‘That Program Saved My Life’

Brian Hill had some construction experience when he moved from his native Chicago to Atlanta in 2017. As a teenager he had worked for his godbrother’s remodeling business, with experience in roofing, concrete and electrical. But he certainly didn’t envision himself making a career in the industry – at least not until he enrolled and graduated from Construction Ready’s Pre-Apprenticeship program at Westside Works.

Before that, however, Brian almost took the wrong road, one that had a dead end rather than the rewarding path he’s on now as a Field Superintendent for Roof Depot. He had arrived in Atlanta with only $150 in his pocket, and he soon fell into some old habits, attempting to make a quick buck outside the law. Then one of Brian’s acquaintances told him about Construction Ready.

“Somebody on the street pointed me in the right direction, said, ‘Hey, I see you can do better. You don’t want this,’” Brian recalls. “He said, ‘Every certification is free. They’re gonna help you.’ And that’s what happened. The rest is history. That program saved my life.”

Brian enrolled in Construction Ready training while living at Georgia Works, a shelter focused on job training and rehabilitation. He was quickly impressed by Construction Ready’s training and support team: “These folks are doing it from their hearts,” he says.

Brian was especially encouraged by Mark Hornbuckle, co-founder of HB NEXT, Construction Ready’s training partner. He remembers Hornbuckle telling the class, “‘I’ve been where you’re at and you can get to where I’m at. Stop beating up on yourself. You don’t think you can do it, but you will be surprised what powers you have.’”

Brian initially wasn’t on board with a roofing career. He was afraid of heights, and he had his heart set on becoming an electrician. He ranked IEC (Independent Electrical Contractors) as his first choice at the Construction Ready Hiring Fair. But on the employer side, Mid-South Roof Systems was keen on hiring him. Construction Ready Site Manager Anthony Welch challenged Brian to step outside his comfort zone and embrace that opportunity.

“He said, ‘I think you’ll be good,’” Brian remembers. “I said, ‘You know what? Let me go ahead and challenge myself. I got out there, and I kept challenging myself, kept trying to push myself.”

The decision paid off, as Brian spent two years learning the ins and outs of the business with Mid-South. He then moved on to a Field Technician role with Ideal Building Solutions. Since 2023 he’s been with Roof Depot, where he spends much of his time on quality control, reports, and meeting with vendors and clients.

While his work these days is more big-picture, Brian also enjoys tutoring less-experienced roofers. “I’m a hands-on superintendent,” he says. “I’ll train a sub on how to properly do something all day, every day. I feel good. I feel like I’m giving back.”

Over the years, Brian overcame his fear of heights; now, he says, working on a rooftop is a form of escape for him:

“When I’m on that roof, the system we live in no longer exists. It’s just me. I might be welding a patch or laying down a whole roof. I found myself beginning to do deep soul-searching [while working]. Roofing is my therapy, because when I feel like the world crashing in on me, I’m quick to get up and go to work and get on that roof.”

Seven years ago, Brian was at a crossroads. Today he has a clear picture of where he’s been and where he wants to go.

“It was like, alright, I’ve been in these streets. I’ve been doing all this kid stuff. I’m tired of trying to do things this way,” Brian remembers thinking. “Let me go over here and put my all into doing it [the right] way. I knew where the tunnel ends. I was tired of being a survivor; I wanted to live.

“I have a 19 year old son who looks up to me,” he continues, “and he knows my lifestyle before this. It brings me joy every time I talk to my son, watching him smile and seeing daddy not going in and out of jail. I can pay bills and not be sitting around worried about things. It’s like I’m rewriting my family history.”

Looking ahead, Brian aims to return eventually to Riverdale, the Chicago suburb where he grew up, and continue building a better world for himself and the people around him.

“My dream is to go back to Chicago and run my own Roof Depot branch,” he says. “I want to work for myself and build generational wealth for my family and people from the neighborhood I came from.”