During the 2023 International Roofing Expo® in Dallas, NRCA announced Bill Collins, former president and CEO of GAF, Parsippany, N.J., as the recipient of the John Bradford Volunteer Award. Collins received the award during NRCA’s Awards Ceremony and Cocktail Reception March 8.
The John Bradford Volunteer Award is presented to an individual in the roofing industry who has consistently demonstrated outstanding acts of volunteerism. Volunteerism takes many forms—some demonstrated locally and others nationally, such as the volunteer work performed at NRCA.
Collins is a registered civil engineer who has lived serving others. After graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in marine engineering, he was deployed around the world. He served as an officer in various engineering and communications capacities, as well as project manager and lieutenant commander in the Navy Civil Engineer Corps, focusing on construction management, public works and energy conservation programs.
After serving his country for nine years, Collins obtained a civilian job as a project engineer with Anaconda Industries and worked his way up, including starting his own building products company, which eventually was sold to Berger Building Products. In 1992, he landed at GAF Materials as vice president of Cobra ventilation, a subsidiary acquired by GAF from Berger Building Products.
After nearly 10 years at GAF, in 2000, Collins was promoted to and served as president and CEO for several years. During his time at GAF, he took a year’s sabbatical to work with Habitat for Humanity. In 2006, he left GAF and began a consulting firm to help construction professionals with sales growth, strategic development, branding and cost savings.
Collins joined Habitat for Humanity International’s Global Leadership Council and served as senior vice president for Habitat for Humanity International, co-leading Operation Home Delivery, which helped build more than 1,000 homes in 18 months after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Collins also has mentored start-up company executives, seasoned CEOs and Naval ROTC undergraduate civil engineering students; provided pro bono investment advice to emerging or new companies; and helped develop COVID-19 contact tracing systems. He currently volunteers on the advisory boards of Jordan Energy, iRoofing, Lifetime Tool, Englert Metals and National Nail.
Collins was a founding member of the Center of Environmental Innovation in Roofing, including its research advisory committee, and was a founding and active board member of the Roofing Alliance. He served on the Roofing Alliance Planned Giving Steering Committee and still is an active member of the Roofing Alliance, offering pro bono cybersecurity advice to NRCA and Roofing Alliance members and currently serving on the organization’s Fundraising Committee.
The John Bradford Volunteer Award is named after John Bradford, who served as NRCA’s president from 1982-83 and was a past president of the Midwest Roofing Contractors Association. He was instrumental in the development of the Montana Roofing Contractors Association, served on many boards throughout his roofing career and enjoyed civic involvements.
