On March 8, in honor of International Women’s Day, 12 female tile professionals gathered at Carpet & Tile Warehouse in Vero Beach, Fla., to take part in the first-ever all-women Certified Tile Installer (CTI) hands-on exam. This groundbreaking event, organized by National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA) Women in Tile and administered by the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation (CTEF), represents a major step toward increasing female representation in the tile industry.
Prior to this event, only 14 women had earned the CTI designation—representing less than 1% of all CTIs earned. With six more women successfully passing the rigorous exam, the number has now grown to 20 while building momentum for even more in the future.
The six newly Certified Tile Installers are:
- CTI #1978: Alyssa Muller – APM Flooring Co.
- CTI #1979: Natalie Hall – Artistry in Tile
- CTI #1980: Rachel Overby – R&R Tile and Renovations
- CTI #1981: Cecelia Leger – Leger Tile
- CTI #1982: Nicole Hulme – The Tile Chick, LLC
- CTI #1983: Kelly Krantz – Knockout Tile & Flooring LLC
In preparation for the exam, a Facebook study group led by Dawn Marie Davis of Strong Work Renovations LLC was formed, allowing participants to support and encourage one another throughout the process. With the support of Schluter Systems, participants received a Mind Your Business class prior to the CTI test. Additional sponsors Daltile, Laticrete, and QEP also provided generous support, according to the NTCA.
“NTCA Women in Tile is proud to support this historic event,” said Elizabeth Lambert, Women in Tile committee chair. “We brought together talented female tile installers from across the country—many of whom are business owners and industry leaders. Not only did they take on the most challenging 25 sq. ft. of tile installation in the CTI exam, but they also participated in Schluter’s Mind Your Business class, which reinforces the importance of business success and technical expertise.”
Elena Grant, NTCA assistant executive director, added, “This event is just the beginning. Our goal is to introduce more women to careers in tile and continue building a strong network of women supporting women. We are incredibly grateful to our sponsors Schluter Systems, Daltile, Laticrete and QEP for making this possible.”
