NIA / Membership / Committees & Minutes

Committees & Minutes

NIA’s committees address current issues affecting all segments of the commercial and industrial insulation industry and give members an opportunity to share industry knowledge and advance the objectives of each committee.

Committee participation is limited to NIA members. To join NIA and start participating in a committee, please visit our Join NIA page. To review minutes from any of the committee meetings, please log in to the Members Only portal.

Committee Q&A

Q: Who is eligible to participate in a committee?
All NIA members can participate in a committee. Most committee meetings take place during NIA's Fall Summit and Annual Convention. If you have never attended one of NIA’s committee meetings, plan to attend the session that matches your company’s member type, e.g., Merit Contractors, Distributor/Fabricator, etc. If you are not sure which session to attend, you can email membership@insulation.org.

Q. How do I join a committee?
Once you attend a committee meeting, your name will be added to the list of participants, and you will have the chance to get involved with the committee and increase your opportunities to connect with your peers.

Q. How do I step up into a leadership role?
Committees hold elections once a year at the Annual Convention in the spring. If you are interested in learning about the responsibilities, contact the NIA Staff Liaison listed for each committee.

Associates Committee

Chair:  Louis Walton, Proto Corp.
Vice Chair: Ginny Gier, Owens Corning
Secretary: Jennifer Ball, Integrated Marketing Group

Purpose: As manufacturers of products and services, the Associates strengthen and expand the insulation industry through education, technical assistance, and association membership growth.

Key Objectives:

  • Educate NIA members and industry segments on their products and services.
  • Expand the industry through the promotion of a greater use of insulation and accessory products.
  • Identify and help secure new Active and Associate members for the Association.
  • Work closely with each operating committee.

NIA Staff Liaison: Julie McLaughlin
The Associates Committee meets twice a year at Fall Summit and Annual Convention.

Distributors/Fabricators Committee

Chair: Brian Blazek, Specialty Products & Insulation
Vice Chair: Kenneth Cole, Insul-Therm International, Inc.

Purpose: To promote the value of the distributor/fabricator to the mechanical insulation industry, help grow the industry, and provide ongoing education and training to the distributor/fabricator members.

Key Objectives:

  • Partner with the manufacturers, contractors, and others to strengthen the use of distribution/fabrication for the sale of mechanical insulation products and services.
  • Research the latest distribution technology, sales, and business methods and disseminate that information to the mechanical insulation industry.
  • Target and attract new distributor/fabricator members.
  • Incorporate the NIA Strategic Plan into the committee’s activities.
  • Educate Distributor/Fabricator members about safety best practices.

NIA Staff Liaison: Julie McLaughlin
Visit the Distributor/Fabricator webpage.
The Distributor/Fabricator Committee meets twice a year at Fall Summit and Annual Convention.

Health & Safety Committee

Chair: Mike Hill, Performance Contracting, Inc.
Vice Chair: Bill McCaffrey, Irex Contracting Group

Purpose: NIA is committed to the health, safety, and welfare of its members, customers, and the insulation industry. Through professional safety leadership, the committee will actively promote the highest standards of safety and health excellence to ensure a safe working environment.

Key Objectives:

  • Obtain and interpret newly promulgated and/or proposed statutes and regulations and their potential impact on NIA members.
  • Advise NIA members in establishing and implementing workers’ compensation programs, including effective accident and injury prevention programs.
  • Administer NIA's Safety Excellence Award program.
  • Formally represent NIA’s position on proposed new standards by government, which will impact the insulation industry.

NIA Staff Liaison: Rianna Gleeson 
All member company types are encouraged to join the Health & Safety Committee, which meets twice a year at Fall Summit and Annual Convention.

Merit Contractors Committee

Chair: Michael McCowan, L.C. Insulations, Inc.
Vice Chair:  Jordan Fiske, Anchor Insulation

Purpose: To promote the growth of the industrial and commercial merit contractor through education, training, and network exchange.

Key Objectives:

  • Promote the implementation of worker training opportunities through associations available to merit contractors.
  • Address the challenge of union organizing activities.
  • Utilize the NIA website to communicate merit shop activities.

NIA Staff Liaison: Leslie Emery
Visit the Merit Contractor webpage.
The Merit Contractors Committee meets twice a year at Fall Summit and Annual Convention.

