Collision Repair Education Foundation

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3M Hire Our Heroes

The 3M Hire Our Heroes 500 during 2018 SEMA Show raised funds to support scholarships and tool grants to military veterans and their families.

 

Collision Repair Industry’s Top Shop Owners, MSO Leaders and Industry-Leading Companies Raced to Claim the Honors

Donate to the Collision Repair Education Foundation to support the 3M Hire Our Heroes campaign

 

Hire Out Heroes 500 logoWhen the tire smoke cleared and the final results tallied, Gary Boesel, owner of CARSTAR Alpine and CARSTAR Jordan Road took home the top honors with a fast time of 153.87 in the 3M Hire Our Heroes 500, outpacing representatives from top collision repair companies and industry partners.

3M Automotive Aftermarket Division, along with the Collision Repair Education Foundation, put its effort to provide collision repair education opportunities for military members into high gear this year, hosting the 3M Hire Our Heroes 500 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. This year’s program raised more than $150,000 for the 3M Hire Our Heroes program, which provides scholarships and tool grants for military members who want to enter the collision repair industry. All donations for the 3M Hire Our Heroes 500 went to the 3M Hire Our Heroes scholarship fund.

“That was one of the most incredible experiences in my life,” said Boesel, who competed in drag racing as a young adult. “To have my family here and take home the trophy is amazing. Then to have Richard Petty present it to me is unbelievable. What an honor to race for the team at CARSTAR Alpine and CARSTAR Jordan Road and represent the CARSTAR brand.”

Richard Petty (l) presents Gary Boesel with the 3M Hire Our Heroes 500 Trophy at SEMA.

On Tuesday, October 30 during the 2018 SEMA Show, representatives from top MSO and independent collision repair companies industry partners competed in NASCAR stock cars from the NASCAR Racing Experience at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for bragging rights as the fastest collision repair professional in the industry. Legendary automotive designer Chip Foose waved the green flag for the field. The winner was presented the race trophy by NASCAR Hall of Fame member Richard Petty on Wednesday, October 31, in the 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division outside booth at SEMA.

Companies that competed in the race included:  CARSTAR, Gerber Collision & Glass, Auto Body Evolution, Lindsay Collision Centers, Brandywine Coach Works, Skeeter’s Body Shop, Caliber Collision, Fix Auto, Berkshire Hathaway Automotive/English Color and Supply, Certified Collision Group, CARSTAR Jordon Road/CARSTAR Alpine, Garmat and Enterprise Rent-a-Car. 

Each participant generously donated to have a car in the field. All proceeds benefit the 3M Hire Our Heroes program.

“What a great night with many of our colleagues in the collision repair industry,” said Dale Ross, U.S. Marketing Operations Manager for 3M Automotive Aftermarket Division. “There was racing excitement in beautifully branded race cars under the lights at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Chip Foose waved the green flag, top painters from around the country showed off custom helmets for each driver and it all benefited an important cause – providing scholarships and tool grants for military members who want to work in the collision repair industry. This was a unique, once-of-a-lifetime event that engaged many of our collision repair industry’s leading companies in a race for an amazing trophy – and bragging rights. We’re honored to have everyone’s support.”

The partners in the 3M Hire Our Heroes 500 included 3M Commercial Solutions Division, which provided the graphic film for the cars, TriMaxx Graphics, which printed the film, Graphix GearWerks handled the installation, and NASCAR Racing Experience provided the race cars and managed the on-track event.

“The 3M Hire Our Heroes program has been an incredible initiative that will help launch a rewarding career for our scholarship and tool grant recipients and benefit our industry overall,” said Clark Plucinski, Executive Director of the Collision Repair Education Foundation. “The generosity of the industry in supporting this program is heartwarming, and they are playing a critical role in building the success of our industry for years to come.”

This is the sixth year that 3M has partnered with the Collision Repair Education Foundation in support of our industry and our nation’s veterans. Since 2013, the 3M Hire Our Heroes program has generated more than $1.2 million to be used toward scholarships and tool grants for military veterans and their family members. Nearly 330 military veterans and their families have already received scholarships and grants.

If you prefer, you can mail your donation to Collision Repair Education Foundation, 5125 Trillium Boulevard, Hoffman Estates, Illinois 60192. If sending a check, be sure to identify “Hire our Heroes” in the memo section of the check.

