Two incumbents and three challengers will compete for three board seats later this month as the Society of Collision Repair Specialists holds its annual election.

Candidates include Tony Adams, owner of Weaver’s Collision Center (Kansas); Amber Alley, general manager of Barsotti’s Body and Fender (California); Trace Coccimiglio, owner of Valet Auto Body (Utah); Josh McFarlin, vice president for strategic business operations at AirPro Diagnostics (Florida); and John Mosley, owner of Clinton Body Shop (Mississippi).

The board seats held by Alley, Coccimiglio and Matthew McDonnell (Big Sky Collision, Montana) are up for election this year. McDonnell is not seeking re-election.

The top three recipients of votes will take the seats.

Hear from the candidates directly at the SCRS virtual open board meeting running from noon to 2 p.m. CT on July 20 on Zoom. The meeting is free and open to everyone, including nonmembers; SCRS only asks that you preregister here.

The election will be held the same day. Voting is open to all SCRS members whose dues were current as of June 30.

“Each eligible member will receive unique login credentials to an online voting platform,” SCRS writes. “Instructions will be provided during the open meeting on how eligible members can participate in the election to cast their vote. Members must join the open meeting to receive the instruction, and voting by proxy is not allowed.”

Contact SCRS for more details: 877-841-0660 or info@scrs.com.

Learn about the candidates ahead of the meeting with bios provided by SCRS, presented here with minimal edits:

Tony Adams, Weaver’s Auto Center, Kan.

Growing up, Tony Adams spent summers alongside his father who was a collision repair technician. He was paid a whopping $5.00 a week cash to sweep the shop which was more than enough money for him to buy some baseball cards and gum. He was officially hired and became an employee of Weaver’s Auto Center in August of 1989 while a sophomore in High school. While he never made money as a professional technician, he learned the business from the ground up. In 1996, he became business partners with John Weaver. Today, he is still actively involved in
the day to day operations of his collision and service department.

Not only has he spent 30 years in this industry, he has taken on several life journeys including reinventing himself as a leader and business coach. He attended Coach U in 2010 and graduated with his coaching certificate in 2011. A passion for helping others, he has traveled the country working with other Leaders to grow and has spoken at several trade shows and conferences on Leadership topics.

In addition to his shop and personal experiences, he is actively involved within the industry. He is a participant of CIC and serving on the CIC talent pool committee, has volunteered at the first Top Tech event in held in 2019 at Ranken Technical College, Skills USA and is the current Vice President of the newly formed Kansas Auto Body Association, which he helped form. Additionally, he is working with the Kansas Board of Regents on tech school curriculums.

Outside of the industry, Tony is a husband and father, a board member of the Shawnee Rotary Club and holds a board position for the Old Shawnee Days Society’s 4-day community event. He is excited to bring his passion and experience to the SCRS members to further their mission and his in creating safe and proper repair for consumers.

Amber Alley, Barsotti’s Body and Fender, Calif.

Amber Alley has been the General Manager of Barsotti’s Body and Fender in San Rafael California since 2008. Prior to that she worked in various positions including Estimator, Parts Manager and Production Manager. Combined she has over 25 years in the industry. Her main focus has been creating a business model that focuses on quality and customer service. This business model focuses on pursuing specialized certifications and all that it entails. Barsotti’s currently holds 21 OEM certifications.

Since she has been in a small business management position, her focus has been on mentoring young talent, learning about evolving technology, improving customer relations, building business growth and promoting the highest standards of repair. Collision repair is an industry that she loves, and with the experience she has gained over the years would like to continue to use that knowledge, along with others in our industry, to see that the collision repair business is regarded as one of professionalism and integrity.

Since getting involved in the industry at a national level she looks for opportunities to apply her experience and expertise. She is currently on the I-CAR member council, she is on I-CAR board of director’s nominating committee and participates on the CIC insurer repairer relations committee.

Being on the Board of Directors of SCRS has been both informative and rewarding. Spending time in discussions with owners/managers from all over the country has given her access to new ideas and insight. The ability to tap into all that experience and knowledge has enabled her to perform at a new level. She is grateful for the opportunity to serve as a board member and finds the work that the SCRS does to be extremely motivating and looks forward to continuing that work for the industry.

Trace Coccimiglio, Valet Auto Body, Utah

I am honored to be nominated to rerun for my seat on the SCRS Board of Directors. The value of this organization has been apparent to me from my very first interactions with the association, and it has been an incredible honor over the past 3 years to serve in an organization that has given so much to my own business. I have adopted many of the ideas and practices which have been shared by SCRS, and its resources like the Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG), as well as the Repairer Driven News (RDN). I believe that the advocacy provided by the SCRS nationally has improved things for my shop in countless ways, and I’ve watched ti touch so many other businesses like mine.

I am not done contributing to the work being done, and if given the opportunity, I would like to continue to help this organization make a difference. I consider myself a thoughtful and creative person. I like to solve complex problems by exploring different angles, perspectives and viewpoints. I have made my share of mistakes since opening Valet Auto Body 6 years ago, and I’ve learned from those experiences to help make tomorrow a little better than yesterday. I enjoy being a member of this team, and accomplishing things with my friends around this table.

I am not an “old auto body guy;”in fact, I have never written estimates or repaired vehicles. Fortunately for me, succeeding in this business requires far more than just the ability to fix cars. I have experience in business management, marketing and human relations. I understand the needs of my customers, and often I feel like my different backstory provides me with a valuable and unique perspective in our conversations.

