I-CAR has named its three new board members as representatives from Nissan, OPUS IVS and Entegral, and their terms are set to begin today following the nonprofit’s board of directors meeting.

I-CAR’s newly-elected board members, who will serve a three-year term, include:

• • Mark Thorpe, director of sales and operations at Nissan North America, representing the OEM segment;
  • Brian Herron, CEO of Opus IVS, representing the tool, equipment and supply segment; and
  • Trent Tinsley, assistant vice president at Entegral Holdings LLC, representing the Related Industry Services Segment.
    

    Mark Thorpe

“The I-CAR Board of Directors plays a crucial role in guiding our organization and ensuring that we continue to meet the evolving needs of the collision repair industry,” said Jim Guthrie, I-CAR’s board chair and president of Car Crafters. “We are thrilled to welcome the new board members and look forward to their valuable contributions.”

Meanwhile, a longtime I-CAR board member is sharing his parting thoughts about the association after serving the maximum term length.

Mark Allen, Audi of America’s collision, equipment & EV after sales service manager, has served on I-CAR’s board since 2015 after initially joining to fill a vacancy. He stepped in after serving the maximum consecutive terms permitted by I-CAR.

Mark Allen

“By our governance rules I’m required to take a break and allow for fresh talent to bring their contributions,” Allen told Repairer Driven News. “Being asked to serve is a gift to the candidate. The relationships built, broader understanding of the different areas represented in the I-CAR board, the business of running the [nonprofit] have all been experiences that have enriched me as a person.”

Meanwhile, three board members were re-elected and will serve two- or four-year terms. This includes:

• • Patrick Hart, college president at New York Automotive & Diesel Institute, representing the education segment;
  • Dean Fisher, strategic advisor at Driven Brands, representing the collision repair segment; and
  • Jennifer Boyer, director of strategy and business office at Ford Motor Co., representing the OEM segment.

As the new members prepare to begin their work with I-CAR, Allen reflected on his own eight-and-a-half-year journey with the organization, which he said was marked by “many accomplishments” among both I-CAR employees and board members.

Trent Tinsley

He cited financial stability as one area of improvement, saying: “When I joined we were at a very low time and now we are at a great level of health.”

Other sources of pride include helping rework I-CAR’s governance and training alliance, opening a new learning location, continuing learning credit for platinum technicians, and updating and refreshing course content, Allen said. He also noted how I-CAR remained ahead of the training curve as EVs and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) gained prominence.

Allen said he hopes the board continues to focus on “consistent learning experiences that are the right mix of web-based, [artificial intelligence], and most importantly instructor-led.”

“The culture of continued learning through I-CAR is cultivated by those that represent I-CAR, the instructors,” he said.

Brian Herron

When asked to offer parting advice for incoming members of the industry, Allen noted that while they represent a company or segment of the industry and could express their views, they should also understand that I-CAR serves the entire collision repair sector.

“Your time is to serve the greater good by professionalizing and educating the industry in totality,” he said. “You may need to separate segment aspirations from the greater good.”

Guthrie also acknowledged outgoing board members for their “ongoing commitment to I-CAR.”

As well as Allen, this included Dan Friedman, Entegral Holdings’s vice president of North American sales and business development and Bill Shaw, PPG Industry’s director of strategic sales, automotive refinish.

I-CAR’s board encompasses representatives from several industry segments, including collision repair, OEM, insurance, tools and supplies, education, equipment, and related services.

I-CAR, in 2019, voted to scale down a 22-seat board to 13 directors, with the option to add up to four more “Hybrid Directors” for shortened, single-year terms to support knowledge gaps or strategic initiatives.

The new board format guarantees auto body shops four of the 13-17 board seats, with OEMs and insurers each getting three seats. The “Education,” “Equipment, Tool and Supply” and “Related Services” segments each get one seat.

Images

Main image: I-CAR logo/Courtesy of I-CAR

Secondary images courtesy of I-CAR