In 1997, the organization that was then RCI boasted over 200 RRCs and 100 RROs at the beginning of the year. Fran Acquaviva took over the executive director position from John Newark, who resigned after holding the position since 1992. Lyle Hogan won the second-ever Horowitz Award at the 1997 convention, which took place in Anaheim, CA. Hogan still regularly contributes to IIBEC Interface.
New RRCs at the 1997 convention in Anaheim were, from left to right: Don Bush Sr., Pat Heil, Stuart Sutton, Karl Schaack, and Tom Irvine.
New RROs at convention, left to right: Steve Signorin, Darran Sellers, Dennis McNeil, Mason Montgomery, and Jon Broome.
Art and Tessa Sark pose with Mickey Mouse.
Clarence Lisle, James L. Hoff, and Phil Dregger “share war stories” at the 1997 RCI convention.
RCI and its designations began to receive more and more recognition in the industry. Dade County, FL, included mention of the RRC designation in its building code, while Virginia decided to require an RCI-trained roof consultant and observer on state and municipal roofing projects.
The RCI website at rci-online.org was launched in September of 1997. The computer and phone networks at headquarters in Raleigh were also updated, and RCI arranged with its bank to accept Canadian checks, as the Canadian contingency continued to grow and be ever more important to RCI’s success.
