The Masonry Advisory Council hires a New Engineering Services and Architectural Education Outreach Representative

Words: Gary PorterThe Masonry Advisory Council is pleased to announce that Kevin Cavanaugh has joined us as our new Engineering Services and Architectural Education Outreach Representative.

“With the addition of an industry veteran like Kevin, The Masonry Advisory Council is excited to continue broadening our reach while serving the needs of architects, engineers, builders, contractors and the public,” said Gary Porter, executive director for The Masonry Advisory Council. “Kevin is strategic, knowledgeable and results oriented; he is a tremendous leader in the masonry industry.”

Cavanaugh will be responsible for providing technical support and conducting Continuing Education Seminars and “Lunch and Learns” to these same audiences to emphasize masonry’s many traditional features, benefits and built-in resilience. He will also introduce new software tools and review building code changes that are making masonry a much more robust and modern material in terms of structural capacity and energy efficiency.

While earning his BSME at the University of Maryland, Cavanaugh interned at the National Institute of Standards and Technology where he first became involved with the concrete and masonry industries. After graduation, Kevin accepted a position as the National Concrete Masonry Association’s (NCMA) Energy Engineer. After two years, and to better understand what NCMA’s members faced in their markets, Kevin launched his current 25-year career in technical sales, marketing and product development of lightweight aggregate, concrete masonry and associated concrete and masonry products and systems.

“The Masonry Advisory Council is on the move to bigger and better things and I am glad to be part of their team,” stated Cavanaugh. Masonry is an excellent building material and my job is to simply remind the design community of this fact. I am looking forward to presenting Lunch & Learn Seminars throughout Chicagoland on all things masonry and masonry related.”

Kevin’s industry-wide activities include having chaired ACI Committee 122 on Energy Conservation, several NCMA Committees and, Task Groups and serving on his governor’s Building Code Legislative Advisory Council in Wisconsin.
Stop Juggling: The Best Way to Master Your Masonry Job Sites
January 2026

You’re in the business of building structures that will stand for generations. Yet, too often, the process of managing the job site feels built on quicksand. Every construction project manager knows the feeling: the constant, fra

Brick Jointers: Purpose, Patterns, & Practical Applications
January 2026

After leads have been built and bricks have been laid, it’s crucial to tool the joints before the mortar sets. The tool of choice for this task is a brick jointer, but it can be tricky to decide which one to use. This guide will walk through the purpose o

Laying It Straight: Line-Holding Accessories for Masons Who Demand Precision
January 2026

When it comes to laying brick, block, or stone, nothing replaces a good line. A tight, true mason’s line is the backbone of straight courses and clean elevations, and the hardware holding that line is every bit as critical. Bon Tool’s lineup of Line & Lin

The Importance of Eye Protection in Masonry
January 2026

There are few stereotypes more iconic than the image of a construction worker wearing a hard hat and safety glasses. Protective glasses are among the most common items worn by workers in the masonry field, second only to the hard hat. According to OSHA, w