The National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) has announced the recipients of its first-ever NTCA Tom Ade Ceramic Tile Scholarship Award at Coverings in Chicago.
The scholarships were presented during the association’s Awards Night, to two students who were selected out of 16 nominees.
The scholarship was established by NTCA to provide educational opportunities in college or trade for children or grandchildren of NTCA contractor members. It was respectfully named after Tom Ade, a former NTCA regional director and a previous recipient of NTCA’s Ring Of Honor and Tile Person of the Year Awards. Through his generosity and support of training and education, funds were earmarked to launch this scholarship. The association hopes to raise additional funds to offer multiple scholarships to deserving applicants in the future.
Jan Hohn, NTCA state director from St. Paul, Minn., and last year’s Tile Person of the Year recipient, presented the first award. Receiving the Grand Prize and a $5,000 scholarship to be given to the college of his selection was Connor Meehan of Harwich, Mass. Connor is the son of Tom and Lane Meehan of Cape Cod Tileworks. His father, who accepted the award on his behalf, is a state director in Massachusetts. Connor comes highly recommended as a young man of integrity, high moral standards and character. He intends to focus on business and marketing, with a desire to help small businesses like his parents tile store and installation company.
Jim Olson, assistant executive director of NTCA presented its $2,500 Scholarship award to Brianne Martinho, daughter of Robert and Melanie Martinho of NTCA Five Star Contractor Visalia Ceramic Tile in California. Brianne is a student at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, and has chosen Mathematics as her major with a goal to be a calculus teacher.
For more information, visit tile-assn.com.
