FGIA Recognizes Industry Leaders for Excellence During 2024 Annual Awards Ceremony

Awards were presented primarily by the previous year’s winners, who recognized recipients for their many efforts toward progressing the work of the Association and the industry overall in 2023.

Outstanding Service Award – Steve Fronek (Apogee)

The Outstanding Service Award was presented to Steve Fronek, Vice President Preconstruction at Apogee Enterprises, by Robert Jutras, Principal Engineer, Building Envelope Performance at UL.

The Outstanding Service Award recognizes individuals who have distinguished themselves in their work and dedication to the advancement of FGIA and the industry as a whole.

“A longtime leader in the industry, Steve is known for his technical expertise and willingness to share his knowledge,” said Jutras. “He brings decades of experience to the whole of the fenestration industry.”

A former Board Chair elected in 2011, Fronek currently serves as Chair of the FGIA Test Method for Thermal Cycling of Exterior Wall Review Task Group. He is also APC Co-Chair of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Test Methods for Hardware Task Group.

Architectural Distinguished Service Award – Lothar Erkens (Winco Window Company)

The Architectural Distinguished Service Award was presented to Lothar Erkens, Technical Sales and Engineering at Winco Window Company, by Fronek, the previous year’s recipient.

This award recognizes an individual who accomplishes formative work on behalf of the Association and the Architectural Products Council (APC).

“Lothar is a brilliant engineer and inventor,” said Fronek. “What a great person to have on your team when you need to look at all aspects of a problem before you can begin to solve it.”

Erkens serves as Vice Chair of several FGIA committees and task groups, including the Lifecycle Testing Review Task Group, the Seismic and Wind-Induced Inter-Story Drift Review Task Group and the Certification Program Corner Weld Requirements Work Group. He also earned the FenestrationMaster professional credential.

Residential Products Group Distinguished Service Award – Lisa Bergeron (JELD-WEN)

The Residential Distinguished Service Award was presented to Lisa Bergeron, Director of Business Development and Government Affairs at JELD-WEN, by previous recipient Kevin Seiling, Vice President of Engineering and New Business Development at VEKA.

Each year, a member who excels in work toward improving the Association and the Residential Products Council (RPC) is recognized with this distinction.

“Lisa is a great collaborator with forward vision,” said Seiling. He quoted one of the nominations for Bergeron, saying her “leadership and persuasiveness have helped drive necessary change for our industry on both sides of the border. We are all indebted to her for her contributions.”

Bergeron serves as RPC Co-Chair for the North American Fenestration Standard Committee. She is also co-chair of the Joint Document Management Group representing FGIA and several code-focused groups within the Association. Additionally, she was named the 2016 ENERGY STAR® Champion of the Year.

Glass Products Council Distinguished Service Award – Jeff Haberer (Trulite Glass and Aluminum Solutions)

The Distinguished Service Award in the Glass Products Council was presented to Jeff Haberer, Director of Technical Services at Trulite Glass and Aluminum Solutions, by previous award recipient Jim Blamble, Key Account Manager at Sika Corporation.

The Association recognizes a member with this award each year as one who excels in work toward improving the Association and the Glass Products Council.

“Jeff is always willing to share his knowledge,” said Blamble. “He has done so as a long-time trainer at the Insulating Glass (IG) Fabricators Workshop.”

Haberer is Chair of the FGIA IG Technical Services Committee. He has contributed to both the technical and the social side of the Glass Products Council. Prior to that, he did the same at IGMA, helping to create a welcoming, supportive environment, nominators said of him.

Marketing Distinguished Service Award – Josh Wignall (Quaker Windows and Doors)

The Marketing Distinguished Service Award was presented to Josh Wignall, Director of Commercial Sales and Marketing at Quaker Windows and Doors, by previous recipient Neall Digert, Vice President of Product Enterprise at Kingspan Light + Air.

This award acknowledges a single individual who has exhibited leadership and outstanding service in marketing activities for the Association.

Digert quoted the nominations for Wignall, saying his "contributions have had a significant impact on the FGIA marketing council. His dedication and hard work have resulted in increased collaboration, creativity and engagement in the industry. His positive attitude and enthusiasm for the field of marketing are contagious.”

Wignall is the Chair of several FGIA groups, including the Aluminum Strategic Plan Task Group and the AMC Marketing Committee. He is also Chair of the Onboarding Task Group, responsible for welcoming new participants at FGIA conferences and events.

Chairman’s Award – Winco Window Company

Winco Window Company was chosen for this honor due to its unwavering commitment to the organization throughout the years. This company recently helped with a project that benefited the future of the industry by supplying commercial aluminum windows for the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure Tallwood seismic shake test project in San Diego. This project was completed last year and provided valuable seismic testing data that will shape the future of fenestration and glazing products. Winco Window Company will mark 60 years of Association membership in March 2024.

“This company has taken the lead in numerous committees,” said Dan Parrish, FGIA Chairman of the Board of Directors. “Their employees contribute to the organization through leadership on multiple levels. They also are strong supporters of FGIA’s education initiatives, having numerous certified professionals under the FenestrationMaster and FenestrationAssociate programs.”

For more information about FGIA and its activities, visit FGIAonline.org.