We envision a future in which glass is the material of choice to enhance spaces where people live, play, learn, work and heal.
From the CEO
Dear NGA members,
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Lakisha A. Woods, CAE, President and CEO, NGA
I joined the NGA in July and leading this association has been a joy. I am new to glass, but certainly no stranger to the construction and manufacturing fields. My entire career has been rooted in the built environment, working with architects, sub-contractors, general contractors and homebuilders, all through the framework of association leadership.
My career in construction-industry associations kicked off at the National Ready Mixed Concrete Association. I moved to the Associated General Contractors of America and then to the National Association of Home Builders. I left NAHB to serve as President & CEO of the National Institute of Building Sciences, before becoming CEO of the American Institute of Architects.
I prefer to lead through listening, so that is where I focus. My introductory period to learn about this association and industry was like drinking from the fire hose. I conducted listening sessions with every member of the board, committee member and all NGA staff. I have toured several manufacturing facilities and a float glass plant. GlassBuild America was an invigorating three days to meet industry members and companies under one roof, see equipment in action and have conversations with the people who make this industry great.
I’m energized by the unity of the people that I’ve spoken with. Even though they represent the whole supply chain, and oftentimes compete, they lead with a passion that everybody shares for this industry. From my conversations with our board and other leaders, once you join the glass industry, you never leave. That speaks volumes about the strength of this community. I’m excited to encourage others to find their places here as well.
Each association I’ve led or members I’ve worked with has taught me something new and revealed connections back to my past work. I’m excited to hear how important architects and specifiers are to the glass industry and the members of this association. They’re key stakeholders, often connected through organizations like AIA and the Construction Specifications Institute. Bridging these relationships and building more collaborative networks is a priority for me.
It really helps that I speak a common language across the building industry. Whether it’s manufacturers or code officials, I understand the different perspectives and challenges. Everyone is ultimately focused on creating spaces that are safe, healthy and meet human and environmental needs. That shared goal makes collaboration a lot easier.
I have a strong network of fellow CEOs across the built environment who come together to make sure we’re all doing what we can to help our various stakeholders. This allows me to think strategically about being a better leader for my organization and a better advocate for the industry.
Let’s highlight a few standout activities and achievements from the NGA in the past year.
The NGA Advocacy and Technical team, together with the American Institute of Architects, Professor Juan Miro of University of Texas Austin and the Aluminum Extruders Council, helped push through two critical building codes at the ICC Committee Action Hearings promoting natural daylighting in schools, dormitories and apartments.
More than 9,600 attendees came to the largest GlassBuild America ever, which featured 598 exhibitors occupying more than 232,000 net square feet.
Glass Magazine celebrated its 75th anniversary.
NGA continues its workforce development initiatives, transitioned MyGlassClass.com into a member benefit increasing enrollments 1000% from 2023 to 2025 and continued adding courses for plant production personnel to our newest online training portal MyGlassFAB.
NGA has done a fantastic job, and I look forward to helping to build on NGA’s success and be a voice and hand to help move the association and industry forward.
I also want to hear from you. Please feel welcome to reach out to me to discuss your work, your challenges, and how this association can help. Because this association belongs to you.
Workforce Development: Powering the Talent Pipeline
New training, apprenticeship and recruitment activities address fabricator and installer labor issues.
Free Member Training Through MyGlassClass.com
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NGA continued to develop training in 2025, with MyGlassFAB courses for tempering furnace operators available in first quarter 2026.
Recognizing the need for accessible, high-quality training for installing companies, the NGA made MyGlassClass.com courses free to all NGA members in good standing in 2025. MyGlassClass.com provides a variety of online courses for contract glaziers and full-service glass companies to complement and shorten hands-on training. “Looking ahead, we will add even more value to this member benefit by upgrading existing courses, building out the Spanish course catalog, and adding new courses in response to industry product and installation advancements,” says Jenni Chase, vice president of workforce development for NGA.
For glass fabricators, NGA continued to invest in MyGlassFAB, a new suite of training courses designed to onboard and upskill production personnel. In addition to existing courses on safety, glass handling and quality control, NGA developed training for tempering furnace operators in 2025, working closely with industry experts on the NGA Fabricating Committee to produce courses on how to prepare glass and equipment for heat-treatment, how to operate a heat-treating furnace, how to inspect heat-treated glass and how to maintain tempering furnaces. All courses will be available for a fee to the industry in early 2026.
