Investing in the future of the industry and community

By Emma Peterson. 

Learn how you can build and support the students that will be working in roofing tomorrow through the Davis Memorial Foundation. 

In Season 5, Episode 60 of Roofing Road Trips, host Heidi J. Ellsworth met up with Chuck Chapman to talk about the Davis Memorial Foundation. Chuck has been in the roofing industry for over 40 years now and currently works for Tecta America in Arizona and serves on the board of the Western States Roofing Contractors Association (WSRCA). He mentioned how rewarding his career has been, saying “I love the industry, and I love giving back to the industry most importantly.” That love for the industry and giving back is what led him to his work with the Davis Memorial Foundation.  

This foundation is coming up on their 27-year anniversary, having been founded in 1996 by WSRCA. Chuck explained the foundation’s origin story, saying WSRCA “wanted to give back, and the best way they could do that was to form a 501(c)(3), that they called the Davis Memorial Foundation.” The foundation is named for former board member Larry Davis and his wife Mary.  

The goal of the foundation is to give scholarships to students going to universities, community colleges, vo-tech — post-high school education programs. Chuck explained that the core belief is that, regardless of institution or program, students who commit to learning and complete that commitment develop skills that are valuable. He said, “We want people that are loyal, we want people that are responsible, we want people that really commit to seeing tasks through, whether it's in the roofing industry, or any other industry, that education is extremely valuable.” 

Since 1997, the foundation has given out 170 scholarships, totaling over $750,000 in aid to students. Heidi mentioned that her daughter received one of the scholarships and shared the profound impact it has on the students. Looking to the future, the foundation hopes to raise even more money to help more students. Chuck said, “If we can raise over 60,000, 70,000, $80,000, then we can give those all back in scholarship, we're not keeping any of it, we want to give it away.”  

If you have been looking for a way to build up the future of the industry, Listen to the full podcast or Read the transcript to learn more.