Since the 1960s, SkillsUSA has held competitions at the state and national levels to help develop the next generation of skilled trade professionals. The roofing competition debuted in 2023, and each year, participation grows.
This year, 21 competitors from 17 states participated in the third annual Commercial Roofing competition during SkillsUSA’s National Leadership & Skills Conference in Atlanta. Students installed TPO membrane over mockups NRCA uses for its PROCertification® exam.
Damien Holloway of Florida received first place in the high school category. Brigham Richardson of Arizona received second place, and Nathan Luz-Santos of Tennessee received third place.
In the college/post-secondary category, Samuel Oelfke of Minnesota received first place. Chenxi Huang of Florida received second place, and Kelly Cosgrove of New York received third place.
First-place winners received $1,500; second-place winners received $1,000; and third-place winners received $750. First-place winners also received a champions belt, a new Leister Triac ST handheld hot-air welder and a crystal award plaque.
This year’s competition was a success (see photo gallery for some photos of the event), and NRCA and SkillsUSA are working to increase participation and expose more young people to roofing. Find more information at skillsusa.org and mark your calendar for next year’s SkillsUSA National Leadership & Skills Conference June 1-5, 2026.
Avery Timmons
Professional Roofing’s editorial assistant
NRCA
