SAIA announces new Executive Director

Words: Mike AdamsThe Board of Directors of the Scaffold & Access Industry Association (SAIA) is pleased to announce the appointment of R. Granville Loar to the position of Executive Director of the Association. Loar began his work with SAIA in July 2009 as the Director of Education & Training. During the six years under Loar's leadership, the training department saw a 151% increase in the number of students participating in SAIA courses, as well as 125% department revenue growth. He has been functioning as Interim Executive Director since the position vacancy in mid-October 2015. Prior to joining the SAIA, Loar held the position of executive director for a similarly structured international association.

In his new role as executive director, Loar will be responsible for oversight of the day-to-day operations and projects of SAIA, manage SAIA staff and volunteers, represent SAIA's interests within the industry, events and governing bodies, oversee publication and distribution of SA Magazine, develop industry partnerships with SAIA, work closely with the SAIA board and executive committee and oversee budget development and implementation.
 0
The Enduring Power of Structural Masonry
July 2025

Masonry has been holding its ground for millennia — literally. And thanks to the simple brilliance of arching action, it continues to do so with strength, style, and surprising efficiency. In an era of advanced modeling and fast-moving schedules, one time

Shayne Sanders
Read More
Outreach Outlook: Momentum in Motion
July 2025

As we move into the heart of summer, the masonry industry continues to thrive—fueled by innovation, partnership, and a growing commitment to excellence in education and workforce advancement. June has been a remarkable month, marked by events that not onl

Conner Birdsong
Read More
Building More: Slow, Fast, or Consistent. What is Tempo?
July 2025

It was a drizzly midweek day when I rolled up to the project we were working on just outside of town. The foreman paced the scaffolding, rain hood half-zipped, barking at two laborers who were sprinting bricks like they were late for a flight. Forty feet

Corey Adams
Building More
Read More
Marvelous Masonry: Belém Tower
July 2025

The Belém Tower in Lisbon, Portugal, stands as a testament to stone construction's enduring artistry and technical prowess. Erected between 1514 and 1519, this iconic structure served as a defensive bastion at the mouth of the Tagus River and as a ceremon

Cass Stern
Marvelous Masonry
Read More