100+ New Apprentices Join Registered Programs
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From left to right, NGA Director of Apprenticeship Amy Hadfield, Nate Allen of the Utah Glass Association, NGA 2025 Chairman of the Board Rick Locke, and Maren Fischer, chapter administrator, at the 2025 Utah Glass Association Annual Apprentice Appreciation BBQ.
More than 100 new apprentices joined Registered Apprenticeship Programs (RAPs) using the NGA Glazier Apprentice Curriculum in 2025, thanks in part to a generous donation to the NGA Foundation from FHC to pay for the curriculum costs of new installers entering the industry. As of December 2025, 33 RAPs in 27 states were up and running. “The glazier apprenticeship program has opened an avenue for us to not only recruit and attract the best and the brightest, but a lot of young people coming into the industry and a lot of diversity coming into the industry,” says Dan Martinez, president of AllStar Glass, Spokane, Wash. “It has been a breath of fresh air for me to see the enthusiasm that apprenticeship brings, after being in the industry for more than 30 years.”
To help installing companies set up a Registered Apprenticeship Program, NGA expanded its support services, to include the addition of Amy Hadfield as Director of Apprenticeship. Under Hadfield’s direction, NGA offers assistance in creating and growing programs, in addition to apprenticeship administrator training, apprentice enrollment via MyGlassClass.com, and documentation support for state and federal government.
NGA also revamped its Registered Glazier Apprenticeship website at to walk companies through the RAP creation process. And to recognize the achievements of apprentices, the association introduced custom digital badges that apprentices can add to email signatures, LinkedIn profiles, and resumes.
Bringing Glass Careers to High School Students
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NGA partnered with NGA member company Ajay Glass, Canandaigua, N.Y., at the ROC With Your Hands career exploration event in 2025 to educate high school students about the glass and glazing trade.
To meet NGA’s strategic goal of advancing the industry as a viable, thriving and exciting career path, the association continued to engage in efforts to raise awareness of the glass and glazing industry among high school students in 2025. Last October, NGA participated in ROC with Your Hands, a hands-on career exploration event sponsored by the Rochester Technology and Manufacturing Association. At the event, NGA partnered with NGA member company Ajay Glass, Canandaigua, N.Y., to provide 1,500 students the opportunity to do hands-on activities and learn about the glazing trade.
Advocacy and Technical Services: Defending Glass, Advancing the Industry
The Advocacy & Technical Services team works with domestic and international standards and codes bodies, provides education on the benefits of glazing and glass building products, and represents the glass industry’s best interests on key issues.
School Security Becomes NGA's Top Priority
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Gathering at NGA Glass Conference: Carlsbad.
When the NGA School Security Task Group held a workshop in February at the NGA Glass Conference: Carlsbad, the conversation was both urgent and technical. School security had become NGA’s top advocacy priority for 2025, and the path forward required clarity, standards and unified action.
The workshop tackled critical issues head-on: the confusion around terms like “bulletproof” versus the more accurate “bullet-resistant,” the role of surface-applied films in security systems, and the challenges posed by the absence of clear codes and regulations. Testing methods like ASTM F3561 for forced-entry resistance became focal points for discussion, emphasizing the need for industry-wide understanding and coordinated efforts in upcoming building code proposals.
As the year progressed, NGA extended beyond technical standards into the legislative arena. NGA engaged directly with the Utah Glass Association on the state’s school security bill, submitting public comments to clarify language in H.B. 40 School Safety Amendments. The goal was precise: ensure that “ground-level exterior windows surrounding only the immediate entryways and only interior windows of classroom entrance or instructional area [be] protected by security glazing or ballistic windows.” School security glazing will continue to be a focus of NGA’s advocacy efforts at the federal level in 2026, with further refining of its message for federal-level advocacy to match the priorities of the current administration.
Looking ahead, NGA plans to continue to work with the International Window Film Association to clarify misconceptions about window films in school security, and to emphasize that ASTM F3561 is an assembly test rather than a component test.
Major Code Victory: Natural Daylighting Required in Schools
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Tom Culp's update on school security and daylighting codes.
