2019 Membership Drive and Summer Social

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  The IIBEC SoCal Chapter (formerly the SoCal Chapter of RCI) hosted its third technical dinner meeting of the year on May 16th, 2019 at The Hacienda in Santa Ana, CA.

Despite some wet weather and worse than usual rush hour traffic earlier in the day, we had an impressive turnout of 41 attendees arrive to network and enjoy delicious Mexican cuisine in a lovely rustic event venue.  Even more exciting was that over a fifth of our attendees were roofing contractors, adding some welcome diversity of experience and technical knowledge in the space. Our guest speaker was Mr. Brandon Mark, a specifier services representative for Johns Manville.  Brandon spoke on “Re-Roofing and Recover”, covering a wide range of topics including both tools and techniques for evaluating an existing roof in consideration for re-roofing or recover, the importance of performing building inspections, and taking roof cuts for analysis. He also discussed commonly encountered different low-slope roofing membranes, substrates, and code requirements to consider including designing for wind. Brandon also went through some general pros and cons for common re-roof and recover design strategies, manufacturer guarantees and maintenance requirements.

We were extremely pleased to host the greatest number of attendees for a technical dinner meeting this year thus far, including a large contingent of local roofers.  We would like to thank Brandon Mark for his time and efforts in providing an informative and well-received presentation.  

Special recognition to our event sponsors:

· Robert Larez, Axis Building Envelope Design 

· Erica Reynolds, McGinnis Chen Associates 

· Brian Carrillo, Encore Building Products 

We would also like to extend our appreciation to our attendees for their support and helping us close out yet another successful meeting. Attendees earned 1 hour of continuing education approved by IIBEC and AIA.

-Ivan Chak

Vice President

On April 18th, 2019, the IIBEC SoCal Chapter (formerly the SoCal Chapter of RCI) returned to the Coyote Hills Golf Course in Fullerton, CA for our 17th Annual Golf Tournament. As always it was a great event, with a sell-out crowd of 160 golfers hitting the links. Our annual event could not be possible without the generous support of our industry partners, including the following: 

Diamond Sponsor: Lowry’s Inc.

Premier Sponsor: Structural Materials

Platinum Sponsors: Letner Roofing, Sika Sarnafil, Carlisle SynTec

We also had many other industry sponsors who came out to contribute tees, golf balls, snacks, beverages and raffle giveaways and line the course with their company tee signage and tabletop displays.

Our volunteers helped check golfers check in during our early morning registration, handing out goodie bags with custom Under Armour golf jackets, golf gloves with custom ball markers sponsored by Polyguard, and taking on-site purchases for raffle contest entries, putting contest tickets, and mulligans. A Bloody Mary and breakfast bar sponsored by Fibertite offered a tasty selection of breakfast burritos, fruit salad, juices, and refreshing cocktails. The golfers teed off at 11 a.m. under clear sunny skies and a enjoyed a light breeze throughout the day. 

By 6:00 p.m. the carts rolled in for a delicious southwest style dinner sponsored by Versico with brisket, grilled chicken and all the fixings, plus cookies and brownie desserts to top it off. Golf committee co-chairs Danielle Ward and Moira Howmann emceed the evening.

Following dinner, we had the opportunity and bonus prize drawings. The sale of opportunity drawing tickets allowed us to offer an extensive array of tiered prizes, including numerous premium-level prizes donated by vendors including: Sonos One smart speaker set, Yeti Tundra Haul cooler, Frigidaire 30-bottle wine chiller, and a LG 70 in. 4K Ultra LED UHD television. 

A golf cannon staged at our Charity hole helped raise $1,170 in donation funds for the In STEPPS Academy, a school for young children with autism located in Irvine, CA. 

The revenue collected from the golf tournament also helped the So Cal Chapter to provide donations to both the RCA - Jim Nienow and URCA - Don Banks Memorial Scholarship programs. We continued our support of these organizations with $1,500 presented to each of these industry scholarship funds.

Special thanks go out to the Golf Committee, event volunteers and especially Danielle Ward and Moira Howmann for all their hard work, as we could not have completed such a well-executed and enjoyable event without their leadership and dedication. 

-Ivan Chak

Chapter Vice President

The IIBEC SoCal Chapter (formerly the SoCal Chapter of RCI) hosted its second technical dinner meeting of the year on April 4th, 2019 at JT Schmid’s Restaurant & Brewery in Anaheim, CA.

