2016 Douglas Drye Award

Words: Lynn NashFor the second year in a row Fred T. Foard High School in Catawba County received the 2016 Doug Drye Award for best overall performance in the masonry competitions at the 2016 Greensboro NC SkillUSA State Conference in
April.

The Overall Performance Award is named in honor of Douglas Drye who retired from Mount Pleasant High in 2008 and still holds the record for the most high school national masonry champions of all the masonry instructors in the country. The award is presented by NCMCA and The Southeast Concrete Masonry Association.

Fred T. Foard High School is a three-time Drye Award winner having also earned the recognition in 2012 and 2015.

In the photo, NCMCA President Bob Gates, right of plaque, presents the award to instructor Rick Greene, left of plaque, joined by the seniors in Greene’s masonry class, industry officials and local masonry contractors: standing right to left, C.E.Moser and Wayne Starr, officers of the Western Carolina NCMCA chapter; Byard Stevens, President of the Southeast Concrete Masonry Association; masonry contractor Neil Dellinger; and President Gates.
Smarter Time Tracking on the Jobsite: Introducing Geofence Notifications and Logging in CrewTracks
April 2026

For masonry contractors, time tracking is more than just a payroll task; it’s a key part of managing crews, understanding job costs, and keeping projects running smoothly. Yet many companies still struggle with one common challenge: making sure employees

Erin Koets
MAP Partner
Read More
Fechino Files: Diesels Below 32 Degrees
April 2026

I am guessing that if you are reading this, then you experienced the cold, late-January spell that took over most of the country. The cold weather has many effects on the operations of a masonry contractor, from job shutdowns to equipment starting issues,

Steven Fechino
Fechino Files
Read More
Outreach Outlook: Building Momentum Across the Southern Region
April 2026

As April arrives, the pace of our outreach and workforce efforts across the Southern Region reaches a new level of intensity. This is the time of year when our programs, partners, and state collaborators all accelerate at once. SkillsUSA competitions are

Conner Birdsong
Outreach Outlook
Read More
Marvelous Masonry: Elbphilharmonie
April 2026

Most people know the Elbphilharmonie for its glass façade and dramatic roofline. From a distance, that’s what defines the skyline in Hamburg’s HafenCity district. But for masonry contractors and suppliers, the real story starts at the base.

Cass Stern
Marvelous Masonry
Read More