From veterans to rising stars, this year’s Collision Industry Red Carpet Awards honored excellence, leadership and lasting contributions across the collision industry. The annual event was held during SEMA week in November in Las Vegas, at a new location, Resorts World, following the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) meeting and reception.
The ceremony was made possible due to the support of participating industry organizations and sponsors, including BodyShop Business, CIC, the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair (I-CAR) and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS).
“They say the industry is full of people who like to fix things: cars, processes, sometimes even people. But tonight, though, we are not here to fix anything. We're here to celebrate,” said the event’s host, Jill Tuggle, executive director of the Auto Body Association of Texas (ABAT). Two years ago, Tuggle accepted the SCRS Affiliate Association Award on behalf of ABAT.
“The industry has never been easy. It's full of challenges — evolving technology, changing expectations. And yet it's full of people who have risen to all of these challenges,” noted Tuggle. “That's who we're celebrating tonight… the people in this room who've got the grit, integrity and the love for what we do and who we serve.
“These awards honor the people who raised the bar, push for better repair standards, support the future of our industry, and prove that excellence in this business is not an accident, but it's precision work.”
BodyShop Business
BodyShop Business has honored collision repairers with the Executive of the Year award since 1984. “The winners of these prestigious awards are true collision repair visionaries who have experienced great success through innovative thinking, overcoming challenges and persevering,” said BodyShop Business Editor Jason Stahl, who presented the awards.
Andrew Batenhorst, left, body shop manager at Pacific Collision Center in Glendale, CA, received the BodyShop Business Single-Shop Executive of the Year Award.
Andrew Batenhorst, body shop manager at Pacific Collision Center in Glendale, CA, received the Single-Shop Executive of the Year Award.
“In the time that I've known him and watched him invest himself into the industry, he stood out as special,” said SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg. “His willingness to step up, his ability to clearly and thoughtfully articulate complex ideas, and the genuine care he brings to representing his business, our association, our members and himself are remarkable… The collision repair industry is incredibly fortunate to have his voice, leadership and heart driving our collective mission forward.”
The Multi-Shop Executive of the Year Award was given to Josh Fuller of Fuller Collision Group in central Massachusetts. “This year's Multi Shop winner has shown a dedication to giving back to the industry he loves through serving on various boards,” noted Stahl. These include I-CAR, the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Massachusetts, the Towing Association of Massachusetts and two vocational technical high schools.
CEICA
Paul Barry, CIECA’s executive director, presented three awards for Outstanding Contribution. Recipients included Abhijeet Gulati, senior director of artificial intelligence and machine learning at Mitchell, an Enlyte company; Don Porter, industry consultant for the United Recyclers Group (URG); and Roy Schnepper, owner of Butler's Collision and past president of the Automotive Service Association (ASA).
Abhijeet Gulati, right, senior director of artificial intelligence and machine learning at Mitchell, an Enlyte company, received a CIECA Outstanding Contribution Award.
“What we are developing is known as the ethos of a flexible, open platform and driving that is essential for the standards to take root,” said Gulati. “As we continue to develop and evolve, I think standards are going to play a pivotal role in this space. I am very happy to continue contributing to this endeavor.”
“I'm proud to receive this award,” said Porter, chair of the CIECA Education/Marketing Committee. “I've had a long and fond association with CIECA for a lot of years, and it's one of those things that when you really believe in something, you can give it 100%.” He said CIECA Standards ultimately support and enable each industry segment to streamline processes and provide exceptional service to customers.
“How many of you remember having to rekey everything because the systems wouldn't talk to each other?” Schnepper asked attendees at the event. “There were people in this room who had the foreknowledge to decide that we needed to develop standards. For ASA, that was important too.”
Schnepper said CIECA has played an important role not only in developing standards, but also in creating a safe and secure way to transfer data. “It is important to have your support with that in the future as we roll out CAPIS [CIECA API Standards],” he emphasized.
IAA was this year’s Electronic Commerce Company of the Year recipient. Mark Helvenston, IAA’s vice president, joined CIECA’s board of trustees seven years ago and regularly attends committee meetings. When asked why it's important for IAA to be a CIECA member, Helvenston said, “It ensures that IAA remains aligned with industry-wide published data standards, enabling seamless digital communication and collaboration across the collision repair ecosystem.”
