Letitia Hanke, CEO of Alternative Roofing Solutions, Inc. (ARS) in California, is celebrating 25 years in the roofing industry in March 2021 and joined National Women in Roofing (NWiR) in December.
Hanke said, “I speak the language of female empowerment quite a bit because I can show women how to do and be anything they want to be. I am glad that I joined NWiR because being around other women is so empowering.”
Growing up in a small town, Hanke faced discrimination over her race. She turned to music to help bring her joy and encouragement. She attended college to focus on music and recording arts, and took up a job as a receptionist at a roofing company. After a year and a half, she was promoted to office manager, then to management, then to field supervisor. The founder of the organization announced his retirement and asked Letitia to take over. Hanke got her contractor’s license in 2004 and started her own company, quickly expanding to include gutters, solar, painting, and waterproofing.
Hanke stated, “There’s not a lot of women of color in the industry. I feel proud in many ways to endure this man’s world and to inspire other women.” One achievement was winning a multimillion roofing project over a Zoom call in 2020. After years of pursuing the business, she met with the board and was happy to hear that they intended to choose a Black, woman-owned business for the project.
ARS contributes up to 5% of its net profit to Hanke’s The LIME Foundation, which is a non-profit that provides music education for youth, vocational training and recruitment, and senior assistance. After appearing on Mike Rowe’s “Returning the Favor” show and a feature on the Kelly Clarkson Show, Hanke continues to ramp up her charity projects and nonprofits from grants received. Students aged 16-24 learn vocational trades through the LIME Foundation’s NextGen Trades Academy and graduate with the earning potential of $17-25 per hour.
About National Women in Roofing
National Women in Roofing is a volunteer organization dedicated to supporting and advancing women roofing professionals. NWiR provides opportunities for mentoring, learning, and networking for professionals at all stages of their careers. They share the vision of elevating the roofing industry to a new level of professionalism and diversity by supporting female professionals.
The LIME Foundation: https://www.thelimefoundation.org/