Continue Your Commercial Roofing Education with BURSI
The Better Understanding of Roofing Systems Institute (BURSI) was launched in 1972 to educate the design community about commercial roofing. These education programs are certified by the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the International Institute of Building Enclosure Consultants (IIBEC).
Level One
Feb 16-17, 2026
Level Two
April 13-14, 2026
Level One provides an overview of various roofing components, system selection, demos, and a tour of our lab building. Level Two will include an overview of various codes, modification to a system, testing processes, resiliency and vertical design considerations, and various demonstrations.
If you are a design professional interested in attending, click the request button. Please note that submitting this form does not confirm a seat. You will receive communication from our team once your submission has been reviewed. If you have any additional questions, please reach out to bursi@jm.com.
JM Spec Services Team Education
Click the link below to see the one-hour accredited options the JM Specifier Service team provides.
Peak Advantage® Contractors
The Roofing Institute page provides learning options for Peak Advantage® Contractors.
Meet the Presenters
Classroom
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Classroom Presenter
Paige Pelton, CDT - Specifier Services RepresentativePaige Pelton brings over eight years of expertise in residential and commercial roofing project management and estimating. With a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Colorado State University. Paige currently holds a Construction Documents Technologist (CDT®) certificate from the Construction Specifications Institute. -
Classroom Presenter
Kaare Kurtzke, MBA - TPO Product ManagerKaare joined JM in 2024 as the TPO Product Manager in the Roofing System Division. Prior to JM, he had over 13 years of experience in various roles, from engineering design to product management, in the building construction space. Kaare received an Aerospace Engineering degree from UCF and an MBA from the University of Colorado, Denver. -
Classroom Presenter
Kevin Roepe - EPDM Product ManagerKevin joined JM in 2024 as the EPDM Product Manager within the Roofing System Division. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Business from Colorado State University and brings a decade of diverse manufacturing and operations experience across various industries to his role. -
Classroom Presenter
Richard Gustin - Owner Services Technical ManagerRick Gustin started his career with a roofing contractor before coming to JM in 1998, where he served as a field technical representative. He then held various roles, including technical services specialist, Six Sigma Black Belt and application engineer, before assuming responsibility as manager of Guarantee Services. In 2013 he became the EPDM product manager focusing on developing JM’s offering. Today, Rick is the Owner Services technical manager responsible for large claims and technical marketing support. Rick holds a degree in mechanical engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. -
Classroom Presenter
Rob Hughes, CDT - Owner Services Technical RepresentativeRob joined JM in 2019 after 25 years in the general contracting and commercial roofing industries. Rob’s commercial roofing career included managing estimating, roof evaluation, contract administration and project management teams. As part of the JM Owner Services team, he engages directly with building owners and property managers related to JM guaranteed roof systems. Rob holds a Construction Documents Technologist (CDT®) certificate from the Construction Specifications Institute and 10-hour and 30-hour safety certifications from OSHA and is pursuing his Registered Roof Consultant (RRC) accreditation from IIBEC. -
classroom presenter
Francis (JR) Babineau, P.E. - Research Manager – Building Sciences, Corporate R&DJR has led R&D programs in the development, testing and commercialization of building materials and their applications, as well as provided education and consulting on building science, with an emphasis on heat, air, moisture, acoustics, rooftop solar and energy efficiency for the past 25 years. He represents JM in industry organizations and government research projects, as well as standards development through ASHRAE and ASTM. He holds degrees in physics and engineering management from the University of Colorado and is a licensed professional engineer. -
Classroom presenter
Jeff Caldwell - Regional Service ManagerJeff joined JM in 2015 and held roles as both field and inside technical representative before moving into his current position as Pacific regional service manager. He now manages a team responsible for the full breadth of service support. Prior to joining JM Jeff held commercial roofing estimating and project management roles at the contractor level and served as an owner's rep/asset manager for a property management company. Jeff holds a bachelor of science degree from Texas A&M. -
Classroom Presenter
Jacob Heaps, MBA - Bituminous Product ManagerJacob joined JM in 2016 as a product engineer for bituminous products. He currently manages JM’s Bituminous, Perlite and Cements & Coatings product lines. Prior to JM, Jacob worked in product development in the biotech and nanotechnology industries. He holds a Bachelor’s in Chemistry from Lake Forest College and an MBA in Innovation Management from the University of Colorado – Colorado Springs. -
Classroom Presenter
Jeff Job - Product ManangerJeff joined JM in 2014 as part of the Building Insulation group. He currently manages the Polyiso insulation and cover boards product line. Jeff has over fifteen years of experience consulting with AEC professionals in various capacities including project management, scope/specification analysis, and product development. Jeff holds master’s degrees in Business Administration and Urban Planning from the University of Colorado. -
Classroom Presenter
