Auto Care Association and National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Announce 2022 World Class Technicians
By Camille Sheehan
BETHESDA, Md. – March 22, 2022 – The Auto Care Association today announced the latest recipients of the prestigious World Class Technician award, in partnership with the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). The two organizations provide this annual recognition to professional technicians who have achieved the extraordinary accomplishment of attaining ASE certification in 22 specific areas during the previous calendar year.
There are an estimated 703,800 technicians in the United States, with approximately 243,000 holding ASE certification. More than 2,000 technicians have earned the respected status of “World Class Technician” since its inception over 30 years ago.
The class of 2022 World Class Technicians is listed below, including each technician’s company or shop:
Russell Absolom – General Motors, Pine, Colo.
Jacob Albertson – Saint Cloud, Fla.
Conner Anderson – Frisco, Texas
Irfaun Bacchus – Euless, Texas
Mark Bellerose – Sullivan Tire and Auto Service, Manchester, N.H.
Tyler Blake – Pride Auto Care, Mead, Colo.
Chad Blythe – General Motors, Weston, Fla.
Thomas Breshears, Jr. – Texas State Technical College, Gatesville, Texas
Brian Brownfield – Toyota Motor North America, Plano, Texas
José Campos III – Astech, Portland, Texas
James Cassell – North East, Md.
Nicholas Conner – Simmonson Automotive, Pasco, Wash.
Brian Dougherty – Huxley, Iowa
Zachery Evans – General Motors, Port St. Lucie, Fla.
Charles Ferguson – Columbia, Tenn.
Brad Hall – Spring Hill, Kan.
Richard Heimerl – Enterprise Fleet Management, St. Louis, Mo.
Joshua Hernandez Vargas – Toyota of Stockton, Manteca, Calif.
Don Kashuba – Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada
Howard Kendrick –Dennis Road Automotive, McKinney, Texas
Artin Khachatourian – MMW Auto Repair, Sylmar, Calif.
Scott Kohart – General Motors, Troy, Mich.
Brian Lacroix – Shaftsbury, Vt.
Scott Lewiston – Metamora, Mich.
Wesley Luther – VIP Tires & Service, Bangor, Maine
Jason Manfredda – Las Vegas Valley Water District, Pahrump, Nev.
Allen Martin – Lead Hill, Ark.
Ryan Matt – General Motors, Syracuse, N.Y.
Jason Mayberry – Pickerington, Ohio
Armand Mayzel, Jr. – Woodbridge, Va.
Sean McDonough – The Dirty Muffler, Westminster, Colo.
Richard McMahon, Jr. – Charlton, Mass.
Clinton Mielke – General Motors, Albuquerque, N.M.
Robert Morrison III – First Vehicle Services, Abingdon, Md.
Joe Moyer – General Motors, Rochester, Minn.
Mark Munson – E-One, Silver Creek, N.Y.
Robert Myrick – Lincoln College of Technology, Murfreesboro, Tenn.
Mark Osoteo – UC Davis Fleet Department, Davis, Calif.
Adam Osswald – Hamilton, Ohio
Scott Peterson – General Motors, Hesperia, Calif.
Karl Poffinbarger – Hamilton, Ohio
Safadyn Ramahi – General Motors, Roseville, Calif.
Kevin Rulison – Top Frog Diesel, Copperas Cove, Texas
Jacob Sorensen – McNeil's Auto Care, West Jordan, Utah
Tim Stanford – LAT Automotive LLC, Clovis, N.M.
Thomas Tejeda – Anthem, Ariz.
Howard Tribby, Jr. – Toyota, Fairfax, Va.
Bradey Varner – Alamosa, Colo.
Daniel Verbeke – Enterprise Holdings, St. Louis, Mo.
James Waters – General Motors Field Engineer, Pine, Colo.
Richard Whiteman – First Transit, Houston, Texas
The Auto Care Association surveyed this year’s ASE World Class Technician award recipients to learn about their career journeys, what motivated them to pursue the goal of ASE World Class Technician and what achieving this status means to them in their own words.
“I viewed the World Class designation as the pinnacle of this profession. I wanted to obtain that for myself, and demonstrate that I have the knowledge and skills of what it takes. Becoming World Class puts me in a very select group.” – Daniel Verbeke, Enterprise Holdings, St. Louis, Mo.
“World Class Technician status is important to me because it is one of the goals I set for myself early on in my life, a goal that I set in high school. Cars have always been an important part of my life since I was a small child. I knew World Class Technician was one of the most prestigious awards an Automotive Technician could receive.” – Mark Osoteo, UC Davis Fleet Department, Davis, Calif.
“I wanted to obtain the World Class status to set myself apart from other technicians and to show how seriously I take being a high-level automotive technician.” – Nicholas W. Conner, Simmonson Automotive, Pasco, Wash.
“As a Supervisor with Enterprise Fleet Management I felt World Class was a difficult yet achievable goal that would continue to support our subject matter expertise. The automotive field is ever changing and studying up to certify and retain ASEs is important to keep up with the times. Showing my team this is accomplishable is a great way to lead by example while supporting our industry.” – Richard F. Heimerl, Enterprise Fleet Management, St. Louis, Mo.
“World Class shows the motoring public I am not only serious about my profession, I also believe it sets a standard that can't be argued. It shows I am dedicated to our industry.” – Tim Stanford, LAT Automotive, LLC, Clovis, N.M.
“I want to be the best that I can at what I do for a living. World Class status represents some of the industry's finest technicians.” – Brian Brownfield, Toyota Motor North America, Plano, Texas
For more information about the Auto Care Association’s World Class Technician certification qualifications, timing and recognition, visit the association's World Class Technician webpage.
For more information about ASE and service professional certification, visit ase.com.