New leadership, new vision: Putting contractors in the driver’s seat

By Jesse Sanchez. 

This leadership shift signals fresh energy, bold ideas and user-driven innovation. 

Dataforma’s signature event, PSU, is getting a major reboot in 2025 as a new leadership dynamic duo steps in. Brian Cook, recently named COO at Dataforma, and Tracey Donels, CEO of Service First Solutions, are now steering the reins of the user conference with a bold focus on innovation, community and real-world impact. “It’s always been Daryl’s baby,” Brian said during this Roofing Road Trips® podcast with Megan Ellsworth, in reference to former Dataforma leader, Daryl Maronic. “He asked Tracey and I to take over and run the PSU in his stead. I’m nervous, I’m incredibly excited and I think Tracey and I will bring a cool new spin to it.” 

That spin includes a sharper focus on the future of the platform and on the people who use it. PSU, which stands for Presidential and Super-User, has evolved over the last two decades from a modest gathering of commercial roofing pros into a bustling hub for collaboration, learning and direct feedback. But 2025 promises to raise the bar. 

From its early days as a niche software meet-up to a now-essential event for contractors using Dataforma, PSU has always offered value. Tracey, who attended one of the earliest PSUs nearly two decades ago, sees the user-to-user exchange as essential. “Almost any software can be used in a myriad of different ways,” he said. “So, it’s very beneficial to go and meet other people that have grown their departments and their companies by using the software.” 

Brian echoed the sentiment, adding that the goal isn’t just to demo features; it’s to shape what gets built next, emphasizing the opportunity for participants to share ways they believe PSU can grow in the future. He shared, “We’re trying to kind of shift this conference from being all things Dataforma to focusing more on PSU’s future.” 

This year’s PSU will feature breakout sessions that stray from the typical software fare, covering topics like hiring field staff, running preventative maintenance and managing service departments more effectively. 

And while PSU will still showcase new features, like a powerful new sales module, AI integration and a redesigned mobile experience, the organizers are betting that the real draw will be the conversations that happen between users. 

Listen to the podcast to learn more about how PSU 2025 is transforming from a software event into a contractor-powered hub for innovation, connection and real-world impact!