It was a sunny day in the dealership’s parking lot when Jannifer Stimmel-Watkins and her coworker prepared to calibrate the automatic parking assist on a Cadillac XTS. The task was new, the vehicle surrounded by employee cars — an ideal setup for calibration, but a nerve-wracking one for two technicians not entirely sure what would happen next.
Stimmel-Watkins followed the instructions and shifted into reverse. The vehicle whipped backward into the parking space, stopping with a jolt. Her coworker screamed. Stimmel-Watkins, on the other hand, was giggling with glee.
“She threw the computer in my lap and leapt from the car,” Stimmel-Watkins recalled, still laughing. “‘Nope, never again,’ she said. But of course, she did it again — and again.”
That blend of exhilaration, teamwork and a touch of chaos perfectly sums up what Stimmel-Watkins loves about the collision repair industry. From calibrating ADAS systems to mentoring students, she’s built a career defined by passion, precision and a deep love for the people behind the work.
A Childhood Dream, Realized Later in Life
Stimmel-Watkins didn’t begin her professional journey in collision repair. For 15 years, she worked in health care, serving in roles from nursing to sleep technician to front desk coordinator. But the desk life never suited her. She longed for something more hands-on, something that tapped into her childhood passion: cars.
“As a kid, I was obsessed,” she said. “By age 8 or 9, I could identify just about any car by the taillights. While other girls played with Barbies, I was playing with Hot Wheels in the dirt, flipping through Auto Trader and Thrifty Nickel every week.”
That automotive passion never faded. Her father still restores vehicles in the shop next door to her house, and her husband has been a Ford technician for more than two decades. When she purchased a VW bus and found herself struggling to find fulfilling work despite holding a bachelor’s degree, she took a bold step: she enrolled in the auto collision program at Texas State Technical College (TSTC) in Waco.
Originally intending to learn paint and body work for her VW project, Stimmel-Watkins quickly discovered a love for collision repair that eclipsed her initial plans. “I fell in love with welding, frame repair, measuring, metal work — it became an obsession,” she said. “I switched my major from refinishing to repair specialization and started working my last semester. I never looked back.”
Building Technicians, Building Safety
Stimmel-Watkins’ passion for learning quickly evolved into a passion for teaching. As an instructor with the Collision Engineering Program — now the Collision Engineering Career Alliance — she helped train the next generation of technicians.
“Phoebe,” Jannifer Stimmel-Watkins’ 1973 VW Transporter, wasn’t just a wedding altar – she was the spark that reignited Jannifer’s journey into the collision repair world.
“Watching students transform from nervous high school grads into confident professionals was incredible,” she said. “Seeing that lightbulb moment when something clicks for them? That’s what it’s all about.”
Today, Stimmel-Watkins is focused on ADAS, a field that allows her to blend her technical background with a safety-first mindset honed from her health care days.
Now working on the estimating side of ADAS calibrations, she ensures every necessary step is included, performed and backed by OEM documentation. “It feels like I’ve come full circle,” she said. “Knowing that our work directly impacts people’s safety is the most gratifying part of my job.”
She also credits her mentor, Tracy Marshall, with shaping her deeper understanding of the science behind structural repair. “He taught us to reverse-engineer damage — understand the metallurgy, the crash dynamics. It turned repairs into puzzles. I love puzzles.”
No Task Too Small, No Passion Too Big
Stimmel-Watkins’ career advice is simple but powerful: Stay humble, stay curious and always be willing to pitch in.
“Never say, ‘That’s not my job,’” she said. “While I was a diagnostic tech at Richard Karr Motors, I swept bays, ran sublet vehicles, updated software — you name it. Every role taught me something.”
She credits much of that growth to her manager at Richard Karr, whose trust and willingness to let her learn made all the difference. “My start and ability to learn everything I did is because my manager trusted me and gave me that freedom,” she said. “Good management is everything in this industry. If I’d had a different manager, I might have walked away and never looked back, like so many others do.”
That work ethic helped her earn trust and step into production management roles early on. She believes the willingness to learn at every level is the secret to building a successful and fulfilling career.
Fueled by Community and a Dream Named Phoebe
For Stimmel-Watkins, the people make the industry feel like home. “I love the collision repair community — the students, coworkers, friends and mentors who’ve shaped me,” she said. “Jill Tuggle [executive director of the Auto Body Association of Texas] is one of my favorite people in the world. I’ve had the best bosses and teammates. It’s a true community.”
Her love for the field is so deep that she struggles to imagine doing anything else. “I started this career at 32, after working in several other industries. Nothing lit a fire in me the way collision repair does,” Stimmel-Watkins said. “It’s not just a job. It’s my life.”
As for her dream project? That would be restoring a ’60s VW T2 split-window bus. “I’ve wanted one since I was a kid. My dad didn’t let me buy one when they were $250 in the classifieds, and now I remind him how much they cost,” she said. “But I’ll have one someday.”
Until then, she’s got “Phoebe,” her 1973 bay-window VW Transporter that served as the altar in her wedding and inspired her return to the automotive world.
Stimmel-Watkins believes the future of collision repair is brighter than ever. With vehicle technology advancing and safety standards evolving, there’s always something new to learn — and new lives to protect.
“When I talk about this industry, people sometimes think I’m exaggerating. But anyone who’s met me knows the passion is real,” she said. “This field gives me everything I ever dreamed of — problem solving, purpose, community. And I think it’s only going to get better.”
Whether she’s calibrating a vehicle, guiding a student or chasing her dream VW project, one thing is clear: Jannifer Stimmel-Watkins is all in. And collision repair is better for it.
Leona Scott