While security dominated headlines, another victory was quietly reshaping educational spaces. In October, the NGA Advocacy and Technical Team—partnering with the American Institute of Architects, Professor Juan Miro of University of Texas Austin and the Aluminum Extruders Council—achieved a major success at the ICC Committee Action Hearings.
Two critical building code proposals promoting natural daylighting in schools, dormitories and apartments won committee approval. The first proposal, led by Miro, ensures minimum natural lighting (windows) in addition to standard electrical lighting for Group R occupancies. The second, jointly advanced by the Glazing Industry Code Committee, NGA and AEC, requires natural lighting in classrooms for Group E occupancies.
These victories address a troubling trend: the rise of windowless dormitories and classrooms. The approved proposals would help ensure healthier, more inspiring environments for students and residents—spaces where natural light could reach, where connection to the outside world wasn’t sacrificed for construction efficiency or misguided energy concerns.
As cities across North America continue to address bird collision issues, NGA maintained its role as a resource for jurisdictions seeking effective, practical solutions. Throughout 2025, the association updated information on bird-friendly glazing ordinances in York County, South Carolina; Middleton, Wisconsin; Boise, Idaho; and Berkeley, California, adding to its comprehensive database that tracks both mandatory and voluntary bird-friendly policies.
The challenge with bird-friendly requirements has always been consistency. Specific requirements can vary widely between jurisdictions—what portion of a building must be bird-friendly, how bird-friendly glazing is defined within each policy and what visual markers are acceptable. NGA’s solution advocates for jurisdictions to reference its Best Practices for Bird-Friendly Glazing Design Guide (DG01-21), which provides a common framework grounded in industry consensus and practical implementation. Members can download NGA Member-Only Legislation Tracking Resources to stay updated.
The association took this work a step further by submitting a proposal to add bird-friendly glazing recommendations to the 2026 edition of ASHRAE 189.1 Standard for the Design of Higher Performance Green Buildings Except Low-Rise Residential Buildings, which forms the technical requirements for the International Green Construction Code. The proposal recommends adding visual markers to deter bird collisions with glazed areas where strikes may occur—guidance based directly on the industry-consensus principles in NGA’s Design Guide DG01-21 Best Practices for Bird-Friendly Glazing.
Sustainability: Shaping North American Embodied Carbon Policy
Visit NGA's enhanced World of Glass Map—an interactive visualization of global float glass manufacturing locations, North American fabrication facilities and now glass recycling facilities in the U.S.
The conversation around embodied carbon reached across borders in July when NGA supplied detailed recommendations to the Canadian Board for Harmonized Construction Codes. Canada was developing its draft policy for addressing embodied greenhouse gas emissions in new construction for the 2030 National Model Codes, and NGA’s technical expertise proved essential to the discussion.
NGA supported the proposed tiered approach that prioritized structural elements first and building envelopes second—a sensible framework that acknowledged where the biggest carbon impacts lie. But the association emphasized something crucial: the importance of considering both embodied and operational carbon impacts together. High-performance glazing might have higher initial embodied carbon compared to single-pane glazing, but its long-term operational carbon benefits over a building’s lifetime tell a very different story.
The association also recommended focusing requirements on primary flat glass rather than processed or fabricated glass products. The reasoning was straightforward: 75% to 85% of environmental impact comes from primary flat glass, and environmental product declarations, or EPDs, are readily available for this category. Complex fabricated products, by contrast, lack widely available EPDs. This approach aligned with practices already established in U.S. federal and state programs.
NGA endorsed the “cradle to gate” lifecycle approach while encouraging optional credits for recyclability data and full circularity considerations—particularly relevant for metal framing systems in curtain walls, window walls and storefronts. The full comments are available online as a PDF.
Closer to home, NGA’s Sustainability Legislation Database (XLSX) (formerly the Buy Clean Legislation Database) received an update in August to reflect Boston’s new net zero carbon zoning policy. The member-only resource continued tracking the evolving landscape of sustainability requirements across North America.
In June, NGA enhanced its World of Glass Map—an interactive visualization of global float glass manufacturing locations and North American fabrication facilities—to include glass recycling facilities in the U.S. The map provided a comprehensive view of the industry's infrastructure and growing circularity capabilities.
