| 2000 ASA Annual Convention
April 12-15, 2000 |
No ASA convention is all work, however. True to the convention's theme, attendees had a memorable time rocking at a 1960s beach party with the band Na Na Sha. Golfers hit the links at the ASA Golf Tournament while others took part in a tour of historic Mobile, Ala., and the Mobile Bay.
Bobby Likis, host of the nationally syndicated radio program, Bobby Likis Car Clinic, delivered Friday's luncheon presentation. The four Cs of automotive service - clean up, codify, computerize and communicate - was the focus of his presentation. On Saturday, Likis broadcasted his two-hour program live from the convention, taking listener calls from across the United States.
The convention closed with an energized performance of the Ron Lawrence Orchestra playing those great swing tunes from the 1940s.
ASA's 2001 Annual Convention will be held April 22-28 at Kannapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii.
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| Carol Mock, left, pins the past-chairman pin on her husband, Johnny Mock. Looking on is ASA's new chairman, Howard Lewis. |
"I would not be in business today if it were not for ASA," Lewis told convention attendees. "I started my own business thinking I knew everything there was to know. What I discovered was that I was a pretty fair technician, but a poor businessman."
It was ASA activities and Automotive Management Institute seminars, Lewis said, that taught him how to successfully manage his business. "ASA made my dream of owning my own shop a reality," he said.
"I enter this year as chairman with a commitment to serve our industry, fellow ASA members and this association to the absolute best of my ability," Lewis said. "I owe ASA so much and I want to repay a portion of that debt. There's no way I'll ever fully repay what I owe, but I want to give back what I can."
Lewis has been an ASA member since 1990. He has served on the board of directors since 1996. He succeeds Johnny Mock, AAM, owner of Johnny Mock's Auto Body Shop, Inc., in Turtle Creek, Pa. Mock moves to the past chairman's seat on the board of directors for one year.
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| Bobby Likis, right, an ASA member from Pensacola, Fla., and host of the nationally syndicated radio program, Bobby Likis Car Clinic, interviews Howard Lewis, incoming ASA chairman. |
Serving as affiliate directors are: Reggie Denney, AAM, Reggie Denney Auto Repair, Eden, N.C.; Dale Bright, AAM. Dale Bright's Auto Service, Chino, Calif.; and Aaron Clements, C&C Automotive, Augusta, Ga.
The final two seats are held by the collision and mechanical division directors, Kevin Caldwell, AAM, Autobody by Caldwell, Inc., Laguna Hills, Calif.; and William (Bill) Filley, AAM, B & G Automotive & Electric, Inc., Eugene, Ore.
ASA-Ohio's publication, The Steering Column, was awarded first place for the affiliate newsletter and magazine category. Second place was awarded to Auto Pro, ASA-Oregon's publication. The ASA-Portland, Ore., chapter's publication, Portland Scope, took first place in the chapter newsletter category. Dan Waskow, AAM, Superior Auto Service in Bryan, Texas, won the best television commercial category. In the member shop Web site category, Mark Moses, AAM, Moses Automotive in Toledo, Ohio, was awarded first place; and Mike Davidson, AAM, Parkway Automotive Services, LLC in Little Rock, Ark., was presented with second place.
Winning entries in all categories were honored during an awards ceremony at the convention.
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| Charlie Elder, AAM (right), owner of Ray Gordon Brake Service in Tallahassee, Fla., receives the Chairman's Award from Johnny Mock. Elder was recognized for his work on legislative initiatives on Florida. |
The Humanitarian Award recognizes individuals who have made significant contribution in their community, both inside and outside the automotive service industry. At this year's convention, Chairman Johnny Mock presented this award to Denny Kahler, owner of Kahler's Werkstatt in Dublin, Calif.
Kahler was recognized for his community involvement in such organizations as his local chamber of commerce and little league. Since 1974 he has supported his county sheriff's association as a member of its 100 Club, which provides financial aid and scholarships to the families of officers killed in the line of duty. And, he provides ongoing support for his community's women's and children's shelter.
The Chairman's Award recognizes the member or members who have shown outstanding service to the association in the previous year. This year, Mock presented four chairman's awards.
The recipients were: Charlie Elder, owner of Ray Gordon Brake Service, Tallahassee, Fla.; Jim Linder, owner of Linder Technical Services, Indianapolis, Ind.; Denny Mandeville, owner of Canyon Automotive Repair and Service, Sedona, Ariz.; and Fred Sullivan, ASA membership and seminar coordinator, Burlingame, Calif.
In presenting the award, Johnny Mock, ASA's chairman, said the affiliate played a vital role in directing the issue of information availability in 1999. "ASA-Arizona helped to further House Bill 2401, a bill that made a major impact in the debate on information availability," Mock said.
The bill, which passed in Arizona's House of Representatives, was defeated in the Senate. Still, it brought information availability into the spotlight and received enough attention that the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) were willing to sit down and talk with all segments of the industry, Mock said.
Bob Redding, ASA's legislative representative, said ASA has to pass a bill like the one proposed in Arizona in only one state to ensure information availability for the entire nation. ASA supports legislation and regulations that require OEMs to provide all emissions and non-emissions information necessary to repair a vehicle.
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| A full room takes part in the mechanical division meeting held during ASA's Annual Convention |
The collision division's Phoenix Award was presented to Chris Dameron, AAM, safety standards manager of True2Form Collision Repair Centers, Inc. Dameron, a member of ASA's board of directors, is from Raleigh, N.C.
Frank Brizek, AAM, owner of Solar Automotive in Oak Lawn, Ill., received the mechanical division's Alpha Award. Brizek, an ASA member since 1980, was instrumental in the founding of the ASA-Illinois Mechanical Division affiliate.
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| Na Na Sha, playing good 'ol Rock-N-Roll, opened the 2000 ASA Annual Convention on the beach of Mobile Bay, Ala. |
In the coming months, details and online registration will be available for the 2001 Annual Convention, which will be held in Kaanapali Beach, Maui, Hawaii.
Start making plans now to attend next year's convention, April 22-28, 2001.