CIC
CIC’s Volunteer of the Year award was given to Chuck Olsen, senior vice president of automotive technology solutions at AirPro Diagnostics and a CIC committee co-chair for more than a decade.
CIC’s Volunteer of the Year award was given to Chuck Olsen, center, senior vice president of automotive technology solutions at AirPro Diagnostics, by Jordan Hendler, left, and Dan Risley, right.
“The person that we're honoring tonight has definitely gone above and beyond all of the years… many years,” said Jordan Hendler, CIC administrator.
“What he brought to the table as co-chair is a relentless commitment to delivering material to the CIC body on a routine basis, religiously,” said CIC Chair Dan Risley, vice president of quality repair and market development at CCC Intelligent Solutions.
“It has been an amazing experience to be able to try to collaborate and bring our efforts together and make sure that we're pulling the rope in the same direction as an industry,” said Olsen after accepting the award. “We're all here to fix cars and do the right thing at the right time.”
CREF
Brandon Eckenrode, CREF’s executive director, announced the recipients of the Fueling the Future Award. The award recognizes industry volunteers, organizations and associations that go above and beyond to get invested in their local schools and better their programs. This year, the original members of the Auto Collision Experience (ACE) were honored.
Matt Sorensen, at podium, senior vice president of operations for Caliber, accepted CREF’s Fueling the Future Award on behalf of the original members of the Auto Collision Experience (ACE).
They included Clark Plucinski, retired CREF executive director; Dave Purdy, TCHS Brandywine School administrator; Dean Benner, manager of 3D Bodyworks; Kate Viggiano from TCHS Brandywine; Lisa Ferguson, MSO business development principal from I-CAR; Matt Sorensen, senior VP of operations from Caliber; and Patty Vicario, sales executive from Enterprise.
One of CREF’s goals is to help connect the industry with students during career fairs and showcase the different career paths available. In 2015, CREF’s Philadelphia-based volunteer committee organized the first ACE career fair in Philadelphia, which was attended by 150 students.
Since then, the event has grown to include 650 students. The committee’s goal is to reach 1,000 students in 2026.
“These were not normal career fairs,” Eckenrode explained. They included mock interviews, demonstrations, resume reviews and speaker presentations.
“This event has been so successful that we're working with this committee to take the model that they've built and try to mimic this event around the country,” shared Eckenrode. This year, an ACE career fair was held in Columbus, OH.
Sorensen accepted the award on behalf of ACE. He encouraged the industry to be a “dot connector.” “Connect the dots,” he said. “Go to the schools, create relationships with instructors, create relationships with the administrators, find out what their needs are and then go back out to the industry — to your partners, to your vendors, to your suppliers — and see how we can come together and collaborate as an industry to just help these students and help these schools… because they need our help.”
FenderBender
Jay Sicht, editor in chief of FenderBender and Auto Body Repair Network, presented two awards during the event on behalf of the magazines. Jon Sommers, director of Winner Premier Collision Center in Wilmington and Dover, DE, received the FenderBender award. Now in its 18th year, the honor recognizes top-notch owners and operators who are hardworking and dedicated to professionalism in the industry.
The FenderBender ABRN Best Repair Planner/Estimator Award was given to Will Barkley, right, production manager of K&M Collision in Hickory, NC.
“It's an ever-changing industry,” said Sommers. “It's a challenge that we're all fighting… whether you're part of a dealership group or an independent, or an MSO, it's the same. It's the same fight, same adjusters, same challenges, same new technology.”
The FenderBender ABRN Best Repair Planner/Estimator Award was given to Will Barkley, production manager of K&M Collision in Hickory, NC. The award celebrates those who have a sharp eye for detail, a commitment to quality work and the know-how to plan intensive repairs.
Sicht said that the dozens of nominations reviewed by their in-house panel were narrowed down to six finalists. Collision Advice owner Mike Anderson and his team helped provide the finalists with an estimate exercise for a vehicle. The goal was to write a repair plan with standardized labor and parts rates, referring to OEM repair guidelines and not-included repair operations, with an emphasis on critical safety-related inspection items.
