MCAA And Alan Pettingale Announce Strategic Partnership To Restore America’s Masonry

Words: Dan Kamys

The Mason Contractors Association of America (MCAA) has established a strategic partnership with Alan Pettingale, President and Founder of Specialized Masonry Restoration and creator of the Brick Talk Live podcast and Masonry Restoration Magazine. The partnership, which began this summer, positions Pettingale as a key collaborator in developing the MCAA's restoration and retrofit education initiatives.

Pettingale brings over 30 years of masonry restoration experience, with specialized training in historic preservation methods rooted in the United Kingdom. His work has focused on high-value heritage projects, and through his media platforms, he has built a reputation as an educator bridging engineering theory and field reality for architects, engineers, and contractors across North America.

"The MCAA is the visionary of the industry," said Pettingale. "The technology, the content, and the education they’re building creates an unprecedented platform to preserve and share the knowledge that's critical to restoration and retrofit. This partnership allows me to be part of something that will outlast any single project or publication. It's about ensuring the next generation has access to expertise that took decades to develop."

The partnership will see Pettingale collaborate on content development, curriculum design, and technical programming. He will be an integral part of developing the MCAA's Restoration & Retrofit curriculum, set to debut as a dedicated course at the 2027 World of Concrete. A preview of the class, featuring AI-augmented restoration and retrofit demonstrations, will be included in the MCAA's 2026 AI Test Drive class at World of Concrete. Pettingale will also contribute to the MASONRY STRONG Network's technical content, bringing field-tested expertise to the MCAA's expanding video and multimedia platform.

“Alan and I met about three years ago now, it became immediately clear that we share the same values and passion for masonry,” said Dan Kamys, MCAA’s Director of Content. “Al is also a visionary, and he will be an important part of how we meet the masonry industry where they are and will be. He is undoubtedly one of the foremost experts in the field of repair and restrengthening masonry, and we’re lucky to have him onboard.”

The collaboration comes as the MCAA expands its national infrastructure across four strategic pillars: Outreach & Education, Technology, Content, and Relationships. The organization recently opened its second headquarters in Florida, dedicated to youth outreach and education, with plans to open five regional offices across the country.

MCAA's proprietary AI system, GEORGE, now processes 36 million tokens monthly, delivering purpose-built tools for contractors. The MASONRY STRONG Network, launching in late 2026, will turn the association’s content offerings into a multimedia platform with over a dozen original shows in development. The MCAA is also part of the White House AI In Education Task Force, focused on integrating AI into career pathways and skilled trades education.

For more information on Alan Pettingale, please visit: https://alanpettingale.com. For more information on Alan’s Masonry Restoration Magazine, please visit: https://masonryrestorationmagazine.com.


About: Industry News
The Science of a Straight Line: Why Masonry’s Smallest Decisions Make the Biggest Differences
September 2026

There is a unique phenomenon in construction: the human eye can spot an out-of-plumb wall from 50 yards away across a crowded job site. We might not always be able to explain the exact mathematical deviation without a laser level, but our brains instantly

Shayne Sanders
Technical Talks
Read More
The Utah Masonry Council's Masonry Education Day
September 2026

The 2026 Masonry Education Day at Interstate Brick in West Jordan is bringing together members of Utah’s architecture, engineering, and construction community for a day focused on education, technical understanding, and workforce development. The event r

Cassie Mejia
Industry News
Read More
MCAA Upstate New York: Regaining Market Share Through Education
September 2026

The Upstate New York chapter of the MCAA was established in 2014 by a dedicated group of both union and non-union masonry contractors, producers, and suppliers who shared concerns about the declining use of masonry. T

Brett Sherman
Resources
Read More
GEN NXT: Luis Sontay
September 2026

For this month, the MCAA got to sit down with aspiring mason Luis Sontay. From taking an interest in masonry as a kid to placing 1st in a postsecondary competition, Luis’ dedication and passion for the trade is clear. Luis describes his early passion fo

Justin Stengel
GEN NXT
Read More
Interested in working with us? Learn about and join the Masonry Alliance Program →