Coverings, the international tile and stone exhibition and conference, 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 next week.
Coverings Rock Stars
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:
- Catherine Atkins, Architectural Sales, Thorntree Fine Porcelain & Natural Stone, Dallas
- Michael Ray, Owner, Ray’s Renovation, Ramer, Tenn.
Contractor/Installer :
- Hector Ruiz, CEO, HR Tile, Glenwood Springs, Colo.
- Joppe Aguirre, Owner/Installer, Cascadia Tile Company LLC, Bend, Ore.
- JP Baggett, Business Development, Elite Tile Setters, South Jordan, Utah
- Mauricio Rapalo, Owner, Prominent Tile LLC, Houston
- Neil Levens, Installer/Owner, Levens Renovations LLC, Corpus Christi, Texas
- Nicko Dimaandal, Owner & Creative Director, Tsunami Homes, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
Designer:
- Angie Gonzalez, Principal Designer/Owner, Nico Tati Designs, Rockwall, Texas
- Jennifer Hutton, Principal Designer/Creative Director, Grau Design Studio, Durham, N.C.,
- Liany Arvelo, Designer II, C4 Architecture, Orlando, Fla.
Distributor:
- Vidya Walia, CEO, Arista International Inc., Tempe, Ariz.
Manufacturer:
- Leonardo Guardia, Technical Director and Partner, Cortag Tools USA Corporation, Hiram, Ga.
Other – Marketing:
- Sara White, Associate Account Director, Novità Communications, New York
- Vanessa Leite, Marketing Manager, PBA Stones, Vitoria, Espirito Santo, Brazil
Retailer:
- Anna McCortney, Operations Manager, Ultimate Flooring, Akron, Ohio
- Jessica Jackson, Builder Sales & Design, L & L Flooring and Design, Nashville, Tenn.
Stone Fabricator:
- Noah Marques, Manager, Marques Countertops, Slidell, La.
Coverings Champions
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.
- Jennifer Richinelli, Editorial Director, Stone World, Verona, N.J.
- Dan Welch, President, Welch Tile, Kent City, Mich.
- Scott Conwell, FAIA, FCSI, CDT, LEED AP, Director of Market Development, International Masonry Institute, Chicago
The 2026 Coverings Champion, People’s Choice recipient is 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 at 4 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 takes place in Las Vegas from March 30 to April 2.
