LaVene Wins Upton Award

Words: Dan Kamys LaVene Wins Upton Award

The NCMCA recognized Paul A. LaVene with the Eleanor F. Upton Outstanding Associate Member Award. LaVene retired as president of the Carolinas Concrete Masonry Association (CCMA) in October 2010, after 20 years of service to the Carolinas masonry industry. The award, named for NCMCA's first executive director, is made in recognition of individuals who have made an exceptional contribution to NCMCA and to the masonry industry over an extended period. LaVene's award makes only the eighth time the Upton Award has been presented since it was created by the NCMCA leadership in 1981.

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