The Automotive Management Institute (AMI) is accepting applications for three annual awards to be presented at this year's NACE. 

The first is the annual $1,000 Body-Shop Business Magazine Scholarship. AMI's resource development effort, EXCEL, in conjunction with Babcox Publications, established the scholarship, which is awarded to an Automotive Service Association (ASA) Collision Division member who strives to be, or is presently working, in a management capacity.

The scholarship money will be applied toward the recipient's expenses to attend the 2006 International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE) in Las Vegas, November 1-4.

Emil Stanley Merit Award

The 2006 Emil Stanley Merit Award is awarded annually to an individual who works in an Automotive Service Association (ASA) Collision Division member-business and who displays a desire to improve business skills through management education.

ASA established the Emil Stanley Merit Award to honor Stanley's lifelong contributions to the automotive service industry. Publisher of Automotive Body Repair News (ABRN) until his death in 1989, he was a strong advocate of NACE and of professionalizing the automotive repair industry. The 2006 scholarship is made possible by commitments from ASA to AMI's resource development effort - EXCEL.

The 2006 award marks the 16th year in which AMI and ASA have honored Emil Stanley with this commemorative management-oriented scholarship. The award provides recipient's travel, hotel and registration expenses to attend NACE 2006.

Two memorial scholarships

Applications are also being sought for the two memorial scholarships - the Richard Cossette Memorial Scholarship and the Gale Westerlund Memorial Scholarship. The scholarships, offered in conjunction with the Automotive Service Association (ASA), honor the contributions these individuals made to AMI, ASA and the collision repair industry. Scholarship recipients receive $500 to help cover expenses to attend NACE 2006.

Richard Cossette owned Lehman's Garage in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and was a charter founder of AMI and a $50,000 Charter Counsellor contributor to AMI's EXCEL program. He was the first chairman of EXCEL and was the recipient of AMI's Annual Recognition Award in 1994. He was awarded an honorary Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designation in 1997 to further recognize his commitment and dedication to AMI. He also held numerous leadership positions on the ASA board of directors and was active in several industry organizations until his death in 2002.

Gale Westerlund owned Gale's Auto Center in Blaine, Minn., and was a $25,000 Guarantor contributor to EXCEL. He earned the Institute's AAM designation in 1993, and also served on the ASA board of directors for many years. He was an active member of ASA and other collision industry organizations until his death in 2005.

Requirements for applicants

To be eligible for any of the above awards, the following requirements must be met: applicants must work in the collision repair industry; must demonstrate an interest in self-improvement through management education; must own or work for a business that is an ASA member in good standing; and, if the applicant is not the business owner, must be recommended by the business owner. AMI Trustees and their employees, and the Babcox Scholarship Selection Committee and their employees are not eligible to apply.

To request applications for any of the above awards, call AMI at (800) 272-7467, ext. 241, or fill out a scholarship application online at www.amionline.org. Applications must be received by AMI on or before August 15, 2006.