But sustainability work in 2025 wasn’t without uncertainty. NGA had been selected for a $2.1 million EPA grant to fund transparency tools and resources helping member companies comply with sustainability initiatives. Then in January, word came that all EPA grants were under review by executive order, pausing disbursement of funds appropriated through the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act pending policy review. The executive order didn’t rescind the funding—that would require an act of Congress—but it created significant delay. As the year progressed, NGA received no official communication from EPA about the grant’s status, leaving important member resources in limbo.
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Amid the policy work and legislative advocacy, NGA Technical Services Sustainability Manager Georgia Oehler was also investing in the future. She worked throughout the year with a senior design team from Purdue University School of Sustainability Engineering and Environmental Engineering studying architectural glass recycling. Their final design was a system to improve the efficiency of architectural glass recycling during commercial demolition.
In summer, Oehler returned to her alma mater to watch the team present their final design at a poster presentation and awards ceremony—a moment that connected academic innovation with industry need.
NGA’s active task groups spent 2025 developing and refining technical resources that would guide industry practice for years to come. Eight new and updated documents emerged from these efforts:
FB19-25 Guidelines for Handling and Cleaning Decorative Glass
FB23-25 Approximate Weight of Architectural Flat and Laminated Glass
FB27-25 Considerations for the Appearance of IGU Edge at the Time of Fabrication
FB39-25 Glass Properties Pertaining to Photovoltaic Applications
FB40-25 Recyclability of Architectural Glass Products
FB48-25 Effects of Moisture, Solvents and Other Substances on Laminated Glazing Edges
FB77-24 Determining an Acceptable Color Variance for Decorative Glass
FB78-25 Glass Nomenclature - Schema 1
Additionally, NGA translated its resources on proper cleaning and maintenance of architectural glass into Spanish, creating condensed postcard versions in both English and Spanish available. These resources are available for free download at glass.org/store.
Urmilla Sowell, NGA’s vice president of Advocacy & Technical Services, gave several presentations this year and participated in critical industry work:
“North American Market Drivers and Trends” at Vitrum Glass Talks in Seattle and at Glass Performance Days 2025 in Tampere, Finland.
Codes, standards, legislation and regulation updates at BEC Conference in Las Vegas, along with NGA energy code consultant Tom Culp.
International Standards Organization Technical Committee 160 Glass in Buildings plenary and working group meetings in London.
NGA served as a key partner in 2025 supporting the Charles Pankow Foundation research project on thermal performance of spandrel assemblies. This project uses detailed thermal testing at Oak Ridge National Laboratory—combined with 2D and 3D modeling from Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, RDH, SGH and Stantec—to improve thermal characterization of various spandrel assemblies.
In April, NGA’s Tom Culp and GCC’s Randy Reynolds visited Oak Ridge to view the second test specimen—a stick-built curtain wall. Urmilla Sowell previously visited to see the first test specimen, a unitized curtain wall. The hands-on engagement reflects NGA’s commitment to advancing building science through rigorous research.
A number of NGA members contributed to the project: YKK AP, Permasteelisa, Tristar Glass, Glass Coatings & Concepts, Binswanger Glass, LuxWall, and Mapes Architectural Panels. Their participation demonstrated how industry collaboration could advance understanding of complex technical performance questions that affected energy efficiency, occupant comfort and building envelope design.
NGA also partnered with TrueNorth Collective to develop a transparency strategy for the glass and glazing industry supporting ongoing sustainability efforts. The association surveyed its membership to inform Product Category Rule (PCR) guidance development and design of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) solutions serving common membership needs, including low-cost, high-quality Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) generation capability and other applications of verified life cycle data.
Events: Where the Industry Gathers
While GlassBuild broke records in Orlando, NGA hosted six total events specific to industry segments in 2025 and announced a new event for fabricators in 2026.
2025 events at-a-glance
GlassBuild 2025: The Biggest Show Yet
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The 2025 GlassBuild show floor.
Topping last year’s record-breaking stats, the 2025 edition of GlassBuild America: The Glass, Window & Door Expo, held for the first time in Orlando, Florida, welcomed 598 exhibiting companies occupying over 232,000 net square feet, and over 9,600 participants. GlassBuild 2025 hosted 128 new exhibiting companies, and drew participants from all 50 states, plus the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, as well as Canada, Mexico and 70 other countries.
