Masonry Magazine April 1996 Page. 15
Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA) Member Spotlights
Richard Cannon
Cannon Masonry Corporation
Birmingham, Alabama
Richard Cannon is currently serving as the Region 'C' Vice President for MCAA. He oversaw the largest influx of members to MCAA in recent history. He has also been active in his spare time coaching local basketball.
Richard Lauber
J & E Duff, Inc.
Carol Stream, Illinois
Richard Lauber, currently at the helm as President of Mason Contractors Association of Greater Chicago, is guiding the local chapter through steady growth. Lauber currently serves on the chapters Negotiation, Safety and Promotion Committees. Lauber has served on numerous committees for MCAA, one being the Apprenticeship Committee.
Douglas A. Nichols
Douglas Nichols Enterprises
St. Peters, Missouri
Taking on a major task of spearheading MCAA's Training Programs, Doug Nichols recently became Chairman of the Training Committee which oversees the national association's mason training initiatives. Nichols represents MCAA on the VICA (Vocational Industry Clubs of America) Masonry Committee.
Nichols is currently Treasurer of the MCA of St. Louis. In addition, he serves on the chapter's Finance Committee as well as on the Joint Apprentice Fund Board in St. Louis. He has also been Chairman of the chapter's Membership Committee.
Nichols' is deeply committed to recruiting and training more young masons and has even set goals for his own company to train additional masons even if their own company doesn't have a present need. Nichols has also become active in Habitat for Humanity by providing brickwork. He also donates labor to a local food pantry in St. Louis helping others less fortunate.
John J. Smith Sr.
John J. Smith Masonry
St. Louis, Missouri
Currently, John Smith is serving his fourth term as Region 'E' Vice President for MCAA. During the past several years he has served on a wide variety of national committees including Education and Safety.
Smith's support and contributions to the local association in St. Louis has been invaluable. Smith currently serves on the Bricklayers Union Local #1 Pension and Welfare Board, The Arbitration Board, The Apprentice Board, and The Laborers Joint Tracking Board.
Smith is Chairman of Masonry Institute of St. Louis where he oversees the accomplishments such as the building and promotion of an all masonry home, the establishment of a Home Buyers Program and quarterly newsletter to architects. His involvement has also included work on the purchase of an apprenticeship school for bricklayers.
Smith has also been involved in outside interests ranging from service on The Greater St. Louis Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, March of Dimes, and Eden Seminary.
Richard Felice
Forrest & Associate
Des Moines, Iowa
After serving as President of MCAA from 1990 to 1992, Dick Felice continues to volunteer in time and effort to help the masonry industry grow. A true believer in training and education, he visits high schools with regularity to sit with counselors and students to promote the masonry industry.
Felice has served on the Apprenticeship, Membership and Education committees and he still serves as Treasurer of the local chapter. Felice is a member of the Joint Apprenticeship & Training Committee. He has been active for over six years on the Council for Masonry Research, which is an industry supported organization which funds research which results help give masonry an edge over competing construction methods. Felice currently holds the position of Vice Chairman for the CMR.
Roy Swindal
Masonry Arts, Inc.
Bessemer, Alabama
Roy Swindal has been training apprentices for over ten years and has been personally involved in writing a training curriculum which is used in an ongoing apprenticeship program in Alabama. Swindal has also taken the message of masonry as a career into area high schools promoting the industry. He remains active today in this area.
Swindal currently serves as the Chairman of the MCAA Membership Committee. In addition, he serves on five other construction industry committees which effect masonry. These committees include serving as Chairman of the ABC Masonry Apprenticeship Committee and The Joint Committee Construction Education for Alabama.
Swindal has been extremely active in helping to form a new masonry association for the Southeast called Masonry Affiliate Southeast which has only been in existence for less than a year.
Robert Fenimore
Fenimore-Blythe, Inc.
Ft. Worth, Texas
Robert Fenimore has made masonry training and promotion a priority since