PHOENIX, ARIZ. (Feb. 29, 2024) – The Arizona Masonry Council celebrated 30 years of its Masonry Apprenticeship Program recently with a graduating class of 12, each of whom was certified as a journeyman.
The 2023 Apprentice Graduation Dinner was held at Culinary Dropout in Tempe. Besides celebrating 30 years of the apprenticeship program, the event also celebrated the first graduating class from the AMC Block Machine Operators Apprenticeship Program.
With more than 170 family, friends, and industry members in attendance, the event celebrated the accomplishments of the Arizona Masonry Council’s 12 graduating apprentices as well as its industry leaders. Each apprentice received their certified journeyman certificate and card from the state of Arizona.
“Our industry now has the privilege of recognizing these 12 graduates as certified journeymen,” said Arizona Masonry Council Executive Director Dawn Rogers. “Congratulations as well to our 2023 Instructor of the Year, John Sugameli (Sun Valley Masonry). Thank you for your hard work and dedication.”
The 2023 graduates: Michael Anderson, Allied Masonry; Richard Bedoya, Re-Create Companies; Gilberto Davila, Rare Breed Masonry; John Haynes, Atlas Masonry; Jeromy Phillips, Desert State Landscape; Daniel Ross, Block-Lite; Ruben Rodriguez, Hobbs Masonry; Franco Sanchez, Superlite an Oldcastle Company; Nestor Sanchez, Re-Create Companies; George Shmakov, Yavapai Block; Richard Venegas, Sutter Masonry; and Merlin Weber, Block-Lite.