Board of Trustees
Tom Wolf
Chair
PPG Industries, Director Business Development USCA
Tom Wolf has worked in the collision industry since 1985. Starting his career from grass roots in the business as a refinish technician in the Bay Area of California working for Jim’s Auto Body, one of the first 3 store MSO’s in the country.
Tom hired on with PPG Automotive refinish in 1994 where he remains today. His various roles include: Lead field technical trainer, Territory Manager, Zone Business Development Manager, Regional Manager and was promoted in the spring of 2015 to Director Business Development USCA.
Tom is a sales professional skilled at leveraging innovative techniques to convert leads into new partnerships. His passion, drive and desire to give back to an industry as a lifelong participant that has afforded him and his family lasting experiences and friendships. Currently living in Northern California, he enjoys time with family in a place he calls our resort, the backyard.
He currently sits on the Collision Repair Education Foundation board, where the greater needs of our industry can be met. He is humbled to be working alongside such a giving group of professionals at the Collision Repair Education Foundation.
Don Mikrut
Vice Chair
Repairify, LLC, Chief Development Officer
Don Mikrut is an innovative and creative business leader with multiple achievements in the strategic development and execution of game-changing initiatives. He is passionate about recruiting, mentoring and leading productive teams to success despite growing and ever-changing environments. Through his ability to identify and capitalize on synergies that accelerate business growth through reduced product lead times, increased capacity, reduced inventory, and increased cash flow, Mikrut strategically builds revenue growth while improving infrastructure and quality.
Mikrut is currently with Repairify, LLC as the Chief Development Officer joining the organization in September of 2020. Additionally, Mikrut was formerly with Solera from August 2014 thru August 2020 as Vice President of Service, Parts & eCommerce. He oversees Collision Repair Service (CRS), Glass Services (GTS), Hollander, DST, APU, Navex and field sales for Identifix.
Before Solera, Mikrut served as the chief executive officer of Cars Collision Center, LLC from 2000 to 2011, a $73 million multi-state automotive collision repair group. Working with departmental leaders, Mikrut devised an operational strategy and developed infrastructure to drive improvements in customer service, productivity and quality. This established scalability to fuel 46% CAGR and ultimately made Cars Collision Centers an acquisition target and it was acquired by Boyd Group (Canada) in 2011.
A native of Indiana, Mikrut earned a B.A. degree from Purdue University in 1993 in Business Management. He is married and has two children. He enjoys fitness, golf and hockey.
Kyle Holt
Secretary
S/P2, President and Co-Founder
Kyle Holt is the President and co-founder of S/P2 (sp2.org). S/P2’s online training is used by more than 225,000 students and employees every year, across 3,500 career tech programs and 2,700 businesses. S/P2’s training is industry-specific, covering topics like safety, environmental, ethics, soft skills, and human resources.
S/P2 also provides S/P2 Careers – a recruiting platform allowing employers to find, recruit, and hire from more than 60,000 entry-level technicians looking for career opportunities. Kyle is passionate about helping the next generation of technicians find the right first employer, so that when they enter the industry, they stay in the industry.
Ryan West
Treasurer
GEICO, assistant vice president
Ryan West is assistant vice president of Government Employees Insurance Company (GEICO), with responsibility for claims operations in the company’s Lakeland, Florida, regional office. Before assuming his current duties in 2017, West had headed GEICO’s claims home office since 2013.
West joined GEICO in 1992 as a claims service representative in GEICO’s Macon, Georgia, regional office. He advanced through supervisory and management assignments there before becoming liability director in the company’s Lakeland, Florida, regional office in 2003. West then entered the executive assistant program in 2004 at the corporate headquarters in Chevy Chase, Maryland.
He returned to Lakeland for sales, service and underwriting rotations early in 2005 and was named director of claims for the company’s Buffalo operation later that year. West was elected assistant vice president in 2006, with responsibility for claims operations in New Jersey and the New England states in GEICO’s Buffalo, New York, regional office; he served in that role until he took on the home office claims duties in 2013.
West holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Mercer University in Georgia. He earned an Associate in Claims from the Insurance Institute of America and is a designated Casualty Claim Law Associate.
Steve Schmidt
Trustee-At-Large
State Farm, Manager – Transportation Engagement Office
Steven Schmidt is Manager – Transportation Engagement Office, at State Farm where he supervises a unit whose responsibility is to maintain relationships and facilitate relationships with the global transportation industry and with other industry organizations aligned with the manufacturing and repair of motor vehicles.
Steve joined State Farm in 1986, serving six years in Auto Claims and the last 28 years with their Enterprise Research department. He assumed his current responsibilities in 2019. Prior to joining State Farm, Steve developed as a technician in the collision repair industry and successfully managed two collision repair facilities.
