Masonry Institute of Tennessee

Breaking Barriers and Building Futures — Congratulations Keychemyra McFarland!

The Masonry Institute of Tennessee is proud to recognize Keychemyra McFarland as a 2025 Mortar Net Solutions Scholarship recipient, representing the Chattanooga area and standing among just 40 apprentices nationwide selected for this honor.

Keychemyra is currently a student in the Building Trades program at the TCAT Construction Career Center, where she discovered a strong interest in masonry over the past year. That interest quickly turned into action when she stepped onto the competition floor at the Tennessee SkillsUSA State Contest in April, competing at the postsecondary level and representing her region with pride.

What makes Keychemyra’s journey especially powerful is her dedication and balance — committing herself to hands-on training, professional growth, and motherhood, all while demonstrating a strong work ethic, adaptability, and a true eagerness to learn the craft. She approaches masonry not only as a trade, but as a service to her community.

For years, Tennessee’s SkillsUSA masonry contests have seen very limited female representation. This year, Keychemyra changed that. Her presence, attention to detail, and skill on the competition floor served as a reminder that talent in the trades knows no gender — and that women belong in masonry.

This scholarship, administered by Mortar Net Solutions, is made possible through the continued support of industry partners who believe in investing in the next generation of masons. We are grateful for the collective support of:

Keene Building Products • Kapro Tools • Bon Tools • Grout Grunt Scoops • Trufast Walls • Utah Masonry Council • Advanced Building Products • The Build Show • Prosoco Inc. • Brick Industry Association • Mason Contractors Association of America • Glen-Gery Brick • Wire-Bond • Malta Dynamics • The National Brick Research Center at Clemson University • McGee Brothers • Lincoln Electric • US Tape

A sincere thank you to Steve Fechino for continuing to lead and grow this scholarship program nationwide. Opportunities like this open doors, create confidence, and help shape strong futures within our trade.

Please join us in congratulating Keychemyra McFarland on this well-earned achievement. Tennessee masonry is stronger because of leaders like her — and the future is wide open.

From a 4-H Camp to a Career in Masonry — Congratulations Tristen Oller!

The Masonry Institute of Tennessee is proud to recognize Tristen Oller as a 2025 Mortar Net Solutions Scholarship recipient, representing the Knoxville / East Tennessee region and standing among just 40 apprentices nationwide selected for this honor.

Tristen’s journey into masonry started in an unexpected place — a 4-H Camp in 2023. While participating in a masonry presentation with middle school students, Tristen, then a senior at Cumberland Gap High School, stepped up as a team leader. At the time, he was searching for direction and purpose as he thought about life after graduation. That week sparked something bigger.

What began as curiosity quickly turned into commitment. The very next week, Tristen went to work for a local masonry contractor in Cumberland Gap, gaining hands-on experience and learning the craft from the ground up. Today, he has continued to advance, now working with G&P Masonry while furthering his education at the Resource Valley Construction Training Program in Knoxville.

Thanks to the guidance and belief of his instructors, Matthew Wheeler and Chris Bryant, Tristen was entered for this scholarship — and his work ethic, growth, and dedication made him stand out.

This scholarship, administered by Mortar Net Solutions, is made possible through the collective support of industry partners who are committed to investing in the next generation of masons. We are grateful for the continued support of:

Keene Building Products • Kapro Tools • Bon Tools • Grout Grunt Scoops • Trufast Walls • Utah Masonry Council • Advanced Building Products • The Build Show • Prosoco Inc. • Brick Industry Association • Mason Contractors Association of America • Glen-Gery Brick • Wire-Bond • Malta Dynamics • The National Brick Research Center at Clemson University • McGee Brothers • Lincoln Electric • US Tape

Programs like this prove that when opportunity meets mentorship, real careers are built. Tristen’s story is a powerful reminder that skilled trades offer purpose, pride, and a future worth building.

A sincere thank you to Steve Fechino for continuing to lead and grow this scholarship program nationwide — your commitment to masonry education is changing lives.

Please join us in congratulating Tristen Oller on this well-deserved achievement. East Tennessee has a strong future in masonry, and Tristen is part of it.

Congratulations to Cody Thompson – 2025 Mortar Net Solutions Scholarship Recipient!

With great honor, the Masonry Institute of Tennessee is proud to recognize Cody Thompson as one of only 40 apprentices nationwide selected to receive the 2025 Mortar Net Solutions Scholarship.

Cody’s dedication to the craft, his passion for learning, and the diligence he shows every single day made him an outstanding and obvious choice for this award. He represents exactly what the future of our masonry workforce should look like, motivated, skilled, and committed to excellence.

As Mortar Net Solutions oversees this prestigious scholarship program, its success is made possible through strong industry partnerships and the generosity of companies who believe in supporting the next generation of masonry professionals. We are grateful for the collaboration of:

Keene Building Products • Kapro Tools • Bon Tools • Grout Grunt Scoops • Trufast Walls • Utah Masonry Council • Advanced Building Products • The Build Show • Prosoco Inc. • Brick Industry Association • Mason Contractors Association of America • Glen-Gery Brick • Wire-Bond • Malta Dynamics • The National Brick Research Center at Clemson University • McGee Brothers • Lincoln Electric • US Tape

Programs like this are making a real difference here in Tennessee, giving our apprentices the tools, training, and confidence they need to rise as leaders in our trade. These opportunities don’t just build skills… they build careers.

A huge shoutout to Steve Fechino for spearheading this effort and continuing to invest in masonry education across our state and across the nation. Your dedication is shaping the future of our industry.

