2014 TMS Service Awards presented to Nicholas Lang, Luis Dominguez, and Atkinson-Noland & Associates

At TMS’s 2014 Annual Meeting Awards Luncheon, Jerry Painter, acting on behalf of TMS’s Awards Committee, presented three Society Service Awards to Nicholas Lang, Luis Dominguez, and Atkinson-Noland & Associates. The Masonry Society started this award in 2006 to recognize individuals who volunteer in special, and typically unseen, ways. The intent of the award is to recognize those who continually assist the Society, but who are not normally recognized for their efforts.

While young, and not always visibly involved in TMS, Nick Lang is a tremendous supporter of the Society and has helped in countless ways. Unbeknownst to many, Lang has supported the Society in its efforts to serve as an educational component for the Masonry Testing Technician Certification Program. He has done this by representing TMS, and supporting TMS, in a number of forums including at ACI. He greatly assisted in the development, revision, and presentation of TMS’s Masonry Testing Seminar that was offered in 2013 and has been substantially updated based on new standards this year – that seminar was presented following the Scottsdale meetings, and will be used by TMS for years. Lang is very deserving of a TMS Service Award for his efforts to assist TMS is becoming the lead educational resource on masonry testing.

Virtually no one within TMS will know or have met Luis Dominguiz, but he is a constant help as a reviewer and editor. In 2012 and 2013 he reviewed drafts of the 2013 MSJC, catching numerous typographical errors and making many suggestions for improvements. This included catching many needed section updates based on the reformat of the MSJC. Luis also assisted TMS when the Society updated the Special Inspection of Structural Masonry Construction seminar materials, working on several sections and updating them to the latest codes and standards. For these efforts in assisting TMS behind the scenes to ensure excellent quality of our products, he is very deserving of a TMS Service Award.

While the Service Award is intended for an individual, the Awards Committee made an exception in 2014 by presenting a Service Award to the entire staff of Atkinson-Noland and Associates, Inc. because they are truly deserving after years of helping TMS behind the scenes – formerly hosting TMS’s office, assisting in past moves, promoting TMS internationally, and assisting staff in countless ways. Michael Schuller, David Woodham, Donald Harvey, and Andrew Gesiter have all assisted with, and offered presentations for TMS, and have routinely answered technical calls (and have assisted writing/editing articles for TMS Responds). Carlo Citto and Shan Wo assisted staff develop presentation materials for a Course to the Corps of Engineers on existing masonry evaluation and repair, and offered training to TMS Staff on these topics. Michael Schuller, Andrew Geister, and Deborah Millennor have been assisting TMS above and beyond the call of duty with preparations and planning for the 12th North American Masonry Conference. And in TMS’s hour of need, Mike, Dave, Don, and Carlo came to the office after the 2013 flood to help clean and to bring in new desks and supplies.