Kansas Teen Wins National Commercial Roofing Title at SkillsUSA

Win comes as roofing contractors court young workers to fill a shortage of nearly 50,000 laborers

By Tanja Kern, Senior Strategic Content Editor, Patricia Soto Servin, Strategic Content Editor

SkillsUSA
2026 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference high school, college and post-secondary medalists.

Mason Miller competes at the 2026 National Championship in Commercial Roofing at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference in Atlanta.
Photo: SkillsUSA

ATLANTA - Mason Miller, an 18-year-old from Larned, Kan., won the 2026 National Championship in Commercial Roofing at the SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference, beating more than 6,800 state champions from all 50 states for the gold medal and championship belt.

Miller, who trained through SkillsUSA at Larned High School, placed seventh at last year’s national contest before returning to win this year. He learned he had finished in the top three when the finalists’ names appeared on the jumbotron inside State Farm Arena, then was called to the stage in front of thousands as the champion was announced.

“I always like walking the walk,” Miller said. “When I can put my skills to the test, it helps me know where I stand. If I’m doing good, the people around me are doing good as well.”

2026 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference

Medalists - Commercial Roofing

High school

Mason Miller, Larned High School, Larned, Kan.
Nathan Luz-Santos, Lebanon High School, Lebanon, Tenn.
Austin Gibson, Golden Strip Career Center, Greenville, S.C.

Post-secondary

Sean McWilliams, Alfred State College – School of Applied Technology, Alfred, N.Y.
John Prophete, Orange Technical College – West Campus, Ocoee, Fla.
Adam Thornton, Central Georgia Technical College, Macon, Ga.

The Competition

Competitors were each given a 10-by-10-foot roofing simulation and four hours to complete it, working through penetrations, parapet walls, TPO membrane seaming and insulation installation. Judges supplied a single variable — the direction the water needed to drain — and left the rest to the competitors. Finishing within the time limit is considered an accomplishment in itself; 22 students competed on the convention floor.

The clock was the toughest part for many. “Staying within the time — it was definitely very struggling,” said Daniela, a competitor from Peoria High School in Arizona who won her state contest before advancing. “I had been practicing with a little more time in the past, so having four hours was kind of tricky for me.”

NRCA Director of Workforce Development Shane Muncy with 2026 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference high school medalists: (Gold) Mason Miller of Larned High School, Larned, Kan.; (Silver) Nathan Luz-Santos of Lebanon High School, Lebanon, Tenn.; and (Bronze) Austin Gibson of Golden Strip Career Center, Greenville, S.C.
Photo: SkillsUSA

Workforce Recruitment

The commercial roofing championship was developed by the National Roofing Contractors Association (NRCA) to counter misconceptions about the trade and highlight its pay and career potential.

“Roofing is awesome, as we all know, but we’ve got to get that word out there better,” NRCA Chief Executive Officer McKay Daniels said.

Daniels pointed to strong earnings, steady demand and resilience during economic downturns, noting that millions of square feet of existing roofing require ongoing repair and replacement. “The pay is tremendous. Job opportunity is tremendous,” he said. “They can have an American-dream-filling career in this industry.”

Sponsors backing the event echoed the message. Greg Bloom, vice president of national strategic accounts for QXO Distribution, cited a labor shortage of nearly 50,000 across roughly 45,000 U.S. roofing contractors. “Pick roofing. It’s a great industry. You can make great money,” he said, adding that the work can lead to roles in management, sales and marketing.

Chad Frank, director of system sales for Georgia-Pacific, said years of steering students toward computer-based careers had made the trades seem less viable, a trend he argued is reversing as AI reshapes those jobs. “It’s going to be a long time before AI can build a roof,” he said.

Dave Nordentoft, who manages the roofing product category for Leister in the U.S., said he was surprised there had not already been a larger commercial roofing presence at SkillsUSA and that his company joined to show students the technology behind modern thermoplastic welding. “It’s a fantastic industry with tremendous people and a wonderful opportunity to make a great living,” he said.

2026 SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference college and post-secondary medalists: (Gold) Sean McWilliams, Alfred State College – School of Applied Technology (Silver); John Prophete, Orange Technical College – West Campus, Ocoee, Fla.; and (Bronze) Adam Thornton, Central Georgia Technical College, Macon, Ga.
Photo: SkillsUSA

Pathways to the Trade

Several competitors said they found roofing through school programs rather than family ties. Ishmael Valentin Vega, a dual-enrollment student with Orange Technical College’s West Campus in Orlando, said an advisor recruited him with a mock-up and a promise. “He said, ‘I produce winners. Come train. I’ll make sure you win,’” Vega said. He trained daily, including weekends, and described the field as wide open: “Everybody’s old, they’re retiring. So, it’s a new game, it’s fresh. You can go very far with roofing.” Vega said he is the first in his family to compete.

Joel Kasten, a construction teacher at Coronado High School in Colorado Springs, said his student, Noah, trained about four hours a week for six months and is the only Colorado student in the event. Beyond technical skills, Kasten said, students learn to shake hands, make eye contact, interview and complete a résumé and safety training.

Mason Miller of Larned High School in Larned Kansas wins gold at the 2026 National Championship in Commercial Roofing.
Photo: Coryell Roofing

What Miller Won

Beyond the medal and belt, Miller received a TPO welder, Milwaukee tool pack-outs and additional hand tools. He and a friend co-own a construction company with commercial roofing projects waiting in Kansas, and he plans to enroll this fall at Fort Hays State University to study construction management. Coryell Roofing and Construction sponsored his trip to Atlanta after a community referral.

“We knew Mason was special from the moment we connected with him but watching him come home as the national champion is something else entirely,” said Ken Wells, president of Coryell Roofing and Construction.

Looking for a reprint of this article?
From high-res PDFs to custom plaques, order your copy today!

Tanja Kern covers economic trends and the intersection of architecture, design, and construction for Roofing Contractor, with an emphasis on the forces reshaping the industry. She develops and amplifies content that connects roofing professionals with the intelligence they need to compete and grow.

With more than 20 years of experience, Tanja has written for national business, consumer and trade publications. She holds a Master of Science in magazine publishing from Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism.

Patricia Soto Servin is a journalist with more than a decade of experience covering local communities across the U.S.

Originally from Mexico, she has focused much of her work on issues impacting Hispanic audiences, including public safety, immigration, and community concerns. She has reported on major markets like Atlanta and North Carolina.

At BNP Media, she covers the topics that matter most to Roofing Contractor readers, including industry trends, policy, workforce, safety, and innovation in roofing.