Board of Directors

Barry Smith - Nominating Committee Chair

Smith Slate Roof Restoration, [contractor profile]; Contact Barry Smith, 9505 Mitchell Road., Union City PA 16438; Ph: 814-438-2717: Email

Bio: An SRCA founding member, Barry apprenticed with Joseph Jenkins in 1996-97, just as Joe was finishing up the book, "The Slate Roof Bible" and contributed to the book as a photographer, photo subject, and proof reader. He has written a number of slate and copper articles for "Traditional Roofing Magazine," and given various related presentations.

Barry Smith Slate Roof Restoration was established in the summer of 1997 and his crew works in PA, OH, and NY.

Elected to SRCA Board December, 2008 to serve a 4 year term until December 31, 2012. Elected President, December 2008 to serve a 2-year term on the Executive Committee. Re-elected President, December 2010 to serve an additional two-year term until December 31, 2012.

Re-elected to Board, December 2012 to serve an additional 4 year term until December 31st, 2016.

Chris Paulin - Vice-Chairman of the Board, Membership Committee Chair, Standards Committee

Paulin Slate and Copper, [contractor profile]; 627 West Market, No. 8, Akron, Ohio 44303; Ph: 330-242-1574; Email

Elected to SRCA Board December, 2008 to serve a 4 year term until December 31, 2012. Elected Secretary/Treasurer, December 2008 to serve a 2-year term on the Executive Committee. Re-elected Secretary/Treasurer, December 2010, to serve an additional two-year term until December 31, 2012.

Re-elected to Board, December 2012 to serve an additional 4 year term until December 31st, 2016.

Chuck Wagner - Membership Committee, 2015 Conference Committee Chair

Wagner Roofing Company, [contractor profile]; 4909 46th Avenue, Hyattsville, MD 20781; Contact: Chuck Wagner; ph: 301-927-9030

Chuck is President of Wagner Roofing Company.  Wagner Roofing was established in 1914 by his grandfather, Otto Wagner.  Otto died in 1937 and the company was operated by Jack Saunders Wagner, Chuck’s father, until 1962. At that time Chuck and his brother, Jack, managed the company until 1991.  In 1991, Chuck became President and CEO. 

Wagner Roofing Company  specializes in historic restoration of churches, government buildings, schools, and residential properties. The business has a large sheet metal shop and warehouse and provides custom metal fabrication.  The Company performs repair and re-roofing of slate, tile, copper as well as modified and single ply roofing.

In 2014 Wagner Roofing Company will celebrate its 100 year anniversary.

Elected to SRCA Board February, 2012, to serve a 4 year term until December 31, 2015.

John Mahan - Public Relations/Marketing Committee Chair, Membership Committee

Mahan Slate Roofing Company, [contractor profile]; Contact: Jack Mahan, PO Box 2860, Springfield, MA 01101; Ph: 413-788-9529; Toll free: 800-347-9529; Fax: 413-737-3002, Email

Bio: John Mahan started helping in the family slate business at the age of 10. He learned the trade by working alongside his father who started the company in 1979. In order to broaden his carpentry skills John worked for a home builder through high school and the 2 years following school. John returned to the family business in 2000 where he worked his way through the ranks to the lead foreman position. John has trained with the Copper Development Association and published articles in “Fine Homebuilding Magazine” regarding slate and copper roofing. He is now also the Vice President and Co-Owner of the corporation.

Mahan Slate Roofing Co., Inc. joined the SRCA in 2006 and John attended the first training convention in 2007. John and his crews work in the New England area on slate, copper and tile roofing systems.

Elected to SRCA Board December, 2008 to serve a 2 year term. Reelected December 31, 2010 to an additional 4 year term, until December 31, 2014.

Liam Tower - Education Committee Chairperson, Membership Committee

Slate Affair Inc., P.O. Box 677, Enosburg Falls, VT 05450, [contractor profile]; contact: Liam Tower, Ph: 802-848-7679; Fax: 802-848-7679; cell: 802-793-8349; Email

Bio: Liam started slate roofing for a company called Middlebury Slate Co. in the summer of 1997 as a laborer.  By 2000, Liam had started his own slate roof company called Slate Affair Inc., with the idea of specializing in 100 year roof systems like slate, tile and copper standing seam. He joined the SRCA in 2007 and became a temporary board member at the first SRCA conference where he did a slate siding work-shop. Liam's company has experience in slate siding design, along with German slate styles and ornamental copper work.  Liam has also contributed articles to the "Traditional Roofing Magazine" and contributes info almost daily on the slate roof message board.

Elected to SRCA Board December, 2008 to serve a 4 year term until December, 2012. Elected Vice-President December 2008 to serve a 2-year term on the Executive Committee. Re-elected Vice-President, December 2010, to serve an additional two-year term until December 31, 2012.

Re-elected to Board, December 2012 to serve an additional 4 year term until December 31st, 2016.

Gary Howes - Chairman of the Board, Nominating Committee, 2014 Conference Committee Chair

Durable Slate Company, [contractor profile]; "Installation, Repair, Restoration, serving the Midwest, East and South." 1050 N. Fourth Street, Columbus, OH 43201; Ph: 800-666-7445; Fax: 614-299-7100; www.durableslate.com; Email; Source of reclaimed slate and tile.

Gary is the Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer of The Durable Slate Company, based in Columbus, Ohio. He has been with The Durable Slate Company for 22 years having held numerous positions including his most recent as Executive Vice-President and Chief Operating Officer for the last 8 years. Gary started in the field as a trainee and worked up to being a lead foreman. As a lead foreman, Gary oversaw many interesting jobs throughout the Midwest and won the Builder's Exchange Craftsmanship of the Year award for the slate re-roofing on the 200' steeple on St. Mary's Catholic Church in Columbus. Gary has overseen more than 1,000 slate projects across the country ranging from small slate repair projects to multi-million dollar full restorations as a lead foreman and general superintendent. Gary also helped write Durable Slate’s training and apprenticeship program when he was the head of our Quality Control Division.

Gary has traveled to Europe on three different occasions for the purpose of gaining a better understanding of the history of slate and flashings as well as the new techniques and tools being developed in Germany, France, Spain and throughout the U.K.

Appointed to the Board on March 19, 2012 to serve out Bob Ruddy's term until December 31, 2014.

Chris Short - Safety Committee Chairperson

Short Slate, LLC., [contractor profile]; Contact: Christopher Short, 142 Hillsdale Road, Colts Neck, NJ 07722; Ph:  732-444-2244 ;  212-537-0173 ; Email

Married with four children, Chris Short resides in Colts Neck, NJ. He is the founder and President of Short Slate, a small team of talented craftsman and craftswoman slating in the New York City and New Jersey areas.His client base consists of NYC Landmark buildings as well as homes that are on the National Register of Historic Places. They only do slate and copper. They practice old world craftsmanship and are very passionate about slating and people.Chris and his team are very active members of the SRCA, participating in various slating demonstrations over the last couple of years, and are active on the community slate forums as well. Their website is shortslate.com. Chris has consulted with other members and has posted quite a few slate and slate related instructional videos on Youtube to help further our craft. Chris was active in discussions in 2012r during the drafting of our new SRCA guidelines and specifications.

Chris was appointed on February 21st, 2013, to fill a vacancy left by Joe Jenkins.