The Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA) recognized the contributions and achievements of its members and congratulated winners at the Annual Awards Ceremony at the end of the second day of the 2024 FGIA Annual Conference. 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.
Photo courtesy Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance (FGIA)
The Outstanding Service Award was presented to Steve Fronek, vice president preconstruction at Apogee Enterprises Inc., based in Minneapolis, by Robert Jutras, principal engineer, building envelope performance at UL LLC, based in Northbrook, Ill.
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, [Fronek] is known for his technical expertise and willingness to share his knowledge,” says 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 FGIA’s test method for thermal cycling of exterior wall review task group. He is also APC cochair of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) test methods for hardware task group.
The Architectural Distinguished Service Award was presented to Lothar Erkens, technical sales and engineering at Winco Window Co., 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).
“[Erkens] is a brilliant engineer and inventor,” says 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.
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, based in Lake Forest, Ill.
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 AMC’s marketing committee. He is also chair of the onboarding task group, responsible for welcoming new participants at FGIA conferences and events.
