Roofing professionals from across the country gathered in Nashville just before the 2019 International Roofing Expo for the second annual National Women in Roofing Day. See our exclusive photo gallery.

National Women in Roofing, an organization formed to connect, empower and recruit women working in various roofing-related fields across the country, hosted its first-ever National Women in Roofing Day Sunday on the eve of International Roofing Expo week.

The day started with optional wellness activities including group yoga and a guided walking tour of downtown New Orleans, followed by brunch. Keynote speaker Lelia Gowland, a New Orleans native and thought leader in workplace dynamics for women, then relayed her experiences advocating for women in workplace negotiations. Several breakout sessions with volunteer facilitators from across the roofing industry followed, and capping off the day was a networking and mentoring event featuring speaker Kelly Wade, CEO of Tampa-based North American Roofing.

To kick off the 2017 International Roofing Expo (IRE), Women in Roofing, an organization that promotes and advances the careers of female roofing professionals, hosted a welcome reception on Tuesday at the Islander Room I at Mandalay Bay, the host site for IRE.

Women from all walks of the roofing industry gathered to network and empower one another, while discussing what’s planned for the roofing industry in 2017 and beyond.

The reception featured a streamed video interview with guest speaker Kaney O'Neill, president of O'Neill Contractors Inc. O’Neil shared her impressive journey, transitioning from Navy Seal, to owning and operating her own successful roofing company. Her unique experience of perseverance and integrity was showcased throughout the evening.