J.A. Piper Award

Each year, NRCA awards the J.A. Piper Award during its annual convention to a roofing professional who has demonstrated outstanding service to NRCA and the industry. Among the Piper Award winners are NRCA presidents and committee members—all of whom have dedicated their lives to the industry.

The award was established in 1947 and is named after former NRCA President J.A. Piper in appreciation for his service during the Great Depression. Piper had the unique challenge of holding the association together during the tumultuous time.

All NRCA members are asked to submit names for consideration for the Piper Award to NRCA's Awards Committee. The committee judges nominees based on candidates' attributes, which typically include contributions to NRCA and participation in industrywide events.

78th Annual Piper Award winner

Dennis Conway | Principal and Vice President of Commercial Roofers Inc., Las Vegas

NRCA named Dennis Conway, principal and vice president of Commercial Roofers Inc., Las Vegas, recipient of its 78th annual J.A. Piper Award Feb. 20 during the NRCA 2025 Industry Awards and Reception in San Antonio. The J.A. Piper Award is the roofing industry’s most prestigious honor and recognizes roofing professionals who have devoted constant outstanding service to the association and roofing industry.

Conway attended Colorado State University and majored in construction management. After graduation, he accepted a job as project engineer at the largest general contracting firm in Hawaii and the South Pacific, where he stayed for 16 years. Conway then settled into the roofing industry as president of the largest roofing contractor in the South Pacific, where he remained until 1990 when the company was sold.

After starting his own roofing company and selling it to employees five years later, Conway accepted a position as regional manager for the Southern California office of Bryant Universal, Anaheim, Calif. During a company reorganization, he transferred to Las Vegas, where he became good friends with Scott Howard, another regional manager. In 1996, they bought the Las Vegas branch and renamed the company Commercial Roofers, where they were equal partners for more than 20 years. The company developed a reputation for high-profile roofing projects such as the Wynn Las Vegas, Paris and SLS Las Vegas.

Dennis joined NRCA in 1986. He served three terms on the board of directors and two terms as vice president on the Executive Committee. In 2016, he was elected to serve as NRCA’s chairman of the board, where he led efforts to help develop NRCA’s Training for Roof Application Careers, which launched in 2019. NRCA PROCertification^® was born under Conway’s leadership, and 11 certifications now are available.

Conway also served on numerous committees during the years including the Contractor Management, Work Force and Membership committees, and he currently serves as ROOFPAC Advisory chair and is a current member of the Melvin Kruger Endowed Scholarship and Construction Management committees for the Roofing Alliance.

In 2009, Conway was elected to the Roofing Alliance’s Board of Trustees and has focused his efforts on driving the education pillar of the organization. He was instrumental in establishing the construction management school at Colorado State University, launched through the Roofing Alliance. Conway has personally donated to the Roofing Alliance’s planned giving program and donated $150,000 to Colorado State University to build out a teleconference room. The Roofing Alliance named its first construction management scholarship the L.B. Conway Scholarship in memory of Conway’s wife of 22 years, L.B., who passed away in 2013. In 2024, the Roofing Alliance honored Conway with its Bennett Award for his leadership with construction management schools.

“A soft-spoken powerhouse, Dennis knows how to get things done with grace, ease and confidence,” said Bob Daly, president of Kaw Roofing & Sheet Metal, Kansas City, Kan., when presenting the award. “His aspirations, commitment and passion for educational excellence has set a standard for all of us while opening new opportunities for students, schools and the industry—his is a legacy that undoubtedly will remain unmatched.”

Previous J.A. Piper Award Winners