FALLS CHURCH, Va. — The Automotive Maintenance and Repair Association (AMRA) Board of Directors has formed a new Advisory Council for the Motorist Assurance Program (MAP).

The MAP Advisory Council will be an independent, self-governing body that advises the AMRA Board of Directors on all MAP-related matters, concerns and issues identified by the council. The AMRA Board may, from time to time, request specific input from the advisory council on topics related to automotive aftermarket service and repair, or general areas related to consumer outreach. The Advisory Council will formulate and submit its own list of practices to the AMRA Board at its next meeting on Oct. 31.

Members of the MAP Advisory Council include Dr. Lance David, Larry Kaplan, Richard Laimbeer, Elizabeth Owen and Darrell Rowe.

Laimbeer was selected as chairman of the Advisory Council and will serve as a voting member of the AMRA Board of Directors and represent the interests of MAP to the AMRA Board. MAP is the consumer outreach effort of AMRA, which is one the nation’s leading consumer auto service non-profit organizations.

Dick Laimbeer is a partner with the consulting firm of Docker, Findlay, Swoboda & Associates (DFS&A). Prior to joining DFS&A, Laimbeer was the publisher of Motor Information Systems. He served on the MAP Board of Trustees from 2000-09 and was the MAP Secretary/Treasurer from 2001-08.

Darrell Rowe is the director of education and development for Bridgestone Retail Operations LLC. He has served on the MAP Board of Trustees since 2006 and has been the MAP Secretary/Treasurer for the past two years.

Larry Kaplan is the administrative manager of the Consumer Protection Section of the Broward County (Fla.) Permitting, Licensing & Consumer Protection Division. He has been the MAP Board of Trustees Government Representative since 2002.

Elizabeth Owen is the executive director of the National Association of Consumer Agency Administrators (NACAA). She previously served as the director of the Tennessee Division of Consumer Affairs. She has been the MAP Board of Trustees Consumer Representative for the past year.

Lance David is the chairman of the Department of Automotive Technology at the College of Lake County in Grayslake, Ill. He was a member of the MAP Board of Trustees from 2002-04 and prior to that was a member of the AMRA/MAP Technical Committee that drafted and updated the MAP Uniform Inspection and Communication Standards (UICS). Prior to joining the College of Lake County, David was director of training for Midas International.

Visit the MAP website to learn more.