EDITOR'S LETTER ––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––– tition that put the book and prac- tical knowledge of 13 appren- tices to the test. The appren- tices won local and regional competitions in order to qualify for this stringent competition administered by the International Masonry Training and Education Foundation (IMTEF). And those of you who attended Coverings in Atlanta earlier this year may have ogled the stun- ning Mercedes-Benz Stadium – home to the Atlanta Falcons – not far from the Convention Center. In our cover story, go inside the impressive structure and learn about the intrica- cies of installing 20,000 sq. ft. of porcelain tile in this LEED Platinum building. Finally, it being November, it is customary to contemplate our blessings and abundance as we ramp up to Thanksgiving. I’m grateful to be involved in an industry packed with passion, craftsmanship, creativity, dedica- tion and pride and to be working for an association that reflects the same. Our staff has expanded this year and I’m grateful for the fresh skills and perspectives our new hires bring – as well as the long- standing work of existing staffers and incredible support from our volunteer members through our board and our State Ambassadors. What are you grateful for? Send me an email and celebrate your abundance! God bless, Lesley lesley@tile-assn.com 16 TileLetter | November 2018