Hats off to the Northwest Wall & Ceiling Bureau for another exceptional seminar and trade show. The event took place last week in Scottsdale, Ariz. Considered to be a well-attended event, Terry Kastner, Tiina Freeman, Karen Morales, Ed Charles, Jim Young and the bureau’s new Executive Director Mark Eisenmann really deserve some recognition as they worked their tails off with this show. Several days of (mostly) great and hot weather were had at the Princess Fairmont Resort April 9-13.

The event had a lot of industry news that you’ll see reported by the magazine to come. The magazine’s new columnist, Cecilia Padilla, was among a handful of speakers at the event. Personal trainer and stand-up-guy Fred Shafer gave the keynote presentation.

But the event was poignant because Bob Drury was recognized during the Awards Ceremony. Everyone knows Bob and his wife Dorothy, who were both called to the stage while various friends and colleagues spoke about the Drury’s. Buck Buchanan, EIMA’s current president, presented Bob with a plaque on behalf of the association. The NWCB gave the Drury’s with a vacation to Hawaii.

 Walls & Ceilings congratulates Bob on near 40 years of service to this industry (he began as executive director in 1972). He’s been a great friend to the magazine and we’ve appreciated his support—as well as the bureau’s—and we wish him the best. Mark Eisenmann has big, shiny boots to fill but he looks to be a great successor to Bob and we look forward to a continued relationship with the NWCB.