Day Three of the 2026 IIBEC International Convention and Trade Show honored several of its members for excellence and longevity during its annual Awards Ceremony on Saturday, March 14—a day filled with networking opportunities and more education sessions.
Following the second day of the Trade Show—with an attendee breakfast sponsored by Carlisle and product demonstrations from Elevate Commercial Roofing Systems, Carlisle SynTec Systems, and Westlake Royal Roofing—the annual Awards Ceremony, sponsored by Sika, kicked off with IIBEC Executive Vice President and CEO Brian Pallasch introducing a video highlighting the four winners of IIBEC’s Excellence in Building Enclosure Consulting (EBEC) Awards. The EBEC Award in the Roofing category went to Milirsan Pugalendiran, RRO. In the Waterproofing category, the winner was Christopher W. Giffin, F-IIBEC, RRC, AIA. In the Exterior Wall category, the award went to Jennifer Hogan, RWEC, CBECxP, RRO, Certified Passive House Consultant. In the Building Enclosure category, the winner was Christopher Grey, RRC, REWC, PE.
The Horowitz Award for the best technical article in the past year in IIBEC Interface went to Stephen Patterson, F-IIBEC, RRC, PE, and Jordan Beckner, RRC, for their July 2025 article, Impact Resistance of Roof Coverings.
Next up were the Outstanding Chapter Awards. This year, 26 out of 27 chapters received awards for their work this past year. Silver-level awards went to the Ohio Valley Chapter, the West Michigan Chapter, and the Central Texas Chapter. Gold level awards went to the Delaware Valley Chapter, the New England Chapter, the Georgia Chapter, the Virginia Chapter, the Great Lakes Chapter, the Arizona Chapter, the Puget Sound Chapter, the Northern California Chapter, the Quebec Ontario Chapter, the Wisconsin Chapter, and the Colorado Chapter. Chapters achieving Platinum level were the Metro New York Chapter, the Mid-Atlantic Chapter, the Carolinas Chapter, the Florida Chapter, the Mid-South Chapter, the Chicago Area Chapter, the Gulf Coast Chapter, the North Texas Chapter, the Southern California Chapter, the Portland Chapter, the Southern Ontario Chapter, and the Western Canada Chapter.
Pallasch then asked 25-year, 30-year, 35-year, and 40-year IIBEC members who were present to stand and be recognized.
Tom Gernetzke took the stage to present the Herbert Busching Award, which went to Appupillai “Bas” Baskaran, R-IIBEC, PhD, PEng. Gernetzke then inducted new members into the Jury of Fellows. New inductees this year are John C. Wylie, RBEC, RRO, PE, and Chris Dawkins, PE. Gernetzke then presented a distinct honor to only the eighth recipient to be recognized as an Honorary Member of IIBEC, Karen McElroy.
Brian Pallasch returned to the stage to present the Emerging Professionals Award of Excellence to Mallory Buckley, RRO, PE. The Michael DeFrancesco Outstanding Volunteer Award went to Stephanie Robinson, PEng.
The IIBEC Staff Longevity Award went to RCI-IIBEC Foundation Development Officer Rick Gardner.
Dawkins took the stage again to present the President’s Award to Charles T. Sietmann, RRC, RRO, REWO, CCCA, CIT. Last, the Joe F. Hale Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Arthur Sark, F-IIBEC. Sark attended every IIBEC International Convention and Trade Show until this year, but Dawkins said he was able to travel the week prior to this year’s convention and trade show to present the award in-person to Sark.
Afternoon Education
Afternoon education sessions focused on waterproofing shotcrete, the complexities of condensation, and trends in roof re-cover applications.
A variety of receptions closed Day Three of the convention and trade show, with the new IIBEC Sacramento Valley Branch hosting an event for the first time, another year of the V.I.Platinum Hour, and another successful Emerging Professionals Networking Reception.
The 2026 IIBEC International Convention and Trade Show concludes Sunday, March 15. The 2027 IIBEC International Convention and Trade Show will take place March 18–21 in San Antonio, Texas.
