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Joe Stefani: Switching Gears

By James Florence, Diamond Certified Resource Reporter

MOUNTAIN VIEW — After spending his early career beneath the hood of a car, Joe Stefani decided to switch gears entirely and start working on rooftops. “Growing up, I had uncles who were in construction and roofing, but my passion was cars,” he remembers. “After high school, I started working as an auto mechanic, became a service estimator, and eventually got into RV repair and sales. At a certain point, I felt like I needed a change, so I decided to become a roofer. I didn’t have much experience, but it seemed like a good trade and it paid well, so I applied to a local company and was hired. Later, I went to work at Shelton Roofing as a journeyman roofer. Twenty-plus years later, I’m an estimator and safety coordinator here.”

As the nature of his job has changed over the years, Joe says he has found new things to appreciate about it. “When I first got into roofing, I enjoyed being able to work outdoors and move from place to place. Nowadays, I spend more time behind a desk, so that has changed, but I like the fact that I get to work with people. As an estimator, I visit properties, talk to homeowners and go up on roofs to take measurements, so it’s a nice mix—plus, it’s a lot easier on the body.”

A resident of Mountain View (where he lives with his wife, Dori), Joe expresses his appreciation for his bayside locale. “I love the ocean—I grew up just outside of Santa Cruz, where I spent a lot of time fishing and body surfing, so it holds very special memories for me. I don’t do much body surfing these days, but I really enjoy the serenity of the seaside atmosphere.”

Outside of work, Joe occupies his time with a variety of pastimes and hobbies. “I do a lot of gardening and home projects,” he says. “I recently finished re-landscaping my front yard, which took me a couple of years to do by myself.” Joe also stays connected to his lifelong automotive passion by restoring old cars. Additionally, he likes keeping up with his two grown sons, Steven and Robert.

In regard to his professional career, Joe says he’s all about maintaining the legacy he has become a part of at Shelton Roofing Co., Inc. “I don’t own the company, but since I’ve been here for so long, I feel a strong responsibility to represent it well. Shelton Roofing has been around for 80 years and has developed an excellent reputation, so with each customer I serve, I always make sure I’m following that stamp.”

When asked the first thing he’d do if he were to retire tomorrow, Joe says he’d catch up on a few projects. “I’d probably finish my yard and then get into my next restoration project: a ’66 Mustang. It’s in pretty poor condition right now, but I’ll probably turn it into a street hot rod—something I can take to the track and have some fun with.”

Ask Me Anything!

Q: What’s your favorite TV show?
A: “Street Outlaws.”

Q: What’s your favorite food?
A: Tacos.

Q: Music or talk radio?
A: I like both. Typically, I listen to talk radio in the morning and music in the afternoon.

Q: What were you most known for in high school?
A: My car—I drove a Mustang.

Q: What’s your dream car?
A: A brand-new Nissan GT-R.