“What a show! I am proud to say, we exceeded our goals with a larger trade show floor and higher attendance than last year,” says Lakisha A. Woods, CAE, NGA president and CEO. “In my career, I have attended many trade shows, but during my first GlassBuild, I was blown away by the innovations, solutions and insights on display. I was honored to share this event with new audiences—particularly architects and students; it’s the perfect way to introduce new customers and the future workforce to what makes this industry special.”
New in 2025. For the first time, NGA hosted the GlassBuild Skills Challenge, a hands-on space for people in the trades to show off their skills. The challenges included the Shower Design Challenge and the Are You AGMT Ready? Challenge, plus the InstallationMasters Challenge and IG Fabrication Challenge, presented by the Fenestration and Glazing Industry Alliance. Jenni Chase, vice president of workforce development at NGA described these spaces as “a chance to have fun with peers and create camaraderie with other people who do this work every day and know how much detail it requires.”
Held During GlassBuild
185 Leaders Tackle Supply Chain and Legal Challenges at the Glazing Executives Forum
The 19th edition of the Glazing Executives Forum was also held during GlassBuild, drawing more than 185 attendees for a discussion of supply chain challenges, legal advice on contract clauses and immigration law, and opportunities for cracking the Division 10 market. Connor Lokar of ITR Economics presented his annual economic forecast for Glazing Executives Forum participants.
Architects and Glass Professionals Gather at Blueprint for Collaboration
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Blueprint for Collaboration at GlassBuild
The fourth annual Blueprint for Collaboration educational event, curated for the architecture community, took place on the Main Stage. The full suite of events, offering AIA learning credit to participants, kicked off with a special Glass Magazine Awards breakfast and presentation, highlighting the superlative work of industry collaborations with architect partners.
Lokar also gave his economic forecast on the Main Stage during the Blueprint for Collaboration programming, revealing a clearer economic outlook of the next business cycle through mid-2025 and into 2026—one shaped by rising industrial production, stabilizing construction backlogs, and strategic opportunities amid inflationary pressures.
The full roster also included a presentation on mitigating supply chain impacts, offered by the Fenestration & Glazing Industry Alliance; an update on the codes and regulations that are impacting the glazing industry by Tom Culp, energy codes consultant and owner of Birch Point Consulting, and NGA’s Urmilla Sowell, vice president of advocacy and technical services; as well as a panel discussion about high-performance facades moderated by Façade Tectonics Institute President Helen Sanders, general manager of Technoform.
Main Stage Programming Offers Insights on Family Business, Women Executives
The inaugural Family Business Breakfast brought family businesses together for networking and a special education session about exit planning and succession in family-run companies from experts at Beacon Exit Planning.
The series concluded with the annual Women in Glass + Fenestration event, which this year welcomed Sheronda L. Carr, CEO, NAWIC, and NGA’s new President and CEO Lakisha A. Woods, CAE, to the Main Stage, in discussion with GlassBuild ambassador Stefanie Couch, founder, Grit Blueprint. Their conversation addressed the executives’ own journeys in the industry, why women’s participation is critical for a healthy workforce, and how important advocating for yourself is in moving forward. "We need women in order for the construction and the glass industries to have long-term sustainability," said Carr.
More from #GlassBuild
The next GlassBuild America takes place September 23-25, 2026, at Las Vegas Convention Center in Las Vegas, Nevada.
800 Glaziers Gather for Building Envelope Contractors (BEC) Conference in Las Vegas
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BEC Conference 2025
The future of the glazing industry and current industry trends took center stage at BEC Conference 2025, which welcomed nearly 800 attendees to Las Vegas, March 2-4. The event included critical educational sessions for contract glazing industry leaders, as well as a table-top session and plenty of networking opportunities. Information sessions zoomed out to provide insights on broad economic trends, while also zooming in to center industry-specific analysis about contract glazing businesses and workforce development. Key topics included labor, adapting to the economic slowdown, lean construction, the codes and regulatory landscape and more.
The challenges of labor and hiring took center stage during a discussion about the “second chance workforce,” referring to the employment of previously incarcerated individuals. Jenni Chase, NGA’s vice president of workforce development, sat down with Marcus Singleton and Courtney Little of glazing firm ACE Glass to discuss the company’s policy of second chance hiring, ways to tap into this labor pool, and the benefits of their policy.
