TRAINING & EDUCATION ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– Daltile, Albany, NY The first event of this trip was at Daltile in Albany, NY. Manager Tom Drucker and his staff did a tremendous job of planning and putting on an excellent event. Seventy-plus attendees that includ- ed representatives of all tile-related professions – architects, designers, general contractors, and of course, tile contractors, project managers, installers, mechanics and finish- ers – participated in the event, not to mention the Daltile staff and the manufacturer representatives who supported the effort. More than 20 people took advantage of the CEUs available for the two presentations that Mark performed – Failures: Could It Be Me? and Tile Industry Standards. The workshop was lively and vibrant, fueled by the celebra- tory atmosphere that comes with a dozen product vendors, a deli- cious barbecue buffet, enthusiastic learners, a great Daltile support staff, the vision that our host Tom Drucker had for the evening and our tremendous state ambassadors John Mendenhall and Eric Tetreault. At the conclusion of the night we celebrated with several new NTCA members, reviewed plenty of standards-based installation ques- tions, and enjoyed the awarding of gift card prizes donated by the manufacturers and vendors. It was amusing to watch Mark run off his barbecue and corn bread calories delivering the prizes to the winners. Nemo Tile, Red Bank, NJ Another stop on this trip was Nemo Tile in Red Bank, New Jersey. We had no idea what a tremendous day we had ahead of us as the staff came out to greet Daltile Albany group Mark with Albany Daltile host Tom Drucker. Mark with Vermont State Ambassador John Mendenhall. Mark with NY State Ambassador - and new NTCA Five Star Contractor - Eric Tetreault. Mark hands out prizes to winner. 94 TileLetter | June 2018