Steve is a member of the Society of Automotive Engineers, where he led a technical standard development division as well as served on the SAE Technical Standards Board. Steve was an instructor for I-CAR for 31 years, maintains his I-CAR Platinum qualifications and is currently a member of the Collision Repair Education Foundation Board of Trustees.
An active automotive hobbyist, Steve enjoys sharing an ever-changing collection of vehicles with his wife, three children and four grandchildren.
Kevin Burnett
Trustee-At-Large
Gerber Collision & Glass, Chief Operating Officer
Mr. Burnett is the Chief Operating Officer for Gerber Collision & Glass overseeing over 550 locations across 28 states. He joined Gerber in November of 1998 as the Vice President of Information Technology. In 2000, Mr. Burnett moved into an operational role, leading production in Gerber’s largest location and became General Manager later that same year. In 2002 he moved into a Market Manager position overseeing 8 locations. He was promoted to Regional Vice President in 2006, Senior Vice President in 2017 and Chief Operating Office in 2019.
Mr. Burnett currently serves on the board of the Collision Repair Education Foundation and was an active member of the I-CAR National Industry Strategic Advisory Committee.
Prior to joining Gerber, Mr. Burnett was the Director of Network Services for CCC Information Services. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Management Information Systems from the University of Arizona. He lives in Northbrook Illinois with his wife Janet and has three grown children and one grandchild.
Jeanne Silver
Immediate Past Chair
CARSTAR Mundelein, co-owner
Jeanne Silver is co-owner of CARSTAR Mundelein in Mundelein, Ill. She opened the business in 1996, and it is a respected collision business in their local community. Jeanne maintains a presence in her community through Chambers of Commerce, village government and community involvement.
Her role as a participating member and past chair of several committees of the Collision Industry Conference allowed her to engage in open dialogue for the benefit of the industry. She is a Past Chair of the Collision Industry Foundation and the Collision Repair Education Foundation.
Jeanne works closely with local high schools through career advisory councils and is a guest lecturer at high schools and colleges in her community. She speaks about small business ownership, diversity in the workplace, and careers in the collision repair industry.
Trustees
Tom Brown
3M
Mike Croker
Chief Automotive, Global Repair and Training Product Manager, Collision
Mike joined Chief Automotive Technologies in 2014 as a Chief University Instructor. He joined our team with over 17 years of experience in the collision industry. Mike holds a degree in Automotive Business Management and has worked for various automotive dealers as a technician and service writer. Prior to Chief, Mike worked as a seasoned Collision Equipment Manager for a Chief automotive distributor. He successfully managed sales, training and installation for frame equipment, MIG/STRSW welding and refinishing equipment.
In addition to his professional goals, Mike has always enjoyed volunteer work within the automotive industry. He is a devoted advisor for various technical school organizations and a National Technical Committee member with Skills-USA. Mike uses a hands-on approach in training to serve as an I-CAR Instructor and is a ASE Subject Matter Expert for Structural Analysis & Damage Repair (B4). This association has given Mike the opportunity to build many strong business relationships with key players in the automotive training industry on a national level. Mike’s dedication to the collision industry, friendly demeanor and great family orientation are what we strive for at Chief.
Paul Folino
LKQ Corporation, Senior Director of Insurance Services-US
Paul Folino is the Senior Director of Insurance Services-US for LKQ Corporation. With his team of Account Managers, Paul is responsible for fostering the relationships between the insurance industry and LKQ Corporation’s core sales group. Paul and his team present new products, services and training geared to help their insurance partners reduce claims cost and severity.
Paul joined the automotive parts distribution industry in 1998 and has held many positions within. He has developed strong relationships throughout the collision repair industry, traveled to Taiwan to work with overseas partners, supports CAPA and other industry associations.
Paul lives in Connecticut with his wife Bernadette and has two grown sons, Dominic and Daniel. He enjoys weight training, bike riding, fishing and restoring old cars and trucks in his spare time.
Ty Gammill
Caliber Collision Centers, Senior Vice President, Talent Development
Ty Gamill, Senior Vice President, Talent Development at Caliber Collision Centers, began his career with GEICO as an Auto Damage Intern and held various positions during his 18-year career with the organization. He last position with GEICO was as Regional Auto Damage Director (2001-2010), in which he was responsible for the physical damage operations of 11 states.
Ty joined Caliber in 2010 and currently holds the position of Senior Vice President of Talent Development. Ty has oversight of training and development for the organization, both leadership and technical, as well as Caliber’s centralized call center. Ty is also responsible for Caliber’s internal communications group. Ty’s focus is on creating leaders in every role, building a bench of talent for current and future needs, and driving Caliber’s culture throughout the organization.
Ty graduated from Stephen F Austin State University in 1989 with a BA in Communication.
Ty has been married to his wife Lisa for 27 years, and they have four children, Tyler (24), Megan (21), Angel (17) and Xander (16).
