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 128certification opportunities at trade shows • Expand our international outreach by collaborating with our industry partners abroad • See our NTCA University Apprenticeship Program com- pleted with Two-Year Finisher and Two-Year Mechanic certifications The NTCA staff, Executive Board, Regional Directors, and State Ambassadors have been working hard these past months to chart this course. Total Solutions Plus in October proved to be a huge suc- cess with many important commit- tees producing outstanding goals with some aggressive timelines. We have the opportunity to see our trade recognized as the noteworthy profession it truly is while gaining the respect it deserves. We’ll be able to retire the old stereotype of “unskilled thin-set jockeys” where tile was only used in utilitarian applications, save the occasional office lobby. Events surrounding our industry are coming together to produce rapidly-expanding manufacturing technologies and increased com- plexity of installation methods and materials for tile. Add this with a rapidly-growing public desire to use tile with greater design varia- tion and flexibility and we could see artistry and craftsmanship in high demand for those willing to embrace it. When I’m not working for NTCA or ANSI, I’m the executive vice president of David Allen Company in Raleigh, N.C., where I have had the privilege of working for the last 24 years. I’m very grateful for the support I have received from David Allen Company as I have needed to put more and more time into industry duties. It is only because of the fantastic teams supporting me at the office that I am released to serve this great industry. Thank you to the NTCA staff, Executive Committee, Board of Directors, and all the members of the NTCA for putting your trust in me. Lastly, I’d like to thank my wife, Judith, for allowing me to be away from home much more than usual. If it weren’t for Judith, I would not be the person I am today. I hope to see many of you at TISE West/Surfaces in Las Vegas this month. I encourage every member of NTCA to get involved, attend a workshop at your local distribu- tor, join us at TISE West/Surfaces, Coverings, or TSP, and sit in on committee meetings to see the new endeavors NTCA hopes to accom- plish. Most importantly, we want to hear from you and benefit from the years of experience you have in this industry. Come and take advantage of the many opportunities NTCA provides for its members. I can guarantee, you will get back far more than you give. Respectfully, Martin Howard mhoward@davidallen.com PRESIDENT'S LETTER ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– 20 TileLetter | January 2017