On Monday, May 17, balloting opens for the SEMA Select Committee elections. The elections represent your opportunity to guide the direction of your SEMA councils and committees. Each SEMA council member company will receive one e-mail with instructions and links for completing an electronic Select Committee ballot. Only one ballot per company is e-mailed, and only one ballot per company will be recorded.
The e-mail ballot will be addressed to the person listed as your company’s primary council contact in the SEMA membership database. Balloting will remain open through Friday, May 28. If you think that you are the primary council contact and do not receive an e-mail on Monday, May 17, contact your SEMA staff liaison immediately.
YEN Select Committee Nominees and Bios:
Chris Crecelius - Hypertech
I appreciate the opportunity to get to run for the YEN Select Committee. I literally grew up in this industry, having been exposed to the aftermarket at an early age through my father. I have more than 20 years of experience working at the retail, wholesale and manufacturer levels, with companies such as Honest Charley, P&E Distributors, Holley Performance and Hypertech. I’ve held management positions in sales, marketing and technical support, and I am currently the national sales manager for Hypertech Inc. I have met many of you who were kind enough to share your knowledge and enthusiasm with me over the years, and I look forward to having the opportunity to use my skills, knowledge and background to help other young executives achieve excellence in our industry.
Chris Douglas – COMP Performance Group
I am honored to be considered for a position on the YEN Select Committee. As a lifelong racer, automotive enthusiast and aftermarket professional, I have been blessed with many great opportunities resulting from the efforts of those who have come before me and am passionate about extending those same opportunities to others. I have been fortunate to work with some of the most accomplished professionals in the industry and from those experiences I have gained valuable industry insight, team-building skills and big-picture perspectives that will allow me to be a working member of the YEN Select Committee. I have the utmost respect for the mission of YEN, and I look forward to sharing my time and experience in a productive and impacting manner.
Carlos Gutierrez – Rampage Products
I have worked in the automotive industry for more than 15 years. In that time span, I have contributed significantly to help grow an emerging company. As an active member in the off-road community, I've worked hard to help keep trails open. I currently volunteer with youth sport programs as a team leader, working with league board members to achieve team dynamics and goals. I believe that my sales and marketing experience along with an automotive passion and energy drive me to help and contribute to the YEN Select Committee.
Jenna Jefferies – K&N Engineering Inc.
I have been employed in the automotive aftermarket for more than 10 years and involved in racing for more than 20 years. I have worked with dealers, distributors and retailers and understand the industry. My family is very involved in racing and building off-road cars. We compete in the Score International Desert Series, Baja 500 and 1000, and other races such as the Mint 400. I have also raced some myself in an annual Charity Race for Breast Cancer. I love being a part of the race team, and I attend every race possible. I would like to be considered for the YEN Select Committee. I feel that this opportunity would allow me to get involved with others in our industry on a deeper level and develop better knowledge of how I can contribute to SEMA.
Dan Kahn – Kahn Media
I'm honored to be nominated for the YEN Select Committee. The economy and global market is rapidly changing, and it is up to us to shepherd the aftermarket through these changes in a positive way. My background in communications and social media will bring a fresh perspective to the group, and I will represent the interests of the media, manufacturing and marketing sectors well. I was chosen as a YEN Member-of-the-Month this year for my work in social media marketing and have been a member of SEMA for 12 years. I have worked 11 SEMA Shows, and I currently serve on the Board of Directors for the YMCA. I believe wholeheartedly in SEMA and all the programs it offers its members.
Jesse Rohr – MBRP Performance Exhaust
I would proudly uphold the position, if elected, and bring in the experience and knowledge I’ve gained thus far in this industry to help usher in a new chapter in YEN’s history. I’ve held four distinct positions, which has helped me become a well-rounded professional in this industry. Those positions include store manager of one of America’s largest automotive retail stores, vice president of sales and marketing of a large internet retailer, manufacturer’s rep to more than 35 factories, and now as an eastern North American sales director for a manufacturer. This experience has helped me become more versatile than most employees my age, and I would love to introduce some of these perspectives to the council over the next year.