Andreas Hecht
CCC Intelligent Solutions, Senior Vice President & GM, OEM & New Venture
Andreas Hecht has led strategic and business-building initiatives in automotive, digital publishing and consumer electronics industries for more than two decades. He currently serves as General Manager, Senior Vice President of OEM & New Ventures at CCC, the industry’s leading provider of business intelligence solutions for OEMs, insurers, auto repair shops and consumers. Among its offerings, CCC provides an open telematics platform enabling its network of more than 350+ insurance carriers to connect with CCC’s automotive manufacturing partners to share and build new high-value business models from connected car data. Much of Mr. Hecht’s career has focused on the emergence of the connected vehicle through leadership roles at companies such as INRIX, Navigon and HERE Technologies. He holds higher degrees in artificial intelligence from Technical University Berlin, Germany, and currently lives in the wilds of Chicago, Illinois, with his wife and two sons
Mark Helvenston
Insurance Auto Auctions (IAA)
Brenda Hogen
Parts Trader, Strategic Accounts Vice President
Brenda Hogen is the Strategic Accounts Vice President for PartsTrader. She has responsibility for business development and account relationships. With more than 20 years of combined experience in technology sales and insurance claims management, Brenda understands the talent development needs in the auto industry.
Brenda holds bachelor’s degree in business administration from Portland State University as well as a master’s degree in Business Administration. She resides in Jacksonville, FL with her husband. In addition, she enjoys spending time with family and friends, travel, boating, and participating in a number of charity bicycling events.
Ken Hudson
Farmers Insurance, Director of Auto Physical Damage Strategy
Ken Hudson is Director of Auto Physical Damage Strategy for the Farmers Insurance Group of Companies. Ken has more than 34 years of experience with major carries in Personal Property and Casualty Insurance. Experienced in Auto Physical Damage, Casualty, and Property claims with more than 25 years of leadership.
Ken’s current responsibilities include Auto Physical Damage Strategy and processes including the tools and technology we use to evaluate Auto losses and the vendors who support us. He evaluates new and innovative approaches to Auto Physical Damage claims through new technologies and approaches. He is lso responsible for national Auto and Property salvage teams and Guaranteed Repair Program strategy and evaluates and communicates Auto Physical Damage trends to internal leadership including Claims, Actuary and Product Management teams.
Sean Huurman
Service King Collision Repair Centers, Chief Human Resources Officer
Sean Huurman is currently the Chief Human Resources Officer of Service King, a $1.3B Blackstone Portfolio Company with over 340 locations across the United States. Huurman has over 25 years of global operations, real estate, and human resources expertise focused on talent acquisition, talent management, total rewards, facility management, and organizational development.
Prior to joining Service King in 2016, he served and Chief People Officer for Imagine Communications and GENBAND, Inc., and sat on the Board of GatesAir, Inc., a subsidiary of Imagine Communications. Previously, he spent 13 years with KPMG/Bearingpoint in progressive human resource executive roles. In addition to his corporate experience, in 2010 Mr. Huurman founded The Talen Group, LLC, an independent human resources management consulting firm.
He holds a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from Santa Clara University and earned a master’s degree in Human Resources and Employee Relations from Pennsylvania State University.
Huurman is actively involved in higher education and the community, serving on the Dean’s Advisory Counsel of the Bagley School of Engineering at Mississippi State University and member of the Board of Regents at Santa Clara University. He has been recognized multiple years by the Dallas Metroplex Technology Business Council as a nominee for the “Tech Titan – Community Hero” award for his continued work in support of global community outreach efforts.
Doug Irish
Mr. Irish graduated from Saint Leo University with a BA in Business Management and has nearly four decades of collision industry experience, including expertise in appraisal and claim technical development. Mr. Irish began his career as a repair technician, eventually owning a repair business, as well as managing multiple Dealer and Independent Collision Repair Centers. In addition, as a licensed appraiser he spent 20 years with MetLife Auto & Home, responsible for estimatics, training, vendor solutions and
MetLife’s “Guaranteed Repair Program”. Having established professionally recognized expertise in operational leadership, Irish now oversees the strategic operations as President and CEO of AccuracyDriven4 as well as heads up Fayetteville Technical Community College’s Collision Repair & Refinish Technology Program as Department Chair. Mr. Irish is responsible for developing and delivering curriculum to students pursuing a career in the Collision Repair Industry, while also handling the day-to-day operations of the department.
Scott Kohl
Scott has been with Liberty Mutual/Safeco Insurance for over 23+ years and appointed Vice President of Auto Physical Damage – Global Retail Markets in October 2007. Under his leadership the auto line of business manages over 4.1 billion dollars in spend, encompasses a staff of US base and international employees, 3200 shop partners, product development and digital innovation.