As an economist, I recognize that auto body shops operate in a very  unusual marketplace. There is a fundamental disconnect between the  “payer” and the “recipient” of the goods and services provided by body shops. Insurance companies are generally the party paying, but they are not the party directly receiving the benefit of the repaired vehicle. The customer is receiving the benefit of the repaired vehicle, and has been “paying” via insurance premiums, or they are a claimant upon another party. This “imbalance” or “no man’s land” in the marketplace is where we as body shops live. This creates many fun challenges for us. My business has excelled by advocating for individuals as they navigate the many stressful challenges created from their auto collision, and I feel that the mission and vision of the SCRS matches my personal vision for my business and my vision for where we can collectively contribute to this  industry.

I’m excited to continue, as there is so much more coming from this organization.

Josh McFarlin, AirPro Diagnostics, Fla.

Josh is the Vice President of Strategic Business Operations at AirPro Diagnostics. In his role, he is responsible for all service delivery operations out of multiple locations, internal and external training, and over 100 staff. Previously, he has worked for I-CAR as the Director of Curriculum and Product Development for 6 years and Raytheon Professional Services as a curriculum manager working on several different projects and programs in his nearly 9 years with them. Josh has been in the automotive industry for over twenty-five years starting as a service technician and later as a service engineer for both Ford and Audi. Josh has a Bachelor of Applied Science focused on Automotive Service Management Technology, and an Executive MBA from the University of Wisconsin.

Experience:

• AirPro Diagnostics, Vice President of Strategic Business Operations, 2019-Present: Member of the executive leadership team playing a key role in setting the strategic direction of the organization in both existing and new verticals throughout the industry.
  Accountable for maintaining our 10-minute response pledge to our customers by maintaining the necessary staffing levels to meet the ever increasing demand. Leading the implementation of a learning management system that will house both internal and external training offerings that are under development and continuous improvement.
• I-CAR, Director, Curriculum & Product Development, 2013-2019: Strategic leader responsible for directing the curriculum and product development team and process, including creating a product development strategy and associated product plans, establishing a quality control testing process, building the product launch process, and establishing measurements of success, all with a mind toward continuous improvement.
• Raytheon Professional Services, Training & Development Manager – Curriculum Manager, 2005-2013: Managed the remote and onsite delivery of training programs for a global corporate training organization with a focus on highly customized solutions. Managed an extensive multi-client portfolio with an eye on continuous improvement, validation and technical excellence. Further achievements realized as a Six Sigma Specialist.
• Audi of America, Service Engineer, 2004-2005: Provided technical subject matter expertise across technical and dealers groups. Facilitated cross-functional communication between manufacturer and Dealer Body for the North America division of Audi.
• Ford Motor Company, Service Engineer, 2002-2004: Fostered delivery of highly technical information through multiple brand channels to support the immediate resolution of dealership technical concerns. Recognized as an outstanding key contributor, and selected as a “Greatest Needs” service engineer.
• Greenway Ford, Service Technician/Team Leader, 1995-2002: Developed functional and technical expertise of gasoline engines, manual transmissions, rear axle service and frame replacement through hands-on repairs for the dealership’s progressive collision repair facility.

John Mosley, Clinton Body Shop, Miss.

I grew up in the collision repair business. My Dad was a bodyman and painter his entire adult life. He raised six boys and one girl so naturally the boys learned how to water sand and disassemble cars at an early age.

I graduated high school in 1971, and went straight to work at a dealership as a painter. After a year or so, I decided to learn other trades. For two years I tried three different vocations but nothing
satisfied me like painting a vehicle. I married my wife in August 1973; and we have a son, a daughter, and four grandsons.

I started back painting in 1979. My Dad and I decided to start a small business focused on quality work and fair prices. Over the years, we joined three different repair networks but were never pleased with the unfair advantage exercised by the insurance industry. We began to build our brand through creative advertising using radio and television at first and later expanding to social media.

We have been successful in building a strong, loyal customer base without being on any DRPs. Those efforts and our relentless attention to detail along with our dedication to our customers has helped grow our business. We currently have two locations employing 35 people full time.

We are now in the process of completing a new facility for aircraft restoration and refinishing. My son, Daniel, who also manages our second body shop location, is like me, an avid pilot. We enjoy making old airplanes new again. I mentioned I have four grandsons, and naturally some of them are already learning and working with us part time.

I have long been an advocate for the collision repair industry. I have served in different capacities including President for the Mississippi Collision Repair Association. I have also served on the Mississippi Board of Directors for ICAR. I was appointed by Governor Ronnie Musgrove to serve as a representative for small businesses on the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality.

Our shop is one of a small few that holds the honor of being Gold Class Certified since 1991. We will receive our 30 year Gold Class designation next year.

Many of you know I have traveled the country helping build associations and speaking to the members.

I am passionate about this industry, but my greatest concern is for the small businesses that are being squeezed out by the MSO’s. I will be energetic in my efforts to be a part of the change we are facing. Not everyone will be successful. I want to help as many as possible in order to reduce the number of failures. I am honored to be nominated to serve on the board for SCRS. Our shops are long time members and I am a platinum supporter. No association works harder for the collision repair industry than SCRS. I will work hard to help SCRS succeed for the membership. Thank you for your nomination and for your consideration.

More information:

Register for July 20 SCRS open meeting

Biographies of candidates for 2020 SCRS election

“Pre-Register for SCRS Open Board Meeting”

Society of Collision Repair Specialists, July 6, 2020

Images:

The Society of Collision Repair Specialists logo flies above the group’s 2019 SEMA booth. (John Huetter/Repairer Driven News)

Candidates for the 2020 Society of Collision Repair Specialists board elections include Tony Adams, owner of Weaver’s Collision Center (Kansas); Amber Alley, general manager of Barsotti’s Body and Fender (California); Trace Coccimiglio, owner of Valet Auto Body (Utah); Josh McFarlin, vice president for strategic business operations at AirPro Diagnostics (Florida); and John Mosley, owner of Clinton Body Shop (Mississippi). (Provided by SCRS)