Metal Building Laminators Committee

Chair: Dave Tomchak, Bay Insulation Systems, Inc.
Vice Chair: Chris Barton, Silvercote, A Service Partners Company

Purpose: The Laminator Committee is composed of laminators of metal building insulation who are dedicated to developing and promoting industry standards and educational programs that will help members become more professional, productive, and profitable. It also seeks to increase awareness of the environmental and energy-saving benefits of metal building insulation among end users.

Key Objectives:

  • Develop technical and professional guidelines that will help laminators deliver the highest quality products and services, and promote these standards within the metal building industry in conjunction with NAIMA and other relevant organizations.
  • Disseminate information on pertinent health, safety, environmental, business, energy efficiency, and other legislative and regulatory issues.
  • Act as a liaison with the design, manufacturing, and construction influences of the metal building industry.
  • Work with the NIA Associate members on projects and issues of mutual interest.

NIA Staff Liaison: Michele M. Jones

Visit the Metal Building Laminators' webpage.
The MBL Committee meets twice a year, at NIA's Annual Convention and during METALCON in October.

Technical Information Committee

Chair: Doug Fast, Owens Corning
Vice Chair: Scott Sinclair, Johns Manville
Secretary: Bill Gregg, Promat, Inc.

Purpose: To serve as a forum for identifying and addressing technical issues confronting NIA members and industry.

Key Objectives:

  • Discuss technical issues facing NIA members and develop responses to such issues as requested by the Board of Directors.
  • Assist in the review process of all technical issues in Insulation Outlook magazine and other NIA publications and educational programs.
  • Provide technical information to the design, engineering, construction, and manufacturing communities and monitor information at technical organizations such as ASTM, ASHRAE, NFPA, and NIBS.
  • Be a resource for the NIA Foundation for accurate and credible industry communications.
  • Promote the positive benefits of mechanical insulation and discourage negative dialogue.
  • Secure more insulation manufacturers, distributors, fabricators, and contractors to participate on the Technical Information Committee.
  • Provide proactive output of technical information to benefit the entire NIA membership.
  • Update and maintain the Technical Glossary, Insulation Materials Specification Chart, Guide to Insulation Product Specification, and all sections on the NIA website.

NIA Staff Liaison: Julie McLaughlin
The TIC meets four times a year, in-person at Fall Summit and Annual Convention and virtually in the winter and summer.

Union Contractors Committee

Chair: Rick Sutphin, Performance Contracting, Inc.
Vice Chair: Rick Baptista, Irex Contracting Group

Purpose: To promote the growth of industrial and commercial union contractors through education, training, productivity enhancement, and strong union relations.

Key Objectives:

  • Increase the share of union contracting in the industrial and commercial insulation industry.
  • Maintain continuous close liaison and dialogue with the officers of the International to achieve positive actions and results.
  • Assist Union NIA members with programs and solutions that will help them become more productive with their union counterparts and more effective as managers.
  • Discuss and analyze key clause, wage, and fringe benefit packages.
  • Encourage NIA Union Contractors to support the insulation industry International Apprentice and Training Fund.
  • Promote union insulation contractors for membership in NIA.

NIA Staff Liaison: Kristin DiDomenico

Young Professional Advisory Committee (YPAC)

Chair: John Freeman, Jr., Petrin, LLC
Vice Chair: Thomas MacKinnon, Armacell
Secretary: Nicole Barwick, DBK, Inc.

Purpose: To offer a forum for young professionals to grow leadership skills, network with peers, gain industry information, and provide fresh insights and feedback to NIA management and the Board of Directors.

Key Objectives:

  • Participate at NIA events and committees.
  • Increase the attendance in the Committee (YPAC).
  • Develop leadership and provide an opportunity to identify future leaders.
  • Confirm speakers and develop valuable programs for YPAC meetings.
  • Appoint one YPAC member each year to the Convention Committee.
  • Address the perceived value of young professionals’ participation in NIA.
  • Gain knowledge and guidance from NIA Past Presidents and Board of Directors.
  • Provide NIA management and the NIA and Foundation Board of Directors with fresh insights, innovative ideas, and strategic advice on a variety of topics including: NIA meetings, educational needs, communication methods, and industry recruitment.

NIA Staff Liaison: Leslie Emery
Visit the YPAC webpage.
YPAC is open to NIA members who are 40 years old or younger, or have been in the industry for less than 5 years. YPAC meets four times a year, in-person at Fall Summit and Annual Convention and virtually in the winter and summer.