St. Louis Hosts MCAA Foreman Development Course

Words: Jeff Buczkiewicz

The MCAA's newly-redeveloped Foreman Development Course went on the road August 24th and 25th in St. Louis, MO. The course was developed and taught by Tom Vacala, Jameel Ervin, and Donnie Williams. The course was developed by masons, keeping masonry essentials at the forefront of the two-day class. Leadership skills, situational experiences, and more are covered throughout the class. 

The class has been developed for those who have the potential to become foremen and those who have been foremen within the industry for years. Everyone should leave with something new to implement at their respective organization. 

The program was created to be a continual development class, and to serve as a networking tool for foremen all over the country. A Foreman Development II Course is currently in development. Next, the class will be taught in conjunction with the Arizona Masonry Council on October 4th and 5th. After that, the class will make its World of Concrete debut in Last Vegas on January 16th and 17th. 

If you are interested in hosting the course for your company or in your area, please contact Jeff at the MCAA office by emailing jeffb@masoncontractors.org for more details. 

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