Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84 Page 85 Page 86 Page 87 Page 88 Page 89 Page 90 Page 91 Page 92 Page 93 Page 94 Page 95 Page 96 Page 97 Page 98 Page 99 Page 100 Page 101 Page 102 Page 103 Page 104 Page 105 Page 106 Page 107 Page 108 Page 109 Page 110 Page 111 Page 112 Page 113 Page 114 Page 115 Page 116 Page 117 Page 118 Page 119 Page 120 Page 121 Page 122 Page 123 Page 124 Page 125 Page 126 Page 127 Page 128 Page 129 Page 130 Page 131 Page 132NTCA NEWS 114 TileLetter | October 2016 lation isn’t covered by New Mexico’s building codes, “resolution of com- plaints against licensees in [tile instal- lation] is problematic because there is no code standard to which the work performed can be held.” Essentially, a lack of knowledge in the department about tile installation standards meant that there was no real requirement for licensure, and rendered it useless. “The code compliance bond is only good if there are inspections tied to a specific license,” said Karl Parker, NTCA New Mexico State Ambassador. “Basically, since there are no inspections tied to tile installation, the code compliance bond is useless.” Parker saw the danger that ending licensing could pose to both contrac- tors and consumers, and took action. He notified NTCA leadership of this legal development, and personal- ly wrote a letter to Commissioner Glenn Fellows. Parker explained the ANSI standards, TCNA Handbook methodology, Certified Tile Installer examinations, and other programs advocated by NTCA to promote qualified labor. Fellows was receptive to the letter, and invited Parker to speak to the CID. Parker was joined by NTCA executive director Bart Bettiga in addressing the commissioners. The meeting was productive, and offered many ways in which the NTCA could help make the licensure program more effective and efficient. This included helping the CID create an exam for tile installation knowledge in order to issue a permit, and by training state inspectors to know what to look for in quality tile- setting workmanship. The license pro- gram has not yet been reinstated, but the NTCA is still in contact with the CID to develop the program further. “The mechanical chief from CID and the director are both 100% behind what we’re doing,” said Parker. “We’re actually getting ready to go to a tech- nical committee [within the CID] to pitch a written test and putting stan- dards in front of the committee for them to vote on. “This licensing change doesn’t affect me, because I’m a general builder,” he added. “But I specialize in tile, and this is my job as the NTCA State Ambassador to protect my industry.” This is just one recent example of the NTCA’s mission to advocate for tile contractors throughout the country, as well as how the StateAmbassadors pro- gram keeps the association abreast of issues affecting our industry. With the help of dedicated State Ambassadors like Parker, the NTCA is always ready to protect the interests of the industry and its members. "Everywhere Man" During the NTCA Awards Night at Coverings, NTCA unveiled "Everywhere Man," a video that chron- icled the travels of NTCA trainers and presenters at NTCA Workshops and CTEF Educational Programs. Set to the tune of Johnny Cash’s “I’ve Been Everywhere,” the screen flickered with images of educational stops across the country, and it was met with laughter Karl Parker, NTCA New Mexico State Ambassador