This month, we want to celebrate one of our own NTCA staff members: Michelle Chapman. Michelle is our longest-employed member of the staff and started working at NTCA 25 years ago November 7, 2000.
But Michelle was imbuing workplaces with her signature competence and creativity long before she came to NTCA. While working at an insurance company, she dove into learning a graphic design program when the company sought to produce its own marketing materials. In 1995, she joined Hederman Brothers Printing as a typesetter with graphic design knowledge. The following year she took on the NTCA and TileLetter magazine accounts.
In early 2000, she stepped in to freelance several issues of TileLetter at the request of then-NTCA Executive Director Joe Tarver when editor Myra Cardwell was grappling with health challenges. By November, Michelle became full-time Production Manager/Assistant Editor and Designer of TileLetter. Her contributions were legion–producing the magazine and collateral material, handling membership billing, as well as advertising sales and billing.
And she’s seen many changes. In May, 2002, Bart Bettiga took the reins from Joe Tarver. Since then, the NTCA has exploded from five staffers to 27 employees–22 full time, and 5 part time–and a monthly magazine with special issues that at one point was published 17 times a year.
Now Michelle has taken on a new challenge as Media Sales and Production Director. She works with sponsors and advertisers–AND she oversees the production of the magazine and collateral materials. This new position is an outgrowth of her flexibility and embrace of new challenges over the years.
NTCA Executive Director Bart Bettiga proclaimed: “Michelle’s contributions to the NTCA are too numerous to put on paper. The NTCA staff is a family, and Michelle embraces that atmosphere in every way. Early in her career, she was the person behind almost everything that went into producing TileLetter magazine; including design, content creation, and sales. Because our staff was quite a bit smaller back then, she also helped NTCA in branding, marketing, trade shows, event planning, and membership. She has always been willing to step in and help wherever needed.
“One of her biggest skills is her willingness to take on new technology and challenges,” he added. “She has been a de facto IT person for many years, helping all of us (me especially) with computer issues, internet and software challenges, and much, much more. She helped us launch into the digital world with newsletters, flipbooks, online magazines, and whatever else we asked her to do. And she does it with Southern charm and enthusiasm. She has a great attitude, and she is a great mom, wife and friend. NTCA is very fortunate to have Michelle as a key leader in our association, and I hope she will continue in that role for years to come.”
Elena Grant, who works closely with Michelle in her role as Assistant Executive Director, Marketing & Public Relations, and TileLetter Publisher, said, “One of the best parts of my job is working with Michelle Chapman. Although I’ve only worked directly with her for about two years, her 25 years of experience at NTCA shows in everything she does. Michelle is constantly innovating and challenging herself to make her projects and TileLetter the very best they can be. She has worn so many hats at NTCA, giving her a deep understanding of our members, sponsors, and advertisers, and she is always willing to jump in wherever needed. She was an incredible help to me as I came onboard, and I’m grateful to have her not only as a colleague but also as a friend.”
And adding my $0.02, I want to say Michelle is one
of the most industrious, creative, resourceful, and
soulful individuals I know. It has personally been a blessing to work with her in her ever-changing roles since I came aboard in 2006. She brings grace and competence to everything she does. And I, too, am proud to call her a friend.
When you see her at an industry event, or engage with her through the course of doing business, please join the NTCA family in congratulating Michelle for her 25 years of transcendent work with NTCA in the service of the tile contracting community.
Lesley Goddin has been writing and journaling since her first diary at age 11. Her journey has taken her through a career in publishing and publicity, landing her the editor position of TileLetter and its special publications in 2006. Her goal is to educate, inspire, recognize and encourage those in the tile industry -- especially the tile and stone contractor.
