February 2010: President's Message

Words: Dan Kamys President's Message Tom DanielA Fond Farewell

This will be my last monthly commentary as President of the MCAA. I must say, the last two years have gone by quickly. I now understand what all of the past MCAA Presidents told me before I took office.

“This is an opportunity for you to be a representative for all of the mason contractors in the country. To insure the association is financially stable, to continually grow and maintain its position of leadership in the industry.” These were the words of wisdom that I have tried to lead by. At the start of my term, I met with the MCAA’s senior officers and our executive director. We agreed on four primary goals. The first was to stabilize our annual convention and its activities. The second was to keep our financials in the black and create a cash reserve. The third, to reestablish strong ties with our other industry partners, NCMA, BIA, BSI and IMI. Lastly, to relocate the MCAA headquarters to a new facility that would be more cost effective for the association. I feel we have accomplished these goals, and when I say “we,” I mean all of us as a great team – the committee chairs, the regional vice presidents, the senior officers and the MCAA staff. Our association would not be as successful as it is today without all of the efforts of these individuals committing their valuable time, experience and expertise to our industry. In closing, it is hard to express the deep honor and gratitude I feel having had the opportunity to serve as President of the MCAA. Thank you for your support, and I look forward to being an active participant in the association for years to come.

Many Thanks

The Mason Contractors Association of America would like to offer a heartfelt “Thank you” to Tom Daniel for his strong leadership during the last two years, as he served the office of President of the Association. We look forward to a continued and long relationship with Tom in the years ahead.

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