choice Award for Best Roofing and is also the WAVY TV 10 Roofing Expert on Your Side.
Brian’s years of experience working with slate roofs includes not only sales, procurement, installation and repair, but also consulting for historic preservation organizations, serving as an expert witness in roofing related litigation, and leading TRC’s team in ongoing education and systems improvement.
Always striving to stay current, Brian holds numerous manufacturer certifications and multiple GAF’s Master Elite Excellence Awards. He is a member of the Virginia Roofing Contractors Association and the National Roofing Contractors Association.
Brian and his wife Teresa live in Newport News, VA with their three daughters. They are active as a family in their church, various charitable organizations in their community, and the numerous after school activities of their daughters.
Clark Chase, IV
Email | 781-891-6757
Constructions Collaborative Inc.’s (CCI’s) function is to prevent water and moisture entry into structures.
CCI’s cross trained staff works seamlessly within several trade scopes (primarily roofing and architectural sheet metal, with sloped glazing, masonry remediation, carpentry, caulking and waterproofing as frequent collateral or stand alone tasks) to create, restore and maintain the integrity of building envelopes. CCI’s understanding of building dynamics and inherent team approach is a tremendous asset on multi-employer sites and as stand alone contractors.
Constructions Collaborative Inc. was founded by Clark Chase in 1968 as a summer and part-time entity to defray Chase’s college expenses: BA, Boston University, 1970. Chase began his construction career in 1965 as a summer employee of the company his father managed. CCI continues to maintain roofs and relationships with some of Chase’s father’s clients of the 50’s and 60’s.
CCI strives to maintain a perceptive, safe and stable workforce. The companies four project manager’s average 16.75 years with the company and three of the four have college degrees. There are continuing education programs both in and out of house and a company wide substance abuse program instituted in 1995 involving random testing of all employees. The company’s written safety policies work closely with its insurers to maintain safe, efficient workplaces. CCI has had only one lost time accident (a broken arm) in the last 11.5 years (nearly 500,000 employee hours).
Glenn Downes
Email | 612-276-9927
Glenn Downes is a Vice-President with Garlock-French Corporation and has been with them since 1988. Garlock-French was founded in 1932 as a small roofing contractor serving the Minneapolis area. Today Garlock-French has several divisions including: Roofing, Sheet Metal, Maintenance, Chimney and Solar. Glenn’s responsibilities include sales and marketing duties for all divisions of the company. Glenn is quite often involved in many historic roof restoration projects both in and outside of Minnesota. Prior to joining Garlock-French in 1988 Glenn was a manufacturer’s representative for ten years working with architects and contractors implementing a wide variety of building materials in projects, including several slate quarries in New York, Vermont, Virginia and Pennsylvania.
Glenn and his wife Eileen enjoy spending time with their 2 daughters and son. Spending time fishing and taking in baseball games are his pastimes.
Clay Heald
Email | 802-287-2295
Clay Heald is the Vice President of The New England Slate Company, located in Poultney, VT and has been working with the firm for the past 11 years.
Clay is a native resident of the Vermont slate district where he grew up, attended high school and studied business management at nearby Castleton State College. Responsibilities include sales, product sourcing and quality control during the various slate finishing processes. Clay has been involved in numerous high profile projects around the country and travels nationwide exhibiting at roofing trade show and making customer visits.
As a representative for numerous independent slate quarries, The New England Slate Company markets and distributes the full range of natural roofing slates nationwide and overseas. They are also the exclusive North American distributor of Penhryn Unfading Purple slate from Wales, U.K. The New England Slate Company is a charter member of the National Slate Association and is involved with several industry trade organizations.
Additionally, Clay owns and operates The Vintage Slate Company, where salvaged roofing slates are inspected, processed and sold for repair, addition and complete roofing applications.
Brad Jones, Sr.
Email | 454-581-1131
Brad Jones is a co-owner of Buckingham Slate Company, the historic slate quarry and manufacturer located in Buckingham County, Virginia. As the company’s General Manager, Brad oversees all aspects of the company’s operations.
Prior to purchasing Buckingham Slate, Brad was president of Colonial Masonry, Inc., a Richmond-based masonry contractor specializing in commercial and high-end residential projects.
He is a graduate of Virginia Military Institute with a B.S.- Civil Engineering.
Craig LeGere
Email | 636-728-0925
Craig LeGere is President of Mid-America Slate & Stone Inc located in Chesterfield, (St Louis) MO.
Craig got his start in 1981 with Eurocal Slate Centers which was a Pioneer in the Marketing and Distribution of both Domestic and International slates. Craig started at the office in Walnut Creek, CA before working in Newport Beach, CA and finishing as Sales Manager at the office in Dallas, TX.
Craig founded Mid-America Slate & Stone Inc which distributes mainly slate roofing tiles focusing for the past 17 years on the markets in the Midwest. Other materials of consequence distributed by Mid-America Slate & Stone Inc are class A frost proof clay roof tiles, Bluestone paving and coping, including quality Limestone paving, coping and veneer stone.
Matt Millen
Email | 414-371-8850
Mr. Millen is a fifth generation slate and tile roofer. He and his brother John manage Millen Roofing Company in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a 110-year old family-owned business. He joined the business after completing postgraduate work at New York University.
Mr. Millen holds several memberships in national and regional preservation and roofing industry associations, and has spoken at many of their conferences. Mr. Millen has written numerous articles, which have appeared in such publications as Professional Roofing and Roof Craft. Mr. Millen’s vast professional experience includes inspection and work on public buildings, historic homes, and Frank Lloyd Wright buildings. He is past chairman of the NRCA technical steep roofing committee.
“These stone roofs are a gift from one generation to another. Moving forward the craft and industry of making and maintaining beautiful and long listings roofs is our responsibility.”
Russel Watsky
Email | 914-941-4604
Russel Watsky is an independent roofing consultant, with over 25 years as a contractor specializing in historic roof restoration. He provides knowledgeable, unbiased roofing advice for private homes, commercial buildings, churches, and historic structures. He is not affiliated with any roofing contracting company, supplier, or manufacturer.
Rus’ experience in roofing began in 1963 working during school vacations for Julius Watsky, Inc., the roofing company founded by his grandfather in 1917. The company was highly regarded for the quality of its copper-work and traditional flat roofing and provided Rus with the benefit of learning from some highly skilled tradesmen. One of the most memorable was Ralph Angelori, a slater who was 80 years old when Rus spent the summer working with him.
When Rus’ uncles dissolved Julius Watsky, Inc. in the 70s, Rus joined Westal Contracting, and became president in 1993. He advanced the company’s reputation as a leader in historic roofing and commercial flat roofing. Under Rus’ leadership, Westal worked extensively with the National Trust for Historic Preservation, worked at Ellis Island with New York Landmarks Conservancy, and received a national award for workmanship at the Jay Mansion in Rye, NY.
Committee Chairs
Membership: Matt Hicks
Publications: Craig LeGere
Website: Russel Watsky
Manual Development, Co-chairs: Jeffrey levine and Dan Cornwell
Standards, Co-chairs: Dave Large and Jon Hill
Contractors Registration: John Chan
Development: Dan Cornwell
Bylaws: Jeffrey Levine
Legal: Matt Millen