Approximately 24 attendees made their way to JT Schmid’s to enjoy some great networking along with refreshing beverages and some delicious dinner plates.  Our guest speakers were Kent Lawrence, Senior Account Representative of Eagle Roofing Products & Michele Morse, Senior Architectural Coordinator for Eagle Roofing Products.  Kent and Michele presented on “Concrete Roof Tiles”, highlighted key topics such as: design versatility of concrete tiles, the manufacturing process of concrete roof tiles from the introduction of raw materials to finished product, installation methods, and key performance characteristics of concrete roof tiles. In addition, they discussed the longevity, durability and overall life cycle cost analysis of concrete roof tiles compared to other steep-sloped roofing options. 

The event was a success, and we would like to thank both Kent Lawrence & Michele Morse for their time and energy in providing an informative and enjoyable multimedia presentation, complete with many hands-on product samples to keep our audience engaged.  Attendees earned 1 hour of continuing education approved by IIBEC and AIA. We would also like to extend our appreciation to the event’s tabletop sponsor, Robert Larez of Axis Building Envelope Design. 

  -Arturo Ortiz Jr.

Industry Director

The SoCal Chapter of RCI made it out to the 34th RCI International Convention and Tradeshow, held on March 14th to 19th at Rosen Shingle Creek Resort in Orlando, FL. The convention included professional examinations, continuing education seminars, various national and regional committee meetings, tradeshow exhibition, annual golf tournament and other festivities. Also featured was the much-anticipated reveal of the new IIBEC organization name and logo which was received with much fanfare and was an exciting treat for attendees.

This year’s opening ceremony featured Mr. Jamie Hyneman of MythBusters fame, who delivered an intriguing keynote address in the form of a Q&A discussion conducted by First Vice President Scott Hinesley. The interview touched upon Jamie’s wide range of diverse jobs and skills, valuable lessons learned, and his unique life experiences both on and off the set.  Jamie provided some words of wisdom in addressing some of the challenges faced by our industry, including: the importance of being aware of the entire project process and scope, anticipating unknowns, embracing innovation, having a methodical mindset in experimentation and investigation, and how diversity can help to elevate your team to be greater than the sum of its parts.

Our Chapter was recognized for several notable distinctions during the event, including our donation of $10,000 to the RCI Foundation (RCIF) which elevated our overall contribution amount to $61,200 since the Chapter’s formation. It gets lonely sometimes being the first Chapter representation at the “Benefactor” level, but we hope it won’t be for long! Members of our local Chapter board had the opportunity to present the check and appear in a photo op with (US) Chairman Joe Hale.  During the Awards Luncheon, The Chapter was also presented with an Outstanding Affiliated Chapter Award for achieving Platinum status in the 2018 year.  The award was received by several board and chapter members who attended the Awards Luncheon.

Hope to see you at the next convention where we will be returning to the Marriott Marquis Houston and George R. Brown Convention Center in Houston, TX from March 26 to 31, 2020.

-Arturo Ortiz Jr.

Industry Director

The SoCal Chapter of RCI, Inc. hosted its first technical dinner meeting of our 2019 education series on February 21st at JT Schmid’s Restaurant & Brewery in Anaheim, CA.

Approximately 26 attendees came out to enjoy some great networking along with refreshing beverages and some delicious dinner plates.  Our Chapter Vice President Ivan Chak got things going as the host for the event, introducing the new 2019 SoCal Chapter board of directors in attendance.  Also in the audience was our very own Region V Director, Szymon Zienkiewicz.  Szymon provided announcements to our membership on national and regional level updates, including the RCI, Inc. re-branding efforts and the upcoming Region V meeting at the Paris Las Vegas in Las Vegas, NV on June 12th. 

Our guest speaker was Mr. Osvaldo Joya, Director of Pre-Construction with LJP Construction Services.  Osvaldo presented on the topic of “Constructability of 1-Coat Stucco and EIF Systems”, drawing on his past project experiences and role as a certified EIFS inspector.  Osvaldo discussed topics such as identifying key differences between traditional stucco, 1-coat stucco and EIFS.  He highlighted challenges with insurance coverage and exclusions for EIFS, and dove into multiple aspects of EIFS including design, construction and field QA/QC inspection.  Osvaldo also spoke to the importance of critical components to verify on EIFS.  The presentation concluded with a Q&A session with good audience participation and interaction between consultants and industry members alike.

We were pleased to start our year with an informative and engaging technical presentation, and we would like to thank Osvaldo Joya for his time and valuable contributions.  All attendees earned 1.0 hour of RCI CEH’s and AIA LU’s. We would also like to extend our appreciation to our event table top sponsors, Robert Larez of Axis Building Envelope Design & Jim Hill of BASF Senergy Wall Systems.