Michael Bradshaw, vice president of collision at K&M Collision, nominated Barkley and said he has a meticulous approach to planning grounded in OEM directives and best practices, which serves as a benchmark for the entire shop.
Hall of Eagles
Established in 1989, the Hall of Eagles is the collision industry’s equivalent of the Hall of Fame. “It honors exceptional individuals whose long-term efforts have reached beyond their jobs and self-interest to make significant contributions toward the betterment of the industry,” explained Roger Wright, founder of Vector Squared and a recipient of the award in 1997.
Chris Evans, right, a claims consultant from State Farm, was inducted into the Hall of Eagles.
There have been 109 Eagles selected over the years. To be an inductee, a two-thirds vote is needed. Stacy Bartnik, a 2010 inductee, and Risley, a 2021 inductee, announced this year’s winners.
The first was Chris Evans, a claims consultant from State Farm, who has worked at the company for 38 years.
“This is really cool,” said Evans. “So many people I highly respect and admire I've seen receive this and had no idea that that would be me someday. Thank you all so much for supporting me over my career. I've just been so blessed to be able to work with so many wonderful people.”
Chad Sulkala, who died earlier this year, was also inducted into the Hall of Eagles. Risley said Sulkala entered the industry as a youngster trying to follow in his father’s footsteps. Over the years, he gave back to the industry through his efforts with CIC, I-CAR and other organizations. “Because of that legacy he created for himself, he is being inducted into the Hall of Eagles,” said Risley.
I-CAR
To celebrate exceptional dedication to training, professionalism and the advancement of complete, safe and quality repairs, I-CAR handed out the Jeff Silver Memorial Award for Platinum individuals and the Russ Verona Memorial Award for Gold Class collision repair shops.
Faulkner Collision Center of Lancaster and its manager, April Lausch, right, received I-CAR’s Russ Verona Memorial Award for Gold Class collision repair shops and the Jeff Silver Memorial Award for Platinum individuals.
The same team earned both: Faulkner Collision Center of Lancaster in Pennsylvania and its manager, April Lausch. This is only the second time that a single shop and leader have achieved the dual recognition.
"April's leadership and commitment to excellence represent everything I-CAR stands for," said I-CAR's CEO and President Kyle Thompson. "Her passion for mentoring the next generation, her advocacy for Platinum training, and her impact on both industry and community make her a most deserving recipient of this award."
Thompson said Faulkner Collision Center of Lancaster exemplifies what it means to be a Gold Class business. "Their pursuit of training excellence, OEM certification and community service reflects the lasting legacy of Russ Verona and I-CAR's commitment to industry advancement," he said.
National Auto Body Council (NABC)
Jenny Swindle, manager of client engagement at CCC Intelligent Solutions, announced the recipients of the Changing and Saving Lives Award, which recognizes individuals in the collision repair industry who have delivered exemplary service in the support of NABC’s mission of changing and saving lives every day, far beyond their role in the industry.
John Hamdan and Anne Kolea, owners of Dynasty Auto Body in New Jersey, and Bob Waldron, owner of four CARSTAR locations in Massachusetts, received NABC’s Changing and Saving Lives Award.
For the first time, there was a tie between two winners: John Hamdan and Anne Kolea, owners of Dynasty Auto Body in New Jersey, and Bob Waldron, owner of four CARSTAR locations in Massachusetts.
NABC said both are true champions of their communities with long-standing legacies of giving back.
“This is really an honor for us, and much of the credit goes to our team for making this possible,” said Kolea. “We decided early on that we wanted to honor veterans and those who serve, so this has become a very special celebration for us. Thank you to the NABC for your support and recognition.”
“I’ve been fortunate over the years and want to give back to help others in our community,” said Waldron. “Our entire team takes a great deal of pride in presenting NABC Recycled Rides and giving back to those in need. Thank you to the NABC for this recognition. I work with a number of collision repair students and hope this inspires them in their career and how it can provide a great opportunity for serving others.”
SCRS
Before announcing the SCRS awards, Schulenburg asked for a moment of silence in memory of two industry members, Chad Sulkala and Doug Webb; both passed away earlier this year.