During his time with the company, Scott has held a number of roles including Field Manager, Regional Manager for both inside and outside claims operations (auto and property), Product Development Vice President of Claims and various leadership roles within the organization. Liberty Mutual and Safeco in January 2013 started a claims re-alignment combining both claims operations under a single operation, known as Liberty Personal Insurance. The result of this has added to Scott’s scope and responsibilities and now resulted in being promoted to Vice President, APD Claims for all of Liberty Mutual Personal Insurance/Safeco managing over $4.1 in spend.
Scott attended the University of Missouri with a degree in Pre-Law (AOJ) and minor in Psychology. He is currently pursuing a MBA with an emphasis in International Business/Finance. He has also been chosen out of many executives to attend the SMDP (senior management development program) which focuses on leadership skill development for top performing leaders in the company. In addition, Scott is a current ASE Master Collision/Refinish Technician and a prior ICAR Platinum Individual.
Mary Mahoney
Mary Mahoney is the Vice President for the Replacement & Leisure Division at Enterprise Holdings. In this role, she provides leadership and guidance for Enterprise’s largest global accounts and is responsible for client relations and management of the company’s Global Insurance, Collision, Dealer, OEM, and Leisure/Affinity partners.
Enterprise Holdings operates through an integrated global network of independent regional subsidiaries and franchises – the Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Alamo Rent-A-Car and National Car Rental brands. Mary began her career with Enterprise in 1985 as a management trainee in Florida and has taken on many leadership positions within the company throughout the past 35 years.
Jay Sharp
National Coatings & Supplies, Vice President of Marketing
Jay has been associated with the automotive & collision industry for more than 40 years and during that time working in many facets of the industry. His love for this industry was shaped early on through his years of collision repair and managing a GM dealership collision center. Throughout His career I have had the opportunity to work in many different roles including sales, sales management, marketing, operations, and management roles.
In 1988 I took an opportunity to move into the jobber/distributor side of the industry and overseeing the growth of Automotive Finishes a Midwest jobber which we eventually grew to 32 locations before being acquired by CARQUEST in 2006. Sharp moved to Raleigh, NC in 2007 to be part of the refinish division management team. In 2009 the refinish division was split from CARQUEST and was rebranded to National Coatings & Supplies (NCS) a full line Paint Body & Equipment (PBE) jobber.
Through organic and acquisition growth the NCS team has grown our national footprint to 175 locations across 43 states with distribution centers in Nashville and Salt Lake City. Today NCS is recognized nationally as a leading jobber/distributor to the collision industry distributing four of the five major paint brands throughout our store network. Throughout His career I have been active in industry associations and chaired the PBES committee in 2007-2010. Giving back to this industry is important to me and helping the Collision Repair Industry Foundation in their efforts to bring awareness to the younger generation of the opportunities that exist in the industry is where I believe we will make an impact for tomorrow.
James Spears
Jimmy is the Head of Automotive for Tractable, a global provider of artificial intelligence for the leading automotive insurers.
Jimmy led the USAA Auto Experience and the USAA Global Auto Physical Damage operations and strategy. Prior to that he led the Strategic Initiatives team at Farmers Insurance and served on staff at Nationwide Insurance.
Jimmy currently serves as member of the Future Disruptions Committee for the Collision Industry Conference and an Advisory Board Member for Towing and Storage for the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation, Member of the Board of Trustees for the Collision Repair Education Foundation, and as a Mentor for the military veterans served by Patriot Boot Camp.
Jimmy served 13 years in the US Army- a combat veteran of Desert Shield/Desert Storm. He was the Distinguished Military Graduate of the JFK School of Special Warfare at Fort Bragg, NC, Graduate of the US Armor Officers School at Ft. Knox, Ky, and Graduate of the Infantry School, at Ft. Benning, Ga.
Chairmen Emeriti:
Stacy Bartnik
Intertek, Aftermarket Industry Relations Manager representing the Certified Aftermarket Parts Association
Stacy Bartnik is the Intertek Aftermarket Industry Relations Manager representing the Certified Aftermarket Parts Association, CAPA. In this role she is responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with key industry stakeholders.
Ms. Bartnik has worked in many segments of the collision industry, including Vice President of Operations for a franchise organization, Association Executive Director, Shop Estimator, General Manager, Insurance Adjuster, Trainer and Consultant. She is a Past President of the National Auto body Council, served as the Chair of the Collision Industry Conference in 2007 and 2008, and serves as a judge for Skills USA. She has been a speaker at WIN, contributing editor to ABRN, and was honored in 2004 by Akzo Nobel as one of the Most Influential Woman in the Collision Industry. Ms. Bartnik was inducted into the Collision Industry Hall of Eagles in 2010.
Terry Fortner
LKQ Corporation
Trustee Emeriti:
J. Laurence “Larry” Costin
CCC Information Services, Inc.
Lirel G. Holt
U, Inc
Chuck Sulkala