Check out the videos below with Hire Our Heroes Grant Recipients


 

 

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Student of the Year Winner Gets Noticed

Annie Michalski, one of two winners of the 2016 Collision Repair Education Foundation’s Student of the Year Award, says she feels welcome in a world where she never thought she would, and she’s planning to stick around. The automotive collision repair industry is lucky to have her; in a time when demands are rising, technology is advancing rapidly, and the vast majority of employees are male and over age 35, it’s in desperate need of people like Michalski. She’s hoping to make the industry more welcoming to others like her: intelligent millennial women.

Annie Michalski, a 2016 Student of the Year winner, was featured on the cover of the February 2017 issue of Fenderbender magazine.

Currently, Michalski represents two minorities in the industry: women and young people. She hopes that by stepping up and setting an example, she can continue to be a role model for future generations. She said, “I’m a woman, and there aren’t a lot of women in the industry. The thing about that is, every single woman I have met in the industry is amazingly strong and pushing us further every day to equality. The thing that I still see needing much work is the age gap. There are so few technicians entering the scene nowadays.”

When she was first introduced to the collision repair program at her school, Michalski was a little intimidated. “I won’t lie, anytime I was ever approached about the industry… it was older men who were… shown as the standard in the field. I think we need to break that stereotype.” Within a few days, she decided it was the opportunity she needed to prove herself as both a young person and a woman. Michalski has studied collision repair since her sophomore year of high school, and this year, was selected as a CREF student of the year.

Michalski said, “I’d like to say I was selected because my teacher (John Warabow) saw the potential in me… I’m drive and enjoy the art and science of collision repair.”

On being selected as a CREF student of the year, Michalski said, “The Collision Repair Education Foundation helped me understand how far one could go in this industry; without them I would be a lot more lost and have a foggier future.”

The collision repair program at her school has enabled Michalski to complete several certifications. In addition, she is a member of SkillsUSA, she serves on the collision program’s Advisory Committee, and she works at a local dealership as part of the cooperative education program. Her accomplishments in collision repair have helped to shape her dream of continuing to a career in the industry, and enabled her to find a path to do it. Michalski said, “I hope to continue forward into the business aspect of the industry. I plan on attending college in the fall for management or marketing.”

Michalski was also interviewed by CollisionWeek publisher Russell Thrall. The video of that interview appears below.

Michalski, who attended Western Area Career and Technology in Canonsburg, Pa. was nominated by her instructor, John Warabow, who wrote in his recommendation for the award last year, “Anna entered my program as a sophomore and is now a senior. Her ability to communicate with fellow students, staff and faculty has made her well-known and respected. She has become a true leader in the class and her fellow students are encouraged by her positive attitude and the ability to accomplish any given task.”

In the video above, Michalski explains what attracted her to a career in the collision industry, how her family and friends reacted and supported her decision. She also talks about the support she has received from the industry, including from Petra Schroeder, chair of the Women’s Industry Network, as well as the Foundation. Michalski graduated high school in 2017 and is attending college, planning to study business. She plans to combine the business skills she learns in college with the technical skills she gained in collision repair to find a career in the industry upon graduation.

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Donate to the Collision Repair Education Foundation

The future of the collision industry is in your hands, and you can make an enormous difference. It’s time for us to work together to achieve our shared vision and goals – to spearhead a new era of excellence in our industry. With your help, we can make it happen.

Your gift to the Collision Repair Education Foundation is an investment in tomorrow’s repair technicians, estimators, researchers, trainers, salespeople, managers, and owners. Your donation has the potential to inspire the talented young men and women who represent the future of our industry. As we face the challenges of a critical shortage in qualified entry-level collision technicians, there’s never been a better time to give to the Collision Repair Education Foundation.

Join us today in investing in our industry’s shared values. Your generosity will benefit not only today’s and tomorrow’s students, but also the businesses – both local and nationwide – that depend upon collision industry schools to prepare entry-level employees of the highest caliber.

Together, we will fuel the future of the collision industry.

Donor Privacy Policy

Physical Mail Donation

To send in your donation, you can write a check (made payable to the “Collision Repair Education Foundation”) and send to:

Collision Repair Education Foundation
5125 Trillium Blvd
Hoffman Estates, IL 60192

Phone Contact

To speak with someone from the Collision Repair Education Foundation regarding potential support, or make a donation over the phone please contact: Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode at 847-463-5244.