-Arturo Ortiz Jr

Industry Director

The SoCal Chapter of RCI, Inc. held its 19th Annual Hawaii Winter Workshop on January 14 & 15, 2019 at the Hilton Hawaiian Village in Honolulu, HI.  Approximately 100 attendees made it out from Canada and the US, including a strong contingent of local Hawaiians, and into the beautiful paradise of Waikiki to partake in the two-day seminar. The event featured guest speakers from across North America who provided well-informed and engaging presentations that covered a wide array of building envelope topics centered around the theme of “Innovation in Building Envelope Design & Solutions”.

First and foremost, the Chapter would like to thank the following workshop presenters for their technical contributions and in being an integral part of the event:

· Richard Mosco, AIA, Associate Principal / WJE Associates Inc. / Pasadena, CA

· Jeff Neilson, AIA, Senior Associate / WJE Associates Inc. / Pasadena, CA

· Karim Allana, PE, RRC, RWC, Senior Principal / Allana Buick & Bers, Inc. / Palo Alto, CA

· Peterson Lambert, PE, Principal / Allana Buick & Bers, Inc. / Seattle, WA

· Philip D. Dregger, PE, RRC, Vice President / Technical Roof Services a Salas-O’Brien Company / Concord, CA

· Christopher Giffin, RRC, AIA, Principal / WJE Associates Inc. / Duluth, GA

· James Brown, RRC, AIA, Associate Principal / WJE Associates Inc. / Duluth, GA

· Stéphane P. Hoffman, M.Arch., M.Eng., PE, Principal / Morrison Hershfield / Seattle, WA

· Elena Kessi, President / Aquafin, Inc. / Elkton, MD

· Kenrick Hartman, PE, RBEC, LEED AP, Senior Associate / WJE Associates Inc. / New York, NY

· Douglas Stieve, RA, RRC, GRP, Principal / WJE Associates Inc. / New York, NY

· Gary Weaver, Principal / Atlas Consulting / Irvine, CA

· Amy Chitilian, B.A.Sc., M.Eng., EIT, Engineering Intern / Read Jones Christoffersen Ltd. / Toronto, ON

· Gene Keeton, CxA+BE, BECxP, QAO, President / KDENT, Inc. / Monett, MO

The 2019 workshop saw a record number of attendees as well as event sponsorship support, with 15 table top exhibitors and one banner sponsor. We built upon last year’s creative initiative in organizing the exhibition tour as a “speed dating” hour, with small groups rotating between each table top at timed intervals.  It was a fast-paced session with all hands on deck, allowing every table top sponsor to have exposure with each attendee. Thanks to our energetic sponsors, it was a great networking opportunity all around while participants got a chance to enhance their product and material knowledge. 

At the conclusion of Day 1, attendees were treated to a networking reception sponsored by the Platinum event sponsor, Versico.  As per our tradition, we held a raffle at the end of the reception where Jim Hill of BASF Senergy Wall Systems from our very own SoCal Chapter was the lucky winner of a slick new GoPro Fusion Camera.  We hope it comes in handy while catching some big waves, Jim! Gold sponsor CanDo Supply helped to keep our attendees well fed on both days, with our delicious catered lunches held in the pleasant outdoor lounge space just outside the conference.

As always, the event could not have been possible without support from our industry colleagues and the building envelope community. The Chapter would like to thank the following:

· Platinum Sponsor – Versico Roofing Systems

· Gold Sponsor – CanDo Supply LLC

· Bronze Sponsors – Hydro-Gard, Malarkey Roofing Products, BASF Senergy Wall Systems, Cell-Crete Corporation, Drexel Metals Inc., Fibertite

· Tabletop Exhibitors – GE Silicones, USG, Sika Greenstreak, Georgia-Pacific, Drone Vantage LLC, General Coatings, AVM Industries

· Banner Sponsor – Situra Inc.

We would like to thank all the attendees for their participation and taking the time to join us in Honolulu. We look forward to seeing you all at next year’s workshop, which will be our 20th anniversary event!

-Arturo Ortiz Jr.

Industry Director

On a cool and rainy Wednesday evening, over 40 event attendees came out to the festively decorated Hacienda in Santa Ana, CA to attend the SoCal Chapter of RCI’s Annual Dinner and Holiday Party on December 5, 2018. We received many generous contributions to our annual Toys for Tots donation drive – in total, we collected 20+ toys to give to the U.S. Marine Corps for distribution to less fortunate children in low-income families. Guests were greeted with champagne flutes and enjoyed passed appetizers, refreshments, buffet dinner and taco bar in a cheery and warm atmosphere complete with live Mariachi music. 

