Bertha Bertrand

Bertha Bertrand implemented systems that led to one of the highest ratings in the Acoat selected® Process Assessment. She also helped develop a well-received Brian Cullen Car Care Clinic to educate new car owners about their vehicle. Bertrand is an active participant and leader in local collision repair organizations, including I-CAR, Collision Industry Association Group, Hamilton Autobody Repair Association, and the Niagara College Motive Power Advisory Board.

Teresa A. Bolton

Teresa Bolton is a big believer in ongoing training and certification. She is a Collision Repair/Refinishing Specialist for the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence. Bolton works closely in curriculum development, testing and certification. She also works with the I-CAR Tech Center and the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation in the development of testing materials. Currently, Bolton serves as co-chair of the education committee for The Collision Industry Conference and is a National Auto Body Council board member.

She has served as regional director and part-time instructor for the Collision Technician Apprentice Program. Bolton is also actively involved with SkillsUSA and Maryland State SkillsUSA, a national organization that works with high school and college students enrolled in training programs.

Georgina Carson

As the editor of BodyShop Business, Georgina Carson has her pulse on the collision repair industry. With humor and tons of energy, she ensures each issue is a blend of news, entertainment and education. Carson came to the magazine in 1994 after working for the Akron Beacon Journal and Cleveland Magazine.

A graduate of Kent State University, she has interviewed celebrities ranging from Drew Carey to Zsa Zsa Gabor. During her years at BodyShop Business, she's had the opportunity to visit with numerous collision repair shops and enjoys making a difference in the industry.

Karen Fierst

Active in the collision repair industry for more than a decade, Karen Fierst became a student of all facets of the industry before establishing KerenOr Consultants in 1998. She was an executive of the Certified Automotive Parts Association and, in 1999, had the honor of working with the Taiwan Autobody Parts association to help those manufacturers understand the complexities of our marketplace.

Fierst selected the name for her company based on her own name. In Hebrew "Keren" means "a ray of sunlight" and her company focuses on shedding light on the collision repair industry. She has served as secretary of the National Auto Body Council's Board of Directors and co-chaired its national Habitat for Humanity initiative. Fierst also serves as the co-chair of the Collision Industry Conference's Industry Decisions Committee. She and her husband, Barry, have two sons, Eyal and Shai.

Eileen Haberman

Since 1970, Eileen Haberman has worked alongside her husband, Glen, in building the couple's one-person shop to a 12-employee business with $1 million in annual sales. I-CAR Gold and Acoat selected® designations echo the shop's commitment to excellence across the board. Along with her husband, she is extremely active in the Wisconsin Auto Collision Technician's Association by promoting the value of training and education. Haberman is also active in the National Auto Body Council.

Elite keynote speaker

To further honor this elite group, Janet Guthrie, the first woman to race in the Indianapolis 500, was the keynote speaker. Guthrie had 13 years of experience on sports car road-racing circuits before being invited to test a car for Indianapolis in 1976. That year, she also became the first woman to compete in a NASCAR Winston Cup superspeedway stock car race. In 1977, she became the first woman to qualify for and compete in the Indianapolis 500; she was also Top Rookie at the Daytona 500 that year. She finished ninth in the Indianapolis 500 in 1978. Guthrie's keynote address centered on how key perseverance and determination are to attaining any goal in life, not just for women but for those striving for success.