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COLLISION REPAIR EDUCATION FOUNDATION ANNOUNCES WINNER OF STUDENT OF THE YEAR AWARD

HOFFMAN ESTATES, IL – October 17, 2017 – The Collision Repair Education Foundation has selected the winner of its “Collision Students of the Year” award. This year’s recipient, nominated by her collision instructor, Andy Retz, is Rosalinda Pop-Pablo, a high school senior studying collision repair at Lorenzo Walker Technical College in Naples. Florida.

 

Both the winner and her instructor will receive a trip to SEMA 2017 where the pair will be honored at the Education Foundation’s evening reception on Tuesday, October 31st.

 

“Although she is a high school senior, and therefore younger than most of the student in my auto collision repair program here at Lorenzo Walker Technical College in Naples, Florida, Rosalinda has demonstrated more ambition and determination that any student in recent memory,” said Retz in his nomination letter to the Foundation. “She is an inspiration to young people everywhere considering entering the auto body business.”

 

The Foundation also announced two individuals who were runners up for the 2017 Student of the Year award. The runners up include:

  • Makayla Baldwin, Bradley Central High School, Cleveland, Tenn.
  • Dylan Wertz, Sentinel Career & Technology Center, Tiffin, Ohio.

 

All industry members are welcome to join the Collision Repair Education Foundation during SEMA 2017 to celebrate Pop-Pablo’s achievement who will be honored at the Collision Repair Education Foundation Industry Reception at 9:00 p.m. on Tuesday, October  31st at the Renaissance Hotel. To RSVP for the event, please email info@ed-foundation.org.

 

Those interested in joining the Collision Repair Education Foundation and supporting local collision school programs, should contact Director of Development Brandon Eckenrode at Brandon.Eckenrode@ed-foundation.org/ 847-463-5244.

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SCHOOLS WITH STUDENT MEDALISTS AT SKILLSUSA NATIONAL COMPETITION RECEIVED OVER $900,000 IN SUPPORT FROM INDUSTRY THROUGH THE COLLISION REPAIR EDUCATION FOUNDATION

Hoffman Estates, Ill. (July 17, 2017) – All of the student medalists in the collision repair technology and automotive refinishing technology competitions at the annual SkillsUSA Championships last month studied at schools that received grants from the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF). The 11 schools represented by the 12 high school and college SkillsUSA medal winners collectively received $916,000 in school improvement grants from the collision industry through Collision Repair Education Foundation administered grant programs since 2014.

Among the winners was David Fors, a student at Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical High School, in Fitchburg, Mass., who won a silver medal in the high school collision technology competition.

“Having a student win a silver medal at the SkillsUSA national competition was rewarding to the staff here at Monty Tech and the student gained experiences and life skills that will last a lifetime. The donations provided by the CREF really helps us prepare students to enter the workforce and prepare them for competitions, such as the SkillsUSA Championships,” said David Lelievre, collision repair instructor at Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical High School, in Fitchburg, Mass.

Joel Hartstack, from Southwestern Community College, in Creston, IA; won a gold medal in the college collision repair technology competition.

Joel’s instructor Jeff Magneson noted, “Of all the organizations that we belong to the Collision Repair Education Foundation is by far the most valued asset that we have in acquiring donated scholarships, grants, tools, equipment and materials. These donations are vital to producing the quality collision repair/refinish technicians of tomorrow as evidenced through our success at SkillsUSA. With the budget restrictions given to community colleges and the high price of career/technical training – it is more important than ever.”

 “Every school that won a medal in collision repair and refinishing this year is very involved with the Collision Repair Education Foundation and receives donations from us,” said Melissa Marscin, director of operations and administration for the Foundation. “We truly believe the donations the industry provides throughout the year through the Foundation have made a difference in these students’ education and contributed to their success.”

The Collision Repair Education Foundation aims to support collision repair educational programs, schools, and students to create qualified entry-level employees and connect them with an array of career opportunities. School grant programs are an important part of this effort, making sure students learn with the latest tools and technology necessary to repair today’s vehicles.

For more information on how you can support the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s grant program, contact Christen Battaglia, at Christen.Battaglia@ed-foundation.org or 302-377-5202. For information on how to apply for school grants, visit the Foundation website (https://www.collisioneducationfoundation.org/school-grant-opportunities/), or contact Melissa Marscin at Melissa.Marscin@ed-foundation.org or 888.722.3787, Ext. 282.