Chapter President Danielle Ward and Vice President Kyle Eazor delivered updates on the SoCal Chapter of RCI, Inc., summarizing the year in review and looking ahead to 2019.  Our Region V Director Szymon Zienkiewicz provided a comprehensive overview of RCI, Inc. current and upcoming events at the regional and national levels. Danielle returned to the podium to present special awards to chapter officers and volunteers for their hard work throughout the year.

The evening festivities concluded with our annual raffle ticket drawing, which included a prize of sponsorship of RCI, Inc. member dues for one year.  The SoCal Chapter would like to extend a special mention to our generous sponsors, who helped to make the event a rousing success: 

Event Sponsor: Union Roofing Contractors Association 

Refreshment Sponsor: AQUAFIN Inc 

Tabletop Sponsors: EPRO, Axis Building Envelope Design 

We hope you all have a safe and happy holiday season, and best wishes in the New Year. We look forward to seeing some of you in Honolulu at our upcoming 19th annual Hawaii Winter Workshop on Jan 14-15, 2019! 

-Ivan Chak

Chapter Treasurer

The SoCal Chapter of RCI, Inc. & Orange County Chapter of CSI (OCCCSI) was pleased to host our annual joint technical dinner meeting on October 9th, 2018 at The Phoenix Club in Anaheim, CA.

The event kicked off with a social hour of great networking among approximately 40 attendees between the two chapters, all while enjoying some refreshing beverages and delicious buffet offerings. We also had some featured costumes on display from guests that brought their Halloween spirit, which included our guest speaker Mr. John A. Raeber, independent architectural specifications writer.  John’s presentation provided key guidance on how to write effective project specifications that are clear, concise, complete and correct.  He made clear the importance of understanding the intent of contract documents so the audience could appreciate how specs should be implemented during construction and conversely, what specs are not intended to do.  John also illustrated the various formats used when working with the primary spec writers while also highlighting contrasts between Design-Build versus Designated Design.  Lastly, John closed out his presentation on what is and isn’t important in regards with submittals, listing system manufacturers & substitutions. The presentation concluded with a Q&A session with great audience participation.

The joint meeting was a success as attendees earned 1 hour of continuing education approved by RCI and AIA. We would like to thank John A. Raeber for his well-informed presentation, and we would also like to extend our appreciation to the SoCal RCI tabletop sponsorships from Robert Larez with Axis Building Envelope Design & Chris Tuzzeo with Hydro-Gard. We would also like to thank our friends over at the OCCCSI for another great event in the books!

-Arturo Ortiz Jr

Industry Director

The SoCal Chapter of RCI, Inc. was pleased to host its fourth technical dinner meeting of the year on September 27th, 2018 at JT Schmid’s Restaurant & Brewery in Tustin, CA.

The event began with our traditional social/networking hour with approximately 25 attendees.  Guests enjoyed their choice of delicious dinner options ranging from pasta to prime sirloin, along with some refreshing beverages. The meeting kicked off with a welcome and introduction from Ivan Chak, Chapter Treasurer.  Our guest speakers were Tracy Myers of GAF & Gwenyth Searer of Wiss, Janney, Elstner Associates, Inc.  Ms. Myers & Ms. Searer guided us through a broad overview of Façade Access and Roof Design Issues, providing valuable insight from both architectural and structural perspectives.  Ms. Myers began by illustrating the importance of the role of the registered design professional and clearly identifying design and contract responsibilities on projects.  She also discussed topics such as reference building codes, critical coordination nuances, and key considerations for roof design and durability.  Ms. Searer gave an overview of governing regulation and covered several key differences between Federal OSHA vs. Cal OSHA specific to roof design and façade access.  She also covered fall protection regulations along with illustrated examples of temporary vs. permanent and passive vs. active systems.  Ms. Searer and Ms. Myers rounded out the presentation with some interesting case studies highlighting some of the complexities in achieving façade access goals with challenges arising from ambitious architectural design, site-specific limitations or lack of construction coordination. 

It was a successful event as attendees earned 1 hour of continuing education approved by RCI and AIA. We would like to thank both Tracy Myers & Gwenyth Searer for their time and efforts in delivering a well-informed and enjoyable presentation.

-Arturo Ortiz Jr

Industry Director