INSTALL, the North American leader in floorcovering installation training and certification, announces the appointment of David Gross as INSTALL Executive Director. Gross began his new position on December 1, 2022, upon the retirement of the organization’s previous executive director, John T. McGrath, Jr. who held the leadership role for 16 years.

Gross will continue to highlight INSTALL’s collaborative spirit and sees the executive director as a facilitator role within the organization. He intends to focus on the needs of each sector of the industry—installers, contractors, manufacturers, and specifiers—and work to determine how INSTALL can assist each group in meeting its goals, from providing human resource guidance to supporting recruiting efforts.

Maintaining Momentum

“I want to find innovative ways to bridge all of the floorcovering installation industry entities,” says Gross, “while ensuring that INSTALL continues to offer industry-leading training and exacting standards, which provide drivers that move our industry forward.”

Gross looks forward to furthering the momentum that McGrath initiated and continuing to expand the organization. He specifically plans on growing the INSTALL network throughout the western United States over the next few years.

“We’ve put the initial investment in, and our investment is going to grow exponentially in the return we give to the industry,” says Gross.

An Educational Leader

Prior to assuming the executive director position of INSTALL, Gross served as a full-time instructor at the Northeast Carpenter’s Apprenticeship Training Fund in Hamilton, New Jersey, for eight years. During this time, he honed his expertise in lesson planning and training program development tailored to the field of floorcovering installation, achieving Advanced Instructor Certification through the UBC’s workforce development program created in partnership with Penn State University.

Gross’s strong educational background and focus on the floorcovering industry made him the ideal fit for the top position at INSTALL. He was selected from a pool of highly qualified candidates by a group of his peers—the INSTALL Committee, which is comprised of contractors and tradespeople within the industry.

Additionally, Gross holds a bachelor’s degree in economics from East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania, a Master of Business Administration from Pittsburg State University and is a Certified Safety Professional (CSP), as well as an Authorized OSHA Outreach Trainer and UBC Level III Instructor. 

He has sat on the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America (UBC) Executive Board as the vice president of Local 251 for almost 20 years.

“This is a very important position that, quite frankly, affects tens of thousands of people’s lives,” said McGrath. “We did not take choosing a new executive director lightly, and David is more than qualified to continue to lead INSTALL down the path of excellence in training and certification standards.”