Frame By Frame: Elias Alba is Building Careers, Not Just Technicians

The students weren’t expecting a Ferrari to pull up that day.

As the sleek sports car rolled onto campus, students gathered around, admiring the vehicle and wondering who was behind the wheel. Then out stepped a former student — now the owner of both a service repair shop and a collision repair facility.

What happened next left an even bigger impression than the Ferrari itself.

“He let them know he was making more than $3 million a year in his two shops,” said Elias Alba, director of automotive and collision programs at Collin College. “The students were shocked and almost did not believe him … but it is true!”

For Alba, moments like that are about more than flashy cars or financial success. They represent something deeper: proof that collision repair can provide life-changing opportunities for students willing to put in the work.

It’s a message he’s passionate about sharing as he helps shape the next generation of technicians entering the industry.

An Unexpected Introduction 

Alba’s own journey into collision repair wasn’t exactly traditional. He first began his career in the diesel industry before transitioning into education, where he taught high school students in an “Introduction to Transportation” program. That role introduced him to collision repair for the first time.

He later spent 18 years teaching automotive technology at the college level before stepping into his current leadership role at Collin College in North Texas, just outside of Dallas. When he became director of automotive programs, collision repair also fell under his responsibilities.

Now, four-and-a-half years later, Alba has helped transform the school’s collision program into one of the top programs in the country.

Building More Than a Program 

Under his leadership, students regularly compete at the national SkillsUSA competition in Atlanta, Ga., showcasing their talents on a national
stage and increasing the program’s visibility.

As head of the automotive and collision programs at Collin College in North Texas, Elias Alba has helped shape Collin College into a nationally recognized training ground for future collision and automotive professionals.But Alba is quick to shift the spotlight away from himself and onto the instructors and students around him.

“The most rewarding part of my job is managing great collision faculty that train exceptional entry-level technicians,” he said. Instructors like Raven Luna, Jon Crissman, and Winferd Vermillion, to name a few.

That focus on people, and not just processes or curriculum, also shapes the advice he gives students entering the industry.

“One piece of advice to a young person would be to have patience while learning the skills required in the collision industry,” Alba said. “It takes effort and commitment to attain the skills to be successful.”

The Skills That Matter Most 

While technical skills are critical, Alba believes some of the industry’s most important lessons have nothing to do with tools or equipment.

“The trick of the trade is not always a physical skill, but a ‘soft skill,’” he said. “Learning how to get along with the people you work with is important in any job, but vital when working with others in collision to properly complete the job.”

That emphasis on teamwork and professionalism reflects the realities of today’s repair environment, where communication between technicians, estimators, managers, and customers plays a major role in a shop’s success.

For students preparing to enter the workforce, Alba hopes they leave the program understanding both sides of the equation: technical excellence and people skills.

A Career with No Regrets 

And while collision repair has become a major part of his life, Alba admits there’s another path he likely would have pursued if he hadn’t gone into education.

“If I were not working at Collin College managing the automotive and collision program,” he said, “I would be cattle ranching and farming.”

Still, it’s hard to imagine Alba anywhere other than the classroom and shop environment where he continues helping students discover what’s possible in the collision repair industry … sometimes with the help of a Ferrari and a former student who proves just how far the trade can take them.