“Unfortunately, when we lose someone close to us far too soon, we don't always have the ability to honor them in the way that we wish that we could,” said Schulenburg. “Knowing both Chad and Doug Webb very, very well for many years, I wish I had the ability to say much more to both of them… I want to thank them and honor them for all that they've done for the collision industry.”
The SCRS Affiliate Association Award was announced by Tony Adams, AkzoNobel business services consultant, and Andy Tylka, owner of Tag Auto Group and Tag Calibrations. The award recognizes an SCRS affiliate — defined as an independent, state-based organization — that exhibits exemplary actions on behalf of the collision repair professional. SCRS has 34 affiliate association members, representing about 40 states nationwide.
“This award is one that's really special to us,” said Adams. “It's not something that we give out every year.”
The recognition was given to the Washington Independent Collision Repair Association (WICRA), the ninth association to receive this honor. It was accepted by WICRA President Justin Lewis and Past President Jeff Butler.
Over the last 12 months, Tylka said, the association has achieved several milestones. This includes championing and supporting a bill that requires every insurance policy sold in the state covering physical damage to include an appraisal clause.
“In recent months, after the bill was passed into law, they have stepped up to comment on [and] to influence the draft rules proposed by the Office of Insurance Commissioner, and their leadership and involvement with the OIC is a perfect example of how they actively protect the collision repair professional and the consumer’s right to choose,” noted Tylka.
The SCRS National Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Darrell Amberson, center, vice president of industry and OEM relations for Quality Collision Group (CCG).
The National Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to Darrell Amberson, vice president of industry and OEM relations for Quality Collision Group (CCG), by Amber Alley, manager of Barsotti’s Body & Fender in San Rafael, CA, and Lou DiLisio, president of Automotive Industry Consulting.
“The work and insight that this person has contributed to the industry over the last 40 years has touched and improved the lives of everyone in it,” said Alley. “His passion for the industry is undeniable. He is soft-spoken and thoughtful, but don't let that fool you. He is very capable of holding his ground and on issues like following repair procedures; he doesn't back down. He is well respected not only among his peers, but also by associations, insurers and OEMs.”
“This person has spent the majority of their life giving back to the industry, working and supporting the collision repair industry in a variety of ways,” said DiLisio. “In addition, there's something that many of you may not know about this individual, but he was a nitromethane drag racer, a funny car drag racer in the late 1980s and early 1990s.”
“This industry means a lot to me,” said Amberson. “I'm very proud and honored to say that we are all family. We've accomplished a lot together. We have a lot of fun together, and there's a whole lot more to do. I think it's appropriate that we celebrate each other tonight. So many people have done so many great things… and tomorrow we roll up our sleeves and get back to work.”
Tim Ronak, second from left, senior services consultant for AkzoNobel, received the 2025 March Taylor Kina’ole Award.
The final award of the evening was the 2025 March Taylor Kina’ole Award honoring the individual who exemplifies the Hawaiian principle of Kina’ole, which represents being "flawless" in the form of doing the right thing, in the right way, for the right reasons.
Schulenburg and SCRS Past Chairman Barry Dorn, vice president of Dorn’s Body & Paint in Mechanicsville, VA, presented the award to Tim Ronak, senior services consultant at AkzoNobel.
“Tim Ronak has been sharing ideals, developing resources and imparting his thoughts, raising his hand and asking hard questions and inspiring people in this industry for decades, long enough that his influence reaches across generations of professionals who have learned from his perspective, insight and his example,” said Dorn. “To this day, I can tell you how March inspired me. I know he inspired Tim, and we've chosen him this year because Tim has embodied the spirit and influence on his friends and his peers and countless others.”
“Tim, I want you to know that you embody Kina’ole like the best,” said Schulenburg. “You are always doing the right thing for the right reasons, and we see you and we appreciate you. Through your insight and your mentorship and your generosity with your time and your unwavering commitment to helping others grow, you remind us of March. We see him in you.”
“You carry forward the same light, the same curiosity and the same conviction that made March so special to all of us,” Dorn added.
“In meeting March, he was a very disarming person and extremely knowledgeable, but very inclusive,” said Ronak. “It really is kind of humbling that somebody who made such a profound difference for me and for the direction that I have about giving back and trying to do what I can for those that I interact with… To have the memory of him attached to me is probably one of the biggest honors.”
Stacey Phillips Ronak