The National Roofing Contractors Association has announced Bill Collins, former president and CEO of GAF, Parsippany, N.J., is the recipient of its John Bradford Volunteer Award. The award was presented at NRCA’s 136th Annual Convention held March 6-9 in Dallas. 

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. 

"This should be shared with everyone in the roofing industry because this industry [volunteers] by nature," Collins said upon accepting the award.

Collins is a registered civil engineer who has lived serving others. He graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1972 with a bachelor’s degree in marine engineering. After being deployed around the world and serving his country for nine years, Collins obtained a civilian job as a project engineer with Anaconda Industries, Austin, Texas, and worked his way up, including starting his own building products company, which eventually was sold to Berger Building Products, Peachtree Corners, Ga. 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. Upon accepting the award, he told a story about how he broke one of Habitat's rulesagainst talking to the press or others out of an abundance of caution. That phone call led to a $25 million donation.

"The lesson for me is, don't follow all the rules when you think someone cares, they might actually care," Collins said.

Collins also has mentored startup 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 Englert Metals, iRoofing, Jordan Energy, Lifetime Tool and National Nail. 

Collins was a founding member of the Center for 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 during his roofing career and enjoyed civic involvements.