Our Team
Steve Wann, President and CEO
A native of Alexandria, Virginia, Steve Wann entered the roofing industry in 1978 installing residential roofs. By 1980 he was managing Pioneer Roofing Systems, one of the first installers of the TPO and PVC roofs in the DC Metro area. In 1989 he bought Pioneer and by the early 1990s he had led the company to a position in the top 10 roofing companies operating in the DC Market. Pioneer earned an unmatched reputation for quality and responsiveness. In the 2000s, unlike the competition, Wann refused to be bought by a financial industry roll-up which would require operating in the best interests of the financers, not the clients. In the 2010s through today, Wann maintains self-performing crews, unlike virtually every other commercial roofer in the DC Metro.
Pioneer’s secret to our clients’ success is simple. We attract and keep the best people with above market wages and fully paid health insurance, as well as other benefits. Pioneer also promotes employees who demonstrate the ability to learn higher value skills. If you want your roof installed to the highest technical and safety standards by a company whose employees care about the quality of their work, choose Pioneer. You will be happy now and 20 years from now that you did. When the financial firms start selling off the weak performers with high employee turnover and the resulting low-quality work in the thousands of local roofing companies they purchased in the past 20 years, Pioneer will still be here through the next generation to service the roofs they install.
Robert Wann, COO
Robert (Bobby) Wann followed in his father’s footsteps and jumped into the business world as an entrepreneur in 2013 as a senior in college. Upon graduating from the USC Darla Moore School of Business with a bachelor’s degree in insurance and risk management, he launched Geekin Radio with another program graduate. They were awarded Patent US 14/209,793 issued March 13, 2014, for technology they developed for simultaneous radio listening software. For his work with Geekin, he was named a 2014 Thiel Fellowship 20 under 20 Summiteer. By 2015 Bobby was ready for a new challenge. He sold his stake in Geekin and began looking for a new business sector in a new country, Germany. While in Germany he met his business partner Renato and they conceived of a new way to deliver high end electronic products almost instantaneously upon ordering. The company they founded in Los Angeles 7 years ago is now Nok — Unified Reverse Logistics & Recommerce operating out of Dallas, TX. In 2022 Bobby added to his business ventures by joining the founding team of Stokt - Limited time, e-popup stores providing unreal deals privately to engaged communities. In 2024 Bobby has taken on positioning Pioneer to thrive in today’s crowded DC Metro commercial roofing market. Having worked for Pioneer in high school through college, he is familiar with all areas of the business. He worked in the field as a laborer, as an onsite safety manager, as an estimator/salesperson and project manager. Pioneer is unique in having an in-house person with a background in roofing, insurance and risk management, and entrepreneurship experience inside and outside of the construction industry.
Tony Wathen, Estimating and Operations Management
Tony joined Pioneer in 2007 following his time with Sika-Sarnafil as a quality inspector for commercial roofing projects. At Pioneer, Tony has added to his technical skills by developing his management and estimating talents. He is Pioneer’s key field motivator and is highly effective at ensuring all of Pioneer’s projects, large and small, get completed on time and to the highest standards. Tony is an expert who property managers, building owners, GCs and field roofers turn to for advice. He is fluent in all roofing systems. He is unique in today’s roofing world and an asset other roofing companies simply do not have.
Madeleine Wann Patterson, Finance and Business Development
Madeleine, who earned her Master of Accounting and a BS in Management from Tulane University in 4.5 years, joined Pioneer in 2024. As a former back-office Pioneer employee during her high school years and college summers, she brings deep knowledge of accounting, business accounting software systems including SAGE CRE 300, business management software, operations management and Pioneer’s history.
Currently Madeleine is leading Pioneer’s effort to modernize its sales and marketing efforts.
Joan Wann, Vice President and CFO
Joan Wann, Vice President and CFO of Pioneer Roofing Systems, joined the company in 1995. She is a results-oriented and metrics-driven professional with extensive experience in marketing, business development, department management, payroll, bookkeeping, and construction progress AIA billing. Known for her strong problem-solving skills and ability to work well under pressure, Joan is also adept in small business strategy, banking relationships, operations, software selection and implementation, pay structures, and capital expenditures.
Roxanne Ringwood, Customer Service and Sales
Roxanne joined Pioneer in 2018 in a key position as the first point of contact at Pioneer. Roxanne schedules Pioneer’s service work orders and service crews and provides clients with documentation for every service site visit. She is an expert in Sage CRE 300 Service Operations software and utilizing Office 365 and Adobe Acrobat for communication. She also handles service billings and new customer outreach. Roxanne’s outgoing and kind personality has made her a favorite of clients and employees alike.
Christopher Wright, Field Foreman
Christoper joined Pioneer in 2014 as a contract field laborer and has moved up through the company to the position of Field Foreman. Chris has worked on all types of roofs. Chris’s customers praise his thorough work and his communication skills. Clients such as Turner Construction and the FBI and Chris’s fellow Pioneer employees value his opinion and his honesty. With Chris on your roof, you know the job will be done right and you will get answers to all of your questions and concerns. We look forward to Chris’s continued growth at Pioneer.
Erik Medrano, Service Foreman
Erik, a beloved husband and father of two, joined Pioneer in 2014 as a contract field laborer. He is now a highly talented service roofing specialist respected for his ability to locate tough to find leaks and fix them right the first time every time. Erik is a constant learner. He is always working to improve his skills. With future company growth, Erik has a promising future at Pioneer.