Helene Hardy Pierce Awarded Roofing Industry’s Highest Honor

Helene Hardy Pierce, vice president of technical services, codes, and industry relations for GAF, has been presented with the J.A. Piper Award by the National Roofing Contractor’s Association.

Presented each year at NRCA's annual convention, the J.A. Piper Award recognizes roofing professionals who have devoted constant, outstanding service to the association and roofing industry.

"The J.A. Piper award is the National Roofing Contractors Association's most prestigious award,” said GAF president Jim Schnepper as he shared news of the event with Helene’s GAF colleagues. “It is given to someone who they feel has moved the industry forward. What I'm most proud of is not only that Helene Hardy Pierce is the first female to be named since the NRCA began giving out the award in 1947, but she is also the first manufacturer's representative that they've ever given the award to. For those two reasons, I am so proud that we were recognized as a company, and that Helene Hardy Pierce was honored for her contributions.”

"Those of you who know me know I believe we have a very kind industry, with people who show up every day and solve problems, and it has only been a joy to be a part of it," Helene said when accepting the award. "Thank you very much, and I am beyond honored to receive this award from contractors who I respect so much."

As a thought leader for 38 years, Helene has shaped the growth of GAF as well as the industry at large. In fact, her colleagues at GAF often refer to her as our ambassador to the roofing industry.

In addition to serving on the NRCA board of directors, Helene is a member of NRCA's Residential Contractor Committee, Roofing Day Task Force and Technical Operations Committee, and has served as a Roofing Alliance student competition judge from 2015-19.

She is also Vice Chair of ASTM International’s Committee D08 on Roofing and Waterproofing, on the Board of Directors of the Coalition for Procurement Reform, thePolyisocyanurate Insulation Manufacturers Association, the Roof Coating Manufacturers Association, the Roof Consultants Institute Foundation, and is a member of the Jury of Fellows for the Roof Consultants Institute.

Other industry affiliations which Helene has been engaged with include the Board of the Single Ply Roofing Institute, from which she recently retired after more than 15 years; theAsphalt Roofing Manufacturers Association; the Center for Environmental Innovation in Roofing (Board of Directors and Research Committee); the Cool Roof Rating Council(Vice Chair, Board of Directors); the Roofing Industry Committee on Weather Issues; and the Roofing Industry Educational Institute (Faculty Member). She is also an Academy of Engineering Management Inductee at the Missouri University of Science and Technology and served as President of the Academy from 2008 to 2009.

In 2007, Helene was inducted into the Women in Science and Engineering Hall of Fame at the Missouri University of Science and Technology.

First presented in 1948, the J.A. Piper Award is named for former NRCA President Joseph A. Piper, whose extraordinary efforts kept the association alive during the Great Depression.