The Women’s Industry Network (WIN) announced nominations are open for its inaugural Founding Mother Award. Now planned to be an annual presentation, this honor has been established to celebrate the six “founding mothers” of WIN, and to celebrate the organization’s creation and true mission within the collision repair industry.
The Founding Mother Award honors the women who are shaping the future of the collision repair industry — women who demonstrate passion, perseverance and purpose every day.
Created and presented by WIN’s Founding Mothers — Frederica Carter, Geri Kottschade, Gigi Walker, Patricia Serratore, Kathy Mello and Marcy Tieger — the award celebrates women making their mark in their shops and communities while advancing the WIN mission of supporting and connecting women in collision repair.
WIN was founded 20 years ago by these six pioneering women who saw a need for connection, mentorship and opportunity in the automotive collision industry. Their vision built the foundation for WIN’s mission to empower women across all levels of the trade. For this award, Kottschade, Carter and Tieger are actively providing input.
“When WIN was created, they had a goal in mind of creating a safe space where shop females were welcomed, giving shops a voice and to show shops can be leaders in the collision repair industry’s organizations. Also, wanting to give shops a voice,” said Laura Kottschade, WIN vice chair.
“Key considerations for this new, prestigious award will include excellence in their craft, as well as mentoring others to success in repair excellence,” Laura Kottschade continued. “The new Founding Mothers Award is open to all women and will annually recognize an individual that is ‘intently involved with the true craft of collision repair, as their skills need to be still active on the shop floor — either as a hands-on refinish technician and/or painter.’”
Currently, 4.8% of auto body technicians are women, according to career platform Zippia.com. While still a small minority, their share has doubled over the past decade, as only 2.34% of technicians were women in 2015.
“Collision repair, especially on the shop floor, has long been a male-dominated industry, and while there certainly has been progress, we see WIN’s previous efforts, along with this latest, annual Founding Mothers award, as another continuous way to bring awareness to the availability and skills that women can successfully bring in professional repairs and refinishing excellence,” added Laura Kottschade.
Evaluation Criteria for the Founding Mothers Award
• Industry visibility and leadership: Inspiring others and advancing the trade
• Professional accomplishments: Demonstrated excellence and at least two years of full time shop experience
• Mentorship and support: Guiding and empowering coworkers
• Community involvement: Promoting diversity, inclusion and outreach
Nominations are open through Jan. 19 here. This award is open to all women in the collision repair industry. Neither the nominator nor nominee is required to be a WIN member, and all nominations help WIN celebrate women who lead, mentor and inspire a stronger, more inclusive industry.
WIN also hosts the annual Most Influential Women (MIW) awards, recognizing women for their lifetime of guidance, leadership and industry commitment. Nominations for the 2026 MIW awards are also open through Jan. 5 here.
The 2026 class of MIWs and the inaugural Founding Mothers Award recipient will all be celebrated at WIN’s Annual Conference, May 4–6, 2026, in Tucson, AZ.
