March 18, 2026 – LAS VEGAS – Coverings (coverings.com), the leading international tile and
stone exhibition and conference in North America, has announced 22 honorees for two of the
show’s prestigious annual awards programs, including this year’s Rock Star Award recipients
and the 2026 Coverings Champions, ahead of the show’s return to the Las Vegas Convention
Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, March 30-April 2, 2026.
The Coverings Rock Stars, an Emerging Leaders Program, emphasizes Coverings’ mission to
support the success and growth of the tile and stone industry by celebrating the best and
brightest young leaders.
The 18 Coverings Rock Star inductees were selected following an extensive candidate review
by a panel of tile and stone industry leaders.
The winners hail from numerous industry segments
and comprise top-notch talent known for fostering networking and educational opportunities.
Builder/Remodeler (2):
Catherine Atkins, Architectural Sales
Thorntree Fine Porcelain & Natural Stone
Dallas, Texas, United States
Michael Ray, Owner
Ray’s Renovation
Ramer, Tenn., United States
Contractor/Installer (6):
Hector Ruiz, CEO
HR Tile
Glenwood Springs, Colo., United States
Joppe Aguirre, Owner/Installer
Cascadia Tile Company LLC
Bend, Ore., United States
JP Baggett, Business Development
Elite Tile Setters
South Jordan, Utah, United States
Mauricio Rapalo, Owner
Prominent Tile LLC
Houston, Texas, United States
Neil Levens, Installer/Owner
Levens Renovations LLC
Corpus Christi, Texas, United States
Nicko Dimaandal, Owner & Creative Director
Tsunami Homes
Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Designer (3):
Angie Gonzalez, Principal Designer/Owner
Nico Tati Designs
Rockwall, Texas, United States
Jennifer Hutton, Principal Designer/Creative
Director, Grau Design Studio
Durham, N.C., United States
Liany Arvelo, Designer II
C4 Architecture
Orlando, Fla., United States
Distributor (1):
Vidya Walia, CEO
Arista International, Inc.
Tempe, Ariz., United States
Manufacturer (1): Leonardo Guardia, Technical Director and Partner
Cortag Tools USA Corporation
Hiram, Ga., United States
Other – Marketing (2): Sara White, Associate Account Director
Novità Communications
New York, N.Y., United States
Vanessa Leite, Marketing Manager
PBA Stones
Vitoria, Espirito Santo, Brazil
Retailer (2):
Anna McCortney, Operations Manager
Ultimate Flooring
Akron, Ohio, United States
Jessica Jackson, Builder Sales & Design
L & L Flooring and Design
Nashville, Tenn., United States
Stone Fabricator (1):
Noah Marques, Manager
Marques Countertops
Slidell, La., United States
The Coverings Champions, an awards program first introduced at Coverings 2025, recognizes
industry leaders for their outstanding contributions and advocacy for the Coverings show and
tile and stone community. These influential visionaries are dedicated supporters who
passionately promote the event and invest significant time, energy and resources to its
advancement. Through their involvement in educational sessions, expert panels, special
projects and outreach efforts, Coverings Champions drive industry innovation while elevating
the Coverings experience and the future of the tile and stone community at large.
Coverings selected four nominees for the 2026 Coverings Champion, People’s Choice Award
and invited the tile and stone industry to vote. Online voting took place Feb. 9-20, 2026, giving
the tile and stone community a powerful voice in recognizing an industry leader who truly makes
a difference. The four 2026 Coverings Champions, People’s Choice Nominees were:
Betty Sullivan
Chairman of the Board of Directors
Architectural Ceramics, Inc. DBA Architessa
Rockville, Md., United States
Jennifer Richinelli
Editorial Director
Stone World
Verona, N.J., United States
Dan Welch
President
Welch Tile
Kent City, Mich., United States
Scott Conwell
FAIA, FCSI, CDT, LEED AP,
Director of Market Development
International Masonry Institute
Chicago, Ill., United States
The 2026 Coverings Champion, People’s Choice recipient is Jennifer Richinelli, having
received nearly 1,500 votes. Richinelli, selected by her peers across the tile, stone, and
fabrication industries, is recognized for her unwavering dedication and outstanding contributions
to the industry and the Coverings show, including serving on the Coverings Installation & Design
(CID) Awards judging panel for more than 15 years.
The 2026 Rock Star Awards & Coverings Champions Ceremony will take place in The
Coverings Lounge, Booth 6014, Monday, March 30, 4-5 p.m. PDT, honoring this year’s Rock
Stars alongside the 2026 People’s Choice Coverings Champion and Finalists. Showgoers are
invited to participate in the festivities by attending the ceremony.
Coverings 2026 attendees can learn more about the Rock Stars & Coverings Champions
Awards Ceremony at coverings.com/coverings-rock-stars. For more information and to register
to attend Coverings 2026, visit Coverings.com.
###
Photos for the Editor:
• Headshots of the Rock Star Award winners described in this release can be
viewed and downloaded for publication via the following SharePoint link: https://eberlycollardpr.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/External-
EberlyCollardPublicRelations/IgBoCvFdpWUATYLpSaFXOY88ASDmueR7B61eE4Lkwb3Do8s?e=evD8Ye
• Headshots of the Coverings Champion, People’s Choice and Coverings
Champions, People’s Choice Nominees named in this release can viewed and
downloaded for publication via the following SharePoint link: https://eberlycollardpr.sharepoint.com/:f:/s/External-
EberlyCollardPublicRelations/IgA2Eq7npUtpSYKwgDJZwatBATHaCbyfk6hkTt2fyJzlQG8?e=YWfTWI
Coverings’ Social Media:
Instagram: instagram.com/CoveringsShow
Facebook: facebook.com/CoveringsShow
X: @Coverings, #Coverings2026
LinkedIn: Coverings LinkedIn showcase page
YouTube: Watch Coverings videos
Blog: coverings.com/blog
About Coverings: Coverings is the largest and preeminent ceramic tile and natural stone trade fair and exposition in the United States and North America. It features exhibitors from 40 countries and is the stage for introducing some of the most innovative tile and stone products in the world with 1,000 exhibitors.
The exposition and conference, with more than 35 years of successful history, serve as a valuable and complimentary learning resource for all segments of the industry, with dozens of educational opportunities throughout the show. Coverings attracts thousands of distributors, retailers, fabricators, contractors, specifiers, architectural and design professionals, builders, real estate developers, as well as journalists, reporters, broadcasters, podcasters and bloggers who cover the vital tile and stone industry.
Key sponsors of the show are Ceramics of Italy/Confindustria Ceramica, Ceramic Tile Manufacturers Association of Spain (ASCER)/Tile of Spain, Tile Council of North America (TCNA), National Tile Contractors Association (NTCA), Ceramic Tile Distributors Association (CTDA) and International Product Assurance (IPA) Laboratories.
The show is managed by Taffy Event Strategies.
For more information about attending, sponsoring or exhibiting at Coverings 2026, contact Taffy Event Strategies at 571-313-5801 or [email protected].
Media/press contact for questions, interviews, additional photos, press tour attendance, etc.: Eberly & Collard Public Relations. See the contacts/email addresses listed at the top of this release.