David Keller and Riley Gazzaway have agreed to join the board of the Flooring Academy of Specialized Training (FAST) Career Institute.

FAST will be a Dalton-based nonprofit recruiting, training and placement organization dedicated to expanding the installer base and installation capacity of the North American flooring industry. FAST Career Institute will provide a full line of hands on installation and related training services.

Keller is a second generation industry veteran with over 40 years of experience in the flooring, retailing and installation trades based out of Charleston, S.C.

After an early successful career in computer services with IBM and Apple, Keller returned to his entrepreneurial and family installation roots to create an installation services company in Atlanta during the early 1990s. That company became Keller Interiors and grew to become one of the largest installation services workrooms in the U.S., with offices covering the Southeast and Midwest. Keller’s certified professional installation crews visit over 250 homes daily, providing estimating, installation and specification services for carpet, hardwood, tile, laminate, luxury vinyl tile and sheet vinyl.

“I have a longstanding belief that the installation trade needs better, more modern and innovative training, recruiting and career placement options so we can add new installers and I believe the FAST Career Institute can do that,” said Keller.

Gazzaway is a well-known and respected veteran of the flooring industry with over 40 years of experience in the flooring, retailing and installation trades based out of Atlanta. With an early career in installation services and sales for Columbus Mills, he returned to his entrepreneurial roots to create a retail and installation services company in Atlanta during the early 1980s. Gazzaway has served on numerous Carpet & Rug Institute committees and served on the Flooring America and World Floor Covering Association (WFCA) board. Today, Gazzaway is vice president of sales and an owner of Atlanta Flooring & Design.

"What we have been doing for training and recruiting isn’t working like it once did. We need some new thinking and new processes to recruit, train and place new people in the flooring installation trade," he said. "I think FAST is the best model I have seen to do just that."

For more information, visit floorjobsfast.org.