CTEF remembers Dave Gobis, a former executive director whose commitment to education, standards, and shared knowledge helped shape the organization and the tile industry.
The tile industry lost one of its clearest technical voices with the passing of Dave Gobis on July 8, 2026. A third-generation tile setter, Gobis operated a successful contracting business in Wisconsin for 28 years before serving the industry as an educator, association leader, consultant, and inspector.
He served on the National Tile Contractors Association Board of Directors and later led the Ceramic Tile Education Foundation as executive director, helping advance installer education and technical training. His contributions were recognized with the NTCA Joe Tarver Award in 2009 and the TCNA Tile Person of the Year Award in 2015.
>> See Remembering industry legend Dave Gobis
Those accomplishments tell only part of the story. Gobis also left his mark in classrooms, technical committees, investigations, articles, and countless conversations with professionals looking for a dependable answer. His influence continues through the people who still rely on something he taught them.
Gobis was known for answers that were direct, precise, and grounded in evidence. He served as a voting member of the ANSI A108 and A118 committees and contributed to the TCNA Handbook committees and ASTM Committee C21. Through that work, he helped shape documents that continue to guide tile installation and material performance across North America.
For Gobis, standards were not abstractions. They were practical safeguards for installers, contractors, clients, and completed projects. When he believed a proposed direction could harm the industry, he spoke up. His delivery could be pointed, but his purpose was clear: technical decisions have real consequences.
That commitment to evidence extended well beyond committee rooms and written standards. Gobis maintained a laboratory at his home, equipping it with tools that allowed him to examine materials, recreate conditions, investigate failures, and test assumptions for himself. He was rarely satisfied with conventional wisdom or an answer that merely sounded reasonable. He wanted to understand why something worked, why it failed, and whether the available evidence supported the conclusion.
"Dave wanted proof," said Brad Denny, CTEF Executive Director. "He was grounded in traditional methods, but he was willing to investigate new technology rather than reject it simply because it was different."
During his tenure as CTEF executive director, Gobis helped establish an educational vision for CTEF that was practical, immersive, and rooted in the realities of the trade. He understood that complex skills cannot always be transferred through a brief presentation or handout. Effective instruction requires hands-on work, close attention to standards, and the opportunity to study both successful installations and failures.
Gobis helped shape CTEF's training facility, inspection education, course materials, and technical resources. Many presentations and instructional materials used after his tenure continued to reflect his thinking. His work helped strengthen CTEF's role as a place where installers could build knowledge, test skills, and better understand the reasons behind accepted methods.
Scott Carothers, CTEF Academic Director, said,
"As Dave was retiring from CTEF in early 2007, he passed the baton to me, which included a wealth of information, curriculum, and photographs that covered all aspects of tile installation, both good and bad.
During that transition, Dave would engage his students in a classroom activity that became known as “Stump the Buda.” He would encourage the class to ask the tough questions, which he enjoyed, but his real enjoyment came from answering the questions based on ANSI standards, TCNA Handbook methods and details, and the NTCA Reference Manual. Dave never made up an answer to difficult questions. He knew the answers. We all will miss Dave, the true tile industry icon."
His belief in rigorous education also extended to inspection. As a consultant and inspector, Gobis examined failures carefully, documented field conditions, and looked beyond easy explanations. He became a trusted resource for professionals entering inspection and consulting, offering both technical guidance and a model for disciplined investigation.
Gobis's knowledge was valuable because he did not keep it to himself. He authored technical articles, taught classes, participated in committees, and spent countless hours answering questions on the John Bridge Forum. After retiring from CTEF, he continued handling second-tier technical calls for years and shared seasoned advice with those pursuing inspection or consulting work.
That willingness to teach was central to his legacy. Gobis did more than provide answers; he showed others how to find them. He encouraged installers to consult standards, understand product limitations, examine conditions, and test assumptions rather than rely on habit or hearsay.
"Dave had an extraordinary ability to connect field experience with standards and evidence," Denny added. "He challenged assumptions, but he was also generous with what he had learned. CTEF continues to benefit from the foundation he helped build."
Dave Gobis spent a lifetime raising the level of technical understanding in the tile industry. His influence remains in the programs he helped develop, the standards he helped shape, and the installers, inspectors, educators, and industry leaders he advised.
CTEF is grateful for his service, his insistence on getting the facts right, and his commitment to passing knowledge forward. The best way to honor that legacy is to continue looking closely, asking difficult questions, and pursuing answers strong enough to support the work entrusted to our industry.