NGA Glass Conferences Address Tariffs and Advocacy Opportunities
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NGA presented its highest honor, the C.G. Carney Award, to longtime industry leader John Kent, president of Administrative Management Systems Inc., during the NGA Glass Conference: Ann Arbor. Kent turned the recognition back to the industry. “I’m a huge fan of trade associations and of the work that this group has been doing in the 30-plus years that I’ve been coming to these events.
NGA Glass Conferences provide a forum for glass industry technical leaders to share insights on the current regulatory environment, cutting-edge industry innovations, advocacy opportunities and more. Welcoming over 100 participants for each conference, programming included educational sessions and panels, networking among peers, as well as meetings of NGA’s Advocacy, Fabricating and Forming Committees.
Conferences were held in Carlsbad, California, in February, and Ann Arbor, Michigan, in September. The regulatory landscape was central to the agenda at both, with a focus on evolving tariff policy as well as industry opportunities for advocacy.
At both conferences, representatives from K&L Gates, a legal firm that provides legislative and regulatory guidance to the NGA, discussed potential implications of the new presidential administration for the glass industry and the NGA’s ongoing advocacy efforts. Nathaniel Bolin, partner K&L Gates, spoke to the likely endurance of the new tariffs, and teased out the many complicating factors for glass industry companies, including country of origin, classification of merchandise and interactions with the USMCA. Laurie Purpuro, a government affairs counselor at K&L Gates, updated attendees about several NGA advocacy priorities, including incentives for high-performance glazing, funding for industry training, implementation of protective glazing in schools and workplaces, among others. NGA and K&L Gates will continue to monitor the political landscape towards the possibility of moving these initiatives forward in future Congresses.
New in 2026: NGA Glass Fabricator Conference
This year, NGA is adding a new conference to its event schedule: the NGA Glass Fabricator Conference, or GFAB. Taking place June 14-17 in Chicago, this inaugural conference will present three tracks of targeted content:
Executive Track: programming for company decision makers and leaders
NGA Glass Conference Track: draw together technical leaders for the meeting of the association’s Fabricating, Forming and Advocacy Committees
GFAB Workshop: Quality Control in Glass Tempering: Production floor leaders will convene for a day-long educational program at Chicago-based fabricator Skyline Design.
NGA Glass Conferences
Education: Informing the Industry
NGA keeps members and the industry at large apprised of the latest news, data and important topics through magazines, podcasts, webinars, resources and reports.
Two magazines for the glazing and fenestration industries
Glass Magazine—Average readership per issue: 56,210
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Published eight times per year, Glass Magazine is the glass and glazing authority, reaching architects, glaziers, fabricators and more.
Key reports: Top 50 Glaziers and Top Glass Fabricators offer insights into market growth, investment trends, product innovation and headwinds for each segment.
Glass Magazine Awards
Architect’s Guide
The World of Glass Map, a continuously updated resource, seeks to map the glass supply chain, featuring locations and information worldwide for float facilities, as well as North American locations and capabilities for glass fabricators and glass recyclers.
Window + Door—Average readership per issue: 47,019
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Published six times per year, Window + Door examines the entire supply chain of the fenestration industry, from source to sale.
Key reports: The Industry Pulse survey and report solicits input from stakeholders across the entire supply chain of the fenestration industry to gauge the industry’s strengths, challenges and opportunities, as well as dive into product trends, the labor market, automation and more.
The annual Top Manufacturers List and Report includes a comprehensive list of North American residential manufacturers, organized by national companies, regional companies and Canadian companies.
The Window + Door Awards
Window & Door Industry Survey, in partnership with John Burns Research and Consulting, provides quarterly forward-looking information about the state of the fenestration industry, sales, product mix, materials and more.
Glass Magazine Marks 75 Years of Industry Leadership
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In 2025, Glass Magazine celebrated its 75th anniversary. For over seven decades, Glass Magazine has been providing the industry with expertise and trust.
First published in 1950, and debuting as the Glass Dealer, the magazine was a slim pamphlet offering news of the industry and notices of new products. As times changed, markets expanded and challenges intensified, the magazine adapted, offering insights for and from the industry, becoming a sophisticated publication that showcased everything from market analysis and technical expertise to expansive features that spoke to the full breadth of the glass industry itself.
Glass Magazine has also faced challenges, of course, namely the 2008 recession. Averaging 124 pages per issue in the mid-2000s, the magazine saw its length and circulation greatly reduced by the financial crisis, as many publications did at the time.
