Women Tile Installers Meet the Challenge

JACKSON, Miss. — In honor of International Women’s Day on March  8, a dozen women tile installers gathered at Carpet and Tile Warehouse in Vero Beach, Fla., to take the first-ever all-female Certified Tile Installer (CTI) hands-on exam.

When the day was over, six passed the test, bringing the total number of women with CTI credentials to 20.

The groundbreaking event was organized by Women in Tile Committee from the National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA).

The newly certified installers are Alyssa Muller of APM Flooring Company; Natalie Hall of Artistry in Tile; Rachel Overby of R&R Tile and Renovations; Cecilia Leger of Leger Tile; Nicole Hulme of The Tile Chick LLC; and Kelly Krantz of Knockout Tile and Flooring LLC.

The event was a testament to the strength, skill and determination of women in the tile industry, with many of the participants seeing it as a personal and professional milestone.

A Facebook study group led by Dawn Marie Davis of Strong Work Renovations LLC aided in exam preparation, giving participants the ability to support and encourage one another through the process.

Schluter Systems offered a Mind Your Business class before the test.

Elizabeth Lambert, Women in Tile chair, said the group was proud to support the historic event which involves the most-challenging 25 square feet of tile installation in the CTI exam.

“We brought together talented female tile installers from across the country — many of whom are business owners and industry leaders,” she said.

Ellen Grant, assistant executive director of the NTCA, 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.”

Women are still less than 1% of all CITs.

The National Tile Contractors Association is a non-profit trade association dedicated to the professional installation of ceramic tile and natural stone.