Brandon Mark, CDT - PVC Product ManagerBrandon joined JM in 2018 and held roles in both Specifier Services and Account Management before moving into his current position of Product Management, with a focus on JM’s PVC Single Ply product line. Prior to JM Brandon was a Façade Access consultant for the design community and has accumulated 14 years of commercial experience. Brandon holds a Bachelor of Architecture degree and a Construction Documents Technologist (CDT®) certificate from the Construction Specifications Institute. -
Classroom Presenter
Tim McQuillen - Codes ManagerTim has been in the building products industry for over 30 years. As the Codes Manager he coordinates and executes product testing programs to obtain and document building code compliance. Tim managed a department responsible for third party product testing including ASTM test standards, FM Approvals, UL, Energy Star and CRRC Certification. Prior to joining JM in 2018, Tim was the Technical Director for ARMA (Asphalt Roofing Manufacturer’s Association) and RCMA (Roof Coating Manufacturer’s Association). Tim earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Toledo in Business Administration. -
Classroom Presenter
Matt Sayer - Single Ply Portfolio ManagerAfter earning a bachelor of science in engineering from the Colorado School of Mines, Matt Sayer entered the commercial construction industry as a project manager for a general contractor. Using his industry experience and engineering education, he joined JM as a district technical representative, followed by Guarantee Services manager with responsibility for various technical aspects of the roofing systems division and guarantee approvals. In 2017 he moved into product management for the polyiso and boards product lines. -
Classroom Presenter
Debbie Walczyk - Owner Services ManagerDebbie joined JM in 2011 as a Technical Specialist and in 2023 moved into the role of Owner Services Manager. Debbie earned a Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering with a Structural emphasis from Iowa State University and earned her EIT in 2008. She has over 15 years of experience in the construction industry, including project management, field work, and engineering design prior to joining JM. -
Classroom Presenter
Joanna Mark - Specifier Services RepresentativeJoanna joined Johns Manville in early 2024 and is the newest member of the Specifier Services Team, focusing on the Midwest and Southwest territories. As a Specifier Services Representative, she provides project technical assistance to the design community through specification writing and review and partners with internal teams to expand JM's project portfolio. Joanna received a bachelor's degree in Architecture from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Before joining JM, she was a Senior Property Manager in the multi-family housing industry. -
Classroom Presenter
Colin Condon, CDT - Specifier Services RepresentativeColin Condon has a 20-year background in construction and building materials. Over 10 of those years in the roofing industry, with roles in project management, sales, and technical training. Colin holds a degree in Architecture / Urban Planning from the University of Colorado and a Construction Documents Technologist (CDT®) certificate from the Construction Specifications Institute.
Demonstrations/Lab Tours
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Demo Instructor
Jamie Fredricks - Technical SpecialistJamie joined JM in 2012 and is currently the regional technical specialist for the Northeast and Canadian territories. He is versed in both single ply and asphalt systems, including their application process and performance. Jamie holds a bachelor’s degree in business management with an IT specialization from Colorado State University and has over 20 years of roofing experience, including in EPDM and metal installation, technical support and sales. -
Classroom/Demo Instructor
Rick Martelon - Codes and Compliance EngineerRick joined JM in 2014 and is currently the Codes & Compliance Engineer. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Construction Management from Colorado State University. Rick started his 17-year career in the roofing industry as a roofing contractor where he spent time building his knowledge of different types of commercial flat roofing systems, including BUR, SBS and APP Modified, and single ply systems. -
Lab Engineer
Malay Nandi - Research AssociateMalay joined JM in 2005 in corporate R & D and is currently Research Associate. He holds Ph.D. degree in Chemistry (India). During his carrier at JM, Malay has various product development roles including engineer products and roofing divisions. Author of number of research publications including patents. -
Demo Instructor
Jim Nunns - Senior Technical SpecialistJim received his Business Management Degree from the University of Toledo. Jim started working in sales for the lumber industry before moving out to Colorado and joining JM in 1997. He began his career with JM on our Customer Service Team and moved to the technical team in 2005. -
Demo Instructor
Andrew Wailes - Product EngineerAndrew joined Johns Manville in 2022 as a Product Engineer in the Roofing Systems Division. Prior to JM, he was a technical sales engineer in the oil and gas industry. He is responsible for adhesives and accessories for commercial roofing systems. Andrew received his Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Colorado State University in Fort Collins, Colorado.
Online Educational Videos
BURSI Feedback
“Great company, great people.”
“It was fantastic to meet everyone and connect at BURSI. The conversations during dinner were top-notch, and the passion from the Johns Manville team was overflowing”
“The presentations were thorough, comprehensive and very informative”
“The live demo was great to see what it takes to provide a high-quality roof - regardless of product or method.”
“Very good to see from a specifier/inspection side who has not installed roofs personally. gave good information on things to look for to know better that the system has been installed correctly.”
“The information provided was the most I’ve gotten from any seminar I’ve ever attended, and I would recommend all companies to take this course.”
“The hospitality and industry-leading information offered by the JM Team was incredible.”