But the magazine, like the industry, has survived and evolved, adapting to showcase industry expertise online, across social media and in our weekly newsletters. And print has remained strong—last year’s GlassBuild preview issue was the largest that Glass Magazine’s production editor has ever produced, numbering 187 pages.
Stay Informed with Four Targeted Newsletters
NGA’s four newsletters provide targeted information about what matters most:
Monthly Thirsty Thursday Webinars Tackle Business, Technical Topics & More
NGA's Thirsty Thursday webinars are a monthly series featuring insights on business, technical topics, training resources and residential trends. In 2025, topics ranged from code changes, how glass can create healthier environments, suicide prevention, the state of the industry, fenestration assemblies for school security and much more. View 80+ webinars on-demand.
Magazine Podcasts COVER THE LATEST TRENDS AND NEWS WITH INDUSTRY EXPERTS
Produced by NGA, Glass Cast and Window Cast are quick hitting, timely podcasts from our leading publications, Glass Magazine and Window + Door covering need-to-know industry topics. Interviewed by the NGA team, industry experts speak about topics like bird-friendly glazing, second chance hiring, lean construction and more. Episodes are available on NGA’s YouTube Channel and all podcast platforms. For the second year in a row, several episodes of these podcasts were recorded live at GlassBuild America. View 10+ new podcasts and episodes from previous seasons.
Live From GlassBuild
New Resources Connect Architects with Glass Industry
For the first time at GlassBuild America, the Glass Magazine Awards ceremony was held in conjunction with the Blueprint for Collaboration breakfast to foster collaboration between architects and the glass and fenestration industries. The awards ceremony this year included more information relevant to architects, including details around building design and construction.
NGA's resources for architects include on-demand AIA-accredited courses, the Glass & Glazing Design Academy, NGA's Glass Technical Papers, and All About Glass and Metal: A Guide for Architects & Specifiers. NGA is an AIA-approved provider of CE credits for architects.
First Compensation Benchmarking Studies
The NGA commissioned a third-party research firm to conduct Compensation & Benefits Benchmarking Studies for Fabricating companies and Contract Glazing companies. These first-of-its-kind reports arm decision makers with data they need to better recruit, hire and retain the best workforce. The studies examine salary and benefits data for the most relevant job positions in the industry.
Community: We Are NGA
Members and volunteers strengthen the association and give us a united voice.
215 Companies Joined NGA in 2025
NGA welcomed 215 new member companies in 2025. Review NGA Member Spotlights to meet members, learn about what they do and learn why they joined the NGA.
Why our members join NGA
NGA Recognizes 11 Affiliated Chapters
NGA has endorsed the following regional glass associations as affiliated chapters:
California Glass Association
Colorado Glazing Contractors Association
Connecticut Glass Dealers Association
Houston Area Glass Association (a division of TGA)
Massachusetts Glass Dealers Association
Mid-Atlantic Glass Association
Minnesota Glass Association
Texas Glass Association
TGA North Texas Division (a division of TGA)
Utah Glass Association
Washington Glass Association
Member Benefits
NGA’s Resource Hub connects you with the resources we have for our members and the industry!
50+ safety bulletins
120+ technical and advocacy downloads
100+ online training and glazier apprenticeship courses through MyGlassClass.com
Codes & Standards Q+A
AIA-certified presentations
Exclusive educational webinars
Downloadable Workforce Development toolkits
Downloadable resources from the American Subcontractors Association
UPS Express air and international shipment savings
Member Companies By the Numbers
Volunteers, Task Groups Drive NGA's Technical Work
National Glass Association thanks its dedicated volunteers for their tireless efforts and volunteer hours to advance the industry through NGA’s Committees and Task Groups.
