Orlando, Fla.—The Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF) created the Dan Hecox Service Award to be given out annually at Coverings. The first recipients are John Roberts and Woody Sanders, two tile industry professionals and certified tile installers who go above and beyond in support of the CTEF mission to raise the quality of ceramic tile installation, according to the foundation. They received the award here on July 8 at Coverings 2021.
CTEF said Hecox’s passion, willingness to help attitude, commitment to the tile industry and tile installation excellence were beyond description. He routinely volunteered to help out CTEF at trade events and conferences; he served as CTI Evaluator to help expand the certification program; and he promoted tile installation best practices to interior design students so they could better specify tile projects.
After a short illness, Hecox died at the age of 52 on September 21, 2020. The Dan Hecox Service Award recognizes his strong service-minded spirit in support of CTEF and the tile industry.
“The mission of the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation takes on special meaning when certified tile installers like Dan Hecox, John Roberts and Woody Sanders, give so much of themselves to inspire other installers to become better, educate specifiers to understand the complexity of installing tile and encourage the next generations to aspire to industry best practices, methods and standards,” said Scott Carothers, CTEF director of certification and training. “The newly created Dan Hecox Service Award allows us to recognize those who, like Dan, embrace a vision of excellence for tile installation and inspire all CTIs to be part of making that vision a reality.”
Following are the 2021 Dan Hecox Service Award Recipients.
John Roberts CTI #1278
Having been a tile setter for almost 40 years and principal of John Roberts Designs LLC focusing on high-end residential remodeling, Roberts is now employed by the Beno J. Gundlach Company as a tool sales representative. In addition to being a CTI, Roberts is a CTI evaluator and volunteers to help educate younger tile setters at various NTCA workshops and at The Georgia Skills CEFGA.
Woody Sanders CTI #1295
Sanders is principal of DW Sanders Tile & Stone in Marietta, Ga. CTEF said Sanders fiercely and generously supports the CTEF CTI and ACT tile installation certification programs and expanding their reach and visibility within the tile industry. Sanders sits on the NTCA technical, education and business committees to help steer the tile industry’s future.