DALLAS — The Automotive Service Association (ASA), the International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE) and the Congress of Automotive Repair & Service (CARS) have announced that Jerry Burns, president and owner of Automotive Impressions Inc., will serve as the NACE 2009 event chairman. President and owner of C & C Automotive, Aaron Clements, will return as the event chairman of CARS.
Each chairman is responsible for leading an Attendee Advisory Council for their respective shows. Serving as the NACE 2009 Exhibitor Advisory Council Chairman is Tom Williams, marketing director for CCC Information Services Inc., which has exhibited at NACE events for more than 23 years. Both the upcoming NACE and CARS shows, which take place November 4-7, are sponsored by ASA and co-located at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center in Las Vegas, during the second annual Automotive Service & Repair Week (ASRW).
Since beginning his involvement in the automotive collision industry in 1983, Burns has succeeded on many fronts, building his skill-set and notoriety by earning the titles of ASE Master-certified Technician and Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM). Before his current role as ASA National Board of Directors Executive Committee chair elect, Burns has served as ASA National Board of Directors general director, as a member of the ASA National Collision Division Operations Committee, as well as holding a seat on the Board of Trustees for both CIECA (Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association) and the I-CAR Education Foundation. As president and owner of his family operated business, Automotive Impressions Inc. in Rio Rancho, N.M., he and his 15-year-strong facility have earned numerous awards, including the prestigious Quality New Mexico (QNM) Pinon and Roadrunner Recognitions – patterned after the coveted Malcolm Baldrige national quality awards. His commitment to customer satisfaction and service excellence won him 1998 and 1999 honors with the QNM Pinon Recognition, followed up with the QNM Roadrunner Recognition in 2000 and 2004 for measurable progress in customer satisfaction and service excellence. As a 19-year veteran of the NACE events, Burns brings an abundant amount of industry knowledge and experience to his role as NACE 2009 event chairman.
Prior to serving as chairman of the 2007 ASA Board of Directors, Clements, AAM, president of C&C Automotive Inc., held the positions of chairman-elect and secretary/treasurer on ASA’s board. Clements has been an ASA member since 1981 and his business is AAA-approved as well as a National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) Blue Seal of Excellence facility. Ninety percent of his staff is certified by ASE, and 50 percent are ASE master-certified. A 34-year veteran of the automotive service industry, Clements is an ASE Master-certified Technician, an Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) and a member of the Augusta Chamber of Commerce and the Better Business Bureau. Clements began his involvement with ASA by serving in various leadership positions with the local ASA-Augusta chapter in the 1990s. He later moved on to serve at the affiliate level and was elected as president of ASA-Georgia in 1999 and 2000. He currently serves as an advisory board member of the Augusta Technical College and donates his time and expertise speaking before different groups on how to care for a vehicle, including hosting a Saturday morning radio talk show. In 2000, Clements was awarded the Carl J. Montgomery Memorial Award for professionalism and dedication in the auto repair industry. He was also named the NAPA/ASE Technician of the Year finalist from the Atlanta region each year from 1995 to 2005. In his second consecutive year as the CARS event chairman, Clements brings much energy, dedication and commitment to his appointment, remaining a sound advocate for the continuing education available at CARS.
For more event details visit www.NACEexpo.com or www.CARSevent.com.
