Chairman's Message: More Than a Little Luck

Words: Paul Odom

Paul Odom, MCAA Chairman

Here it is March again. March is a big month for our household. It’s my daughter’s and my first granddaughter’s birthdays. Anna, one of my little princesses, has her birthday on Saint Patty’s Day, and she says she’s the luckiest. When she told me that the other day, it got me thinking about luck. I often say the phrase, “I’m a lucky man.” It’s the truth in many ways. In other ways, I feel like it’s not so much luck as it is choices. We all have choices in life.   In my 20s, I made the choice to drop out of college. You might remember the message I wrote a while back about my father. He told me that I was crazy and going to “ruin my life” after I decided to drop out of college and change my career path to masonry. While those around me may have thought I was crazy, I knew what I was doing. I made that choice and I chose to start my career. As a laborer, I rode to work with my foreman Robert DeLaughter. Besides being the world’s fastest eater, that man sure knew how to run a job. I chose to listen and learn from him.   When I was given the opportunity to become an apprentice and advance my career, I chose to take that path. When I was given the opportunity advance to foreman and later move into the office, I chose to do so and learn from those before me. These choices led me to learn what I needed to open my own company with my lovely bride, Susie. We started a company and made some hard choices over the years and even quite a few that may not have been the right ones as well. But overall, our choices have landed us in a good position in life.  Why am I talking about choices? I must sound egotistical right now, but that’s not my intention. I’m trying to say luck doesn’t get you all that far in life. Many times, the choices you make are what get you to where you are.   At the World of Concrete, one of the highlights for me was workforce development. The young adults that were out there for the Skills competition have made choices that will help them for the rest of their lives. As an industry, we need to help provide more opportunities for young people today to choose masonry as their career path. I know from talking to contractors from around the nation that the labor shortage isn’t coming, it’s already here.   That’s why MCAA has made workforce development a priority. We provide members with great resources to help recruit new talent to your companies and your program. We know kids today must make choices early. In many cases, students start choosing their path to college, or to go into the workforce, or trade school during or right after middle school. The good thing is more and more schools are starting to bring back trades into their curriculums rather than making college the predominate choice.   Take these things into consideration. Check out what MCAA is doing to promote workforce development for your industry. Two powerful tools to use are the Top 10 Reasons to be a Mason pamphlet and the corresponding video. After watching and/or reading these, the masonry industry looks like a pretty great career choice. As members, these are free to you. Just go to: www.masoncontractors.org and look under the bookstore and then under workforce development.   Our industry has a choice right now. We can jump on board and start getting more serious about workforce development and what we can do to start training the future of our industry. Or we can depend on luck to ensure we have the workforce we need for our future. I encourage each of you to get with your state and local associations to see what you can be doing collaboratively to promote workforce development for the masonry industry in your areas. You may able to help a young person to make some great choices early on in life. As I said before, I truly feel like choosing masonry as my career path has been a good one for me and my family.  Until next time….  
About: Chairman’s Message
Detailing for Durability: The 2026 Guide to High-Performance Stone Veneer Transitions
January 2026

Some of the most expensive failures involving manufactured stone veneer installations don’t come from the stone at all, but rather from the material transitions and flashing around it. Transitions are weak points in the overall cladding where water can fi

Jeff Tew
Technical Talks
Read More
How TMC Is Reaching the Next Generation of Masons
January 2026

Advocacy, outreach, and education have never been more important to the future of Texas masonry. As the state continues to grow, so does the demand for skilled trades. Industry leaders, schools, and organizations are working together to make sure the next

Ashton Fairchild
Industry News
Read More
Restoring South High School: A Beaux-Arts Icon in Youngstown
January 2026

By Eric Holm, Executive Director, Jubilee Urban Development A Testament To Time And Craftsmanship In the heart of Youngstown, Ohio, stands a structure that has witnessed more than a century of history, resilience, and craftsmanship. South High School,

Technical Talks
Read More
Risk Management Benefits of Reviewing the OSHA Top 10
January 2026

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Top 10 Most Frequently Cited Standards serve to keep employers aware of common risks that can have serious consequences. This annual list highlights the most frequently cited violations that inspe

Patrick Cunningham
MAP Partner
Read More
Interested in working with us? Learn about and join the Masonry Alliance Program →