Contact:	Angie Wilson (800) 272-7467, ext. 216 angie@asashop.org
For Release:	Immediate News Bulletin ASA-25 May 6, 2009

Attention Editors: High-resolution photos of the ASA Annual Convention are available online at the event's Media Center page, www.ASAshop.org/annual09/media.htm.

ASA Honors Member Achievements at 2009 'Celebration of Excellence'

BEDFORD, TEXAS, May 6, 2009 - The Automotive Service Association (ASA) held its annual "Celebration of Excellence" May 2 at the Caribe Royale All-Suites Hotel and Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. This annual awards dinner honors the achievements of ASA members and its industry partners. Bill Haas, AAM, ASA's vice president of education and training, hosted the program, which opened with the introduction of ASA's board of directors. The program also included an Automotive Management Institute (AMI) graduation ceremony recognizing those who have earned the Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designation.

During the awards ceremony, Tschanen Niederkohr, managing editor of Motor Age, presented ASA's outgoing chairman, Reggie Denney, AAM, with a die-cast replica car. Denney was honored with a 1966 Shelby Mustang GT 350H replica, a car he previously owned.

Awards presented during ASA's Celebration of Excellence included:

The AMI Annual Recognition Award, the highest honor the institute bestows on an organization or industry leader who has taken specific and significant action to encourage, enhance and support opportunities for automotive industry professionals to improve their business management skills. Richard Menneg, president and COO of Automotive Training Institute, Savage, Md., accepted the award on behalf of ATI.

To commemorate AMI's 20th anniversary, the AMI board of trustees and staff presented the AMI Student Recognition Award to an individual student who earned the most AMI credits during the 2008 calendar year. Witt presented the award to Terry Wynter, Terry Wynter Auto Service, Fort Myers, Fla., who earned 149 AMI credits during 2008. Wynter traveled to the 2008 ASA Annual Convention, CARS and the Automotive Video Training Conference and earned 51 AMI credits. In addition, he earned another 98 credits by completing nine AMI-approved self-study courses.

The Benefit Provider of the Year is presented to a sponsored benefit provider in appreciation of its relationship with ASA, and for the value, quality and professional service it offers to ASA members. This year's recipient was AutoZone. David Gouge, vice president, AutoZone Commercial, and Michael Coccio, AutoZone national accounts manager, accepted the award on behalf of the company.

The Alpha Award recognizes an ASA Mechanical Division member for his or her generous and far-reaching contributions to the automotive service industry. Earl Dohner, AAM, E&E's Garage, Brookville, Ohio, was the recipient of this year's award.

The Phoenix Award recognizes an ASA Collision Division member for his or her contribution to the automotive service industry. Carroll Proctor, owner of AC Proctor's Paint and Body Shop, Augusta, Ga., was the recipient of this year's award; Neva Hollins, ASA-Georgia executive director, accepted the award on his behalf.

The ASA Legislative Award recognizes those who have made an impact on legislative and regulatory activities. This year's award went to Donny Seyfer, co-owner, Seyfer Automotive, Wheat Ridge, Colo., for his efforts to educate policymakers, technicians, shop owners and the general public about the technical side of information availability.

ASA's Communicator of the Year Award recognizes an ASA member for outstanding efforts in using different communication vehicles to promote its business in the community and industry. This year's recipient was Tony's Auto Service Center, Phoenix.

The Affiliate of the Year Award is based on several factors such as membership growth, educational events, participation in ASA national programs, legislative activities and overall contributions of their membership to the automotive industry. The recipient of this year's award was ASA-Ohio. Paul Duncan, ASA-Ohio Collision Division chairman, accepted the award on behalf of the affiliate.

The Affiliate with the Largest Delegation recognizes the ASA affiliate with the greatest number of members at the annual convention. This year's award was presented to ASA-Georgia. Danny Hernandez, ASA-Georgia president, and Neva Hollins, ASA-Georgia executive director, accepted the honor on behalf of the affiliate.

The Chairman's Award of Excellence recognizes individuals for their outstanding contributions to ASA and the automotive repair industry. This year's award went to Howard Pitkow, owner, Wagenwerx Inc., Wyndmoor, Pa.

ASA extends its appreciation for the support and participation of the following sponsoring companies: Alldata, the American Society for Asset Protection, Audatex, Auto Shop LifeLine, AutoZone, Automotive Video Inc., CCC Information Services Inc., Cintas, CustomerLink, Elavon, the Engine & Transmission Exchange Reman, Meadowbrook Insurance Group, Mitchell 1, NPC, Pace Software, Toyota Motor Sales USA, UniFirst and Zurich.

ASA's 2010 convention will be held next spring in Arizona; specific dates and location have not been determined. The association's annual trade shows - the International Autobody Congress and Exposition (NACE) and the Congress of Automotive Repair and Service (CARS) - will be held during Automotive Service and Repair Week (ASRW), Nov. 4-7, 2009. All ASRW events will be located at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas.

The Automotive Service Association is the largest not-for-profit trade association of its kind dedicated to and governed by independent automotive service and repair professionals. ASA serves an international membership base that includes numerous affiliate, state and chapter groups from both the mechanical and collision repair segments of the automotive service industry. ASA's headquarters is in Bedford, Texas.

ASA advances professionalism and excellence in the automotive repair industry through education, representation and member services. For additional information about ASA, including past news releases, go to www.ASAshop.org, or visit ASA's legislative Web site at www.TakingTheHill.com.

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