FIND A CONTRACTOR BUYER'S GUIDE
BECOME AN INDUSTRY PARTNER
MCAA Logo
MEMBER LOGIN JOIN
NEWS
The 2026 MCAA Annual Online Auction ↗

On a Positive Note…

Words: Dan Kamys
/Public/News/20090814082800-1.jpg" width="530" height="298" border="0" alt="Shelby Crawford has proven her doubters wrong with continued success as a masonry student.">
Shelby Crawford has proven her doubters wrong with continued success as a masonry student.

“Yeah, I heard it; some of them put me down,” says Shelby Crawford of her 44 male masonry competitors. “One of them said I might as well give it up now.”

Crawford competed in the 44th annual SkillsUSA national masonry contest in Kansas City in June 2008.

“I just told them ‘We’ll see after I compete,’” she says. “The best part was that I finished higher than many of my critics.”

Following graduation from Eureka Springs High School in Arkansas, Crawford returned to Kansas City to compete in her second national competition. Two excellent instructors trained her. Larry Wicker was her instructor during her junior year and was a mentor and supporter. He encouraged her to do anything — including masonry — that she desired.

“Mr. Wicker was an awesome instructor,” Crawford says. “He taught me everything I needed to know.”

“Shelby was dedicated, self-motivated, and exhibited strong leadership qualities,” says Wicker. “She helped her fellow students when the need arose and had a kind word for everyone.”

Mike Bonds was Crawford’s instructor her senior year.

“Mr. Bonds was taught by Mr. Wicker,” says Crawford. “He is so much like Mr. Wicker, it’s like we never lost [Wicker]. Mr. Bonds has done a great job.”

Crawford has participated in her SkillsUSA Club since her freshman year. An accomplished equestrian, she has been showing horses and winning awards and championships for years.

“Being part of SkillsUSA and competing have made me a better person. It’s taught me how to believe in myself and to work with others,” says Crawford, who will start a three-year program this fall at Northwest Arkansas Community College to become a registered nurse.

“Masonry work will help me (financially) get through nursing school,” she says. “I guess it doesn’t hurt to be qualified for two different careers.”
 0
The Behind-the-Wall Secrets Every Mason Already Knows (But Some Ignore)
March 2026

You’ve been around long enough to know this already: stone doesn’t fail on the face; it fails behind the wall. You can lay the prettiest veneer in the county, but if the prep is junk, that wall’s gonna start telling on you after a couple of winters. Manu

Rob McKay
Technical Talks
Read More
From the Mound to the Mortar: Jon Rauch’s Tall Order in the Masonry Industry
March 2026

In the record books of Major League Baseball, Jon Rauch is a literal giant. At 6 feet, 11 inches, he remains the tallest player to ever step onto a Big League mound. But today, the Olympic Gold Medalist and 11-season MLB veteran isn’t looking for a strike

Robert Melgaard
Industry News
Read More
Case Study: The Scoop
March 2026

Leading UK architecture firm, Corstorphine & Wright, has announced the completion of ‘The Scoop’, a unique concave office building in Southwark, London. The innovative design reuses an existing building and integrates a conical cut-out façade in white gla

Case Study
Read More
Executing Color-Driven Designs Without Compromising Craftsmanship
March 2026

On today’s jobsites, masonry contractors are being asked to do more than install manufactured stone veneer (MSV). They’re being asked to interpret design trends and execute them with precision. Homeowners arrive with curated Pinterest boards. Designers r

Jeff Tew
Technical Talks
Read More