Please join us in congratulating Cody on this well-deserved achievement. The future of masonry is brighter because of apprentices like him!

Wishing everyone a safe, fun, and brick-solid Halloween!

The Masonry Institute of Tennessee proudly recognizes our state winners and contestants who competed at Alley-Cassetty in Lebanon, Tennessee.

We would like to extend a huge thank you to Alley-Cassetty for providing the facility and materials that made this event possible, and to Spec Mix for supplying the mortar for this contest.

This year’s event featured several competitions — the Spec MIX Bricklayer 500, Junior Brick 500, First-Year, Second-Year, and Third-Year Apprenticeship Contests, and for the first time ever, a Junior Block Laying Competition.

We had an incredible turnout, with educators and students from across Tennessee — representing the Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga, Knoxville, and Tri-City areas — all coming together to compete for a chance to qualify for Las Vegas.

Spec MIX Bricklayer 500 Winners

1st Place — Juan Sanchez
Company: Lopez Construction, Antioch, TN
2nd Time Winner

Top Craftsman — Ross Campbell
Company: Creative Masonry, Afton, TN

2nd Place — Ross Campbell
Company: Creative Masonry, Afton, TN

3rd Place — David Suratt
Company: Suratt Masonry, Lawrenceburg, TN
New Masonry Instructor for Lawrenceburg County High School

Apprenticeship Winners

First-Year Apprentice
1st — Luis Sontay, Chattanooga Masonry Contractors Association / Adams Masonry — advancing to Las Vegas
2nd — Eden Cornelio, Middle Tennessee Masonry Association
3rd — Cody Thompson, Chattanooga Masonry Contractors Association / G&P Masonry

Second-Year Apprentice
1st — Booker Steffi, Tri-City Masonry Association — advancing to Las Vegas
2nd — Zachary Emery, East Tennessee Masonry Association / G&P Masonry
3rd — Alex Almaral, Tri-City Masonry Association / Creative Masonry

Third-Year Apprentice
1st — Jorge Hernandez, Chattanooga Masonry Contractors Association / Jenkins Masonry — advancing to Las Vegas
2nd — Robert Hammond, East Tennessee Masonry Association / G&P Masonry
3rd — Nicolas Bryant, East Tennessee Masonry Association / G&P Masonry

Junior Block Laying Contest

1st — Lawrence County High School
Team: Devon Gallagher, Bradon Crosby, Tate Perey (Team Leader)

2nd — Claiborne High School
Team: Randall Cinnamon (Team Leader), Brody Seals, Jackson Wallace

3rd — Summertown High School
Team: Ethan Townsend, Talon Ashworth, Isaiah Davis

It takes an entire village to make an event like this possible. I want to sincerely thank all of our contractors, judges, instructors, and sponsors who supported this competition and continue to build opportunities for our young masons.

A special thanks to Kim Halley with Marshalltown and Paul Bender with BonTool for helping provide prizes and supporting our contestants.

The masonry industry in Tennessee continues to grow stronger each year, and it is inspiring to see the skill and passion of the next generation rising up.

This week we had the privilege of visiting William Blount High School and presenting instructor Douglas Blair, who leads the Building Construction program, with a mortar mixer to use in his classes.

A big thank you to Matthew Wheeler and Joe Newman for coordinating the donation, to Empower Rental Group for making the mixer available to the program, and to G & P Masonry for their continued support in strengthening masonry education.

Doug has been a strong advocate for the trades, always giving his students opportunities to learn masonry skills, compete in SkillsUSA competitions, and pursue careers in our industry. Over the years, many of his students have gone on to build futures in masonry and other trades because of his dedication.

We’re excited to see how this equipment will support Doug’s efforts in growing masonry outreach and providing even more opportunities for students!



Left to Right: Ronald Dixion (G&P Masonry), Douglas Blair (Instructor – William Blount High School), Joe Newman (Empower Rental Group), Lisa Collins (Assistant Principal), Dustin Love (Masonry Institute of Tennessee), Kendra Parman (Creative Masonry), Matthew Wheeler (G&P Masonry).

What a phenomenal opportunity Wednesday, September 17 at the Future Ready Expo held at the Great Smoky Mountain Expo Center! Over 2,400 students from Jefferson County, Hamblen County, Cocke County, and Hancock County came through to explore career opportunities.

A huge thank you to the entire planning committee for allowing the Masonry Industry to participate and showcase our trade.

I also want to give a big shoutout to our industry partners for making this possible:

ACME Block & Brick – for providing block and brick

SPEC MIX Quikrete – for supplying mortar

Creative Masonry, Inc– for hands-on support

Special thanks to Kendra Parman for working with students directly and sharing about career opportunities for women in the masonry industry!

Together, we are building the future workforce one student at a time.

Over the last two days, I had the privilege of attending Savannah Day’s class at Horace Maynard Middle School in Union County, TN. We spent time covering career opportunities in Masonry and Construction, and the students had a blast with hands-on training, it was a big hit!

A special thank you to Kendra Campbell from Creative Masonry for joining me. She shared her perspective on opportunities for women in the industry and spoke about her 5+ years of experience doing brick stain work. Her story was inspiring for the students, especially the young women looking to explore skilled trades.

Too often we hear, “Nobody wants to do hands-on work anymore.” From what I saw these past two days, that couldn’t be further from the truth. When students are given the chance, they are eager to learn, eager to work, and excited to explore the trades.

There are incredible opportunities for students to build a solid career and a good living in the trades—and events like this show just how bright the future is.