Roofing CEO Awarded $61,000 in Tools and a $35,000 Check by “Returning the Favor”

By Colin Sheehan, RCS Reporter.  

Letitia Hanke is a force of empowerment helping disadvantaged youth find rewarding careers in the trade industries.  

Letitia Hanke is the CEO and owner of ARS Roofing located in Santa Rosa, California. The business began as a nonprofit in 2015 at Rancho Cotate High School in Rohnert Park when Letitia noticed the lack of young people with the skills needed to obtain jobs in construction. Since then, the company has blossomed into a successful for-profit business. 

Letitia started her journey in the roofing and construction industry in college while studying education at Sonoma State University. She started working at a roofing company while finishing her degree to earn some extra money. Now, she owns ARS Roofing, and is the founder of NextGen Trades Academy, a program where underprivileged students learn essential trade skills and get connected to local jobs in the construction industry. 

“They don’t know what kind of amazing career they can have in construction until someone tells them,” Letitia told Mike Rowe, host of “Returning the Favor,” a Facebook Watch series that recognizes and rewards those who have had made an impact in America. 

Only three percent of skilled trade jobs are filled by women, and even less are filled by women of color. Letitia received a North Bay Spirit Award for overcoming barriers of sexism and racism in the industry and helping minority youth surpass these challenges as well and find rewarding careers in construction. 

“We’ve been mentoring a couple of our female students that got hired from the program. We just kind of want to give them a little real talk letting them know what it’s been like for us [and] how we persevered through it,” she said. 

Along with running her own company and being a voice of encouragement for young women and disadvantaged youth, Letitia also likes to play drums in her church band. “Returning the Favor” gifted Letitia with a $5,000 Yamaha drum set, $61,000 in tools and supplies as well as a $35,000 check for her NextGen Trades Academy. 

Letitia appeared in the “Returning the Favor” episode posted on September 8th, however it was filmed in February as Mike Rowe comically notes before the show begins, “2020 B.C — before COVID,” and features interactions such as handshakes and high fives. 

You can find the entire series on the “Returning the Favor Effect” Facebook group or you can watch Letitia’s episode here.  

Do you know of someone in the industry who is ‘doing good deeds’ in their community? Help us catch them at it. Send news and information to info@rooferscoffeeshop.com.