national auto trainers.indd

PRESS RELEASE
Lamar CISD Community Relations Department
Phillip Sulak, Communications Coordinator
832/223-0333 Fax: 832/223-0331
For Immediate Release July 2, 2008
LCISD training tomorrow’s mechanics
With professional auto technicians earning more than $60,000 per year and the demand
for the highly-skilled technicians high throughout this area and the U.S., Lamar CISD’s
automotive technology program is working to help prepare students to take advantage of this
opportunity.
Lamar CISD’s Automotive Technology program is working toward a certification
assessment with the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF). Local
master technicians Bill Johnson from Ernie Guzman Pontiac/GMC, Joe Dill from Gillman
Mazda, Paul Reynolds from Gillman Mazda and Gary Voelkel, diesel instructor, Texas State
Technical College (TSTC) recently went through a two-day detailed evaluation by a NATEF
Evaluation Team Leader.
The district is working with area automotive industry and educational partners toward
this certification process. Members of the auto technology advisory council include Craig
Abbandola, commi�ee chair – Ernie Guzman Pontiac/GMC; Chuck Abshier, TSTC; Curtis
Cline, Wharton County Junior College; Gary Lucas, Fort Bend ISD; Luis Hidalgo, Legacy
Ford; Duke Woodward, Ellison Chevrolet; David Norman, San Jacinto College; Brent Koenig,
Gillman Mazda; Troy Schroeder-Gillman Honda; and Chris Dybala, Dybala Automotive, Inc.
NATEF is an independent, non-profit organization that was developed to evaluate
technician training programs based on standards of the automotive industry. NATEF examines
the structure and resources of training programs and evaluates them against nationally
accepted standards of quality. NATEF’s precise national standards reflect the skills that
students must master. ASE certification through NATEF evaluation ensures that certified
training programs meet or exceed industry-recognized, uniform standards of excellence.
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) offers certification
to technician training programs and a program can earn ASE certification based on the
recommendation of NATEF.
More
Picture info:
Back row: Dr. Thomas Randle, LCISD; Paul Reynolds, Gillman Mazda; Erasmo Teran, LCISD; Ken
Egan, NATEF Evaluator; Gary Voelkel, TSTC; Craig Abbondola, Ernie Guzman Pontiac/GMC; Bill
Johnson, Ernie Guzman Pontiac/GMC
First row: Walter Bevers, LCISD; Tracie Holub, LCISD; Elsa Villarreal, LCISD; Do�y Oelkers, DES;
Deon Wilson, LCISD; not pictured Joe Dill, Gillman Mazda
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