Meet the 2025-26 Board of Directors
Tim Kelley, Chair, TriStar Glass Inc., Catoosa, Oklahoma
Rick Locke, Immediate Past-Chair, Montana Sash & Door, Bozeman, Montana
Jim Stathopoulos, Chair-elect, Ajay Glass Co., Canandaigua, New York
Courtney Little, Treasurer, Ace Glass, Little Rock, Arkansas
Joey Aragon, Aragon Construction Inc., Montclair, California
Jodi Martinez, AllStar Glass Inc., Spokane Valley, Washington
Syndi Sim, Q-railing, Tustin, California
Tara Brummet, Vitrum Industries, Langley Township, BC, Canada
Taylor Anderson, Anderson Aluminum Corp., Columbus, Ohio
Vipul Bhagat, Skyline Design, Chicago
Mark Seeton, Vitro Architectural Glass, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Dan Reinhart, Salem Fabrication Technologies Group Inc., Winson-Salem, North Carolina
Lakisha A. Woods, NGA President & CEO, ex officio member
Committees Meet to Advance Industry Standards
Throughout 2025, NGA’s volunteer committees maintained their rhythm of meetings, technical development and problem-solving. In March, the NGA Installing Committee gathered during the BEC Conference in Las Vegas to discuss progress on task groups addressing value engineering, Division 10 classification issues and glazier training. In September, the NGA Forming, Fabricating and Advocacy Committees met during the NGA Glass Conference: Ann Arbor to tackle open work items, new resource development and emerging industry trends. By November, the NGA Installing Committee reconvened in person at GlassBuild America in Orlando, focusing on classification of interior demountable wall systems under Master Spec Division 10, value engineering of high-performance glazing systems, decorative glazing installation challenges, and the differences between design build, design assist and delegated design approaches.
NGA staff and consultants continue collaboration with other industry associations and public officials to successfully work on new performance requirements for windows, doors and skylights. The work these committees accomplished touched everything from ASHRAE Standard 90.1—the most important code affecting commercial and high-rise residential buildings, referenced in federal law—to highly specific technical challenges facing fabricators and installers daily.
We couldn’t do this work without you
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Rob Carlson named 2025 Volunteer of the Year at the Volunteer Celebration Dinner in February during the NGA Glass Conference in Carlsbad. Serving as Insulating Glazing Technical Liaison of the NGA Fabricating Committee, Carlson has been extensively involved in NGA activities, dedicating countless hours to industry advancement.
Our mission is to defend and protect as we champion the benefits of glazing and glass building products. The strength of an association isn’t measured by its staff size or budget alone, but by the depth of engagement from its members. When fabricators, installers, manufacturers and technical experts choose to spend their time in task group meetings, draft technical language, review proposed standards and share hard-won knowledge from the field, they transform an association into a true industry voice. They ensure that the standards shaping our industry are written by people who actually understand the work, not by regulators operating in a vacuum.
We thank our volunteer members, industry partners and expert consultants who work tirelessly to ensure glass and glazing is at the forefront of all discussions impacting building regulations and innovation in construction. Every standard developed, every code proposal advanced, every technical resource published—none of it happens without volunteers. Your expertise becomes our collective strength. Your participation shapes policy. Your voice amplifies what individual companies could never accomplish alone.
Trade associations like NGA exist at the intersection of collective action and individual expertise, and it’s the volunteers who bring both to life. If you’re looking to see beyond your individual companies to the health of an entire industry, we’re always looking for volunteers—people like you who want to control their own destiny and make a change for something that impacts their business and industry. Because as Robert Carlson reminded us when accepting his Volunteer of the Year award: when you’re involved in these task groups, you get to be someone who makes a change for something that impacts your business and your industry. You get to be involved. And that involvement is what makes all the difference.
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National Glass Association Foundation
The NGA Foundation’s mission is to train the industry and educate consumers about the many ways glass and glazing contribute to a safe, healthy, sustainable and inspiring built environment.
NGA is actively seeking NGA Foundation donors for the NGA Foundation. Funds will be dedicated to:
Workforce Development & Training– Developing the next generation of glass professionals through apprenticeships, and online learning.
Consumer Education & Awareness – Promoting how glass and glazing enhance safety, energy efficiency, wellness, and design.
Innovation & Sustainability Initiatives – Supporting research and communication around glass’s role in green building and resilient design.
$220,775 was raised in 2025!
The Frameless Hardware Company (FHC) again demonstrated its support of glass and glazing education by making a significant donation to The NGA Foundation, marking its sixth year of financial support. “This industry has given so much to so many — and with that comes a responsibility to give back,” said Don Friese, FHC Advisor & Co-Founder of the Friese Foundation. “Whether it’s helping a glazier, an employee, or even a stranger in need, my focus has always been on people. My hope is that these acts of support will encourage others to step forward, contribute, and continue lifting this industry and its people.”
