AWE Hires New Human Resources Director
AWE has placed Belinda Tschorn as its new head of human resources to support the growth of the organization. As human resources director, Tschorn will oversee all areas of organizational development, training, employee relations, benefits, recruiting and HRIS, as well as building out the HR department at AWE to support future growth. Prior to joining AWE, Tschorn has held executive and management positions at Piramal Pharma Solutions, Omni Cable and Scala. She graduated from Villanova University with a B.A. in economics and a certificate in human resources management and services and also participated in strategic human resources leadership at Cornell University. She is also credentialed in SHRM-CP and PHR.
Steve Swanson
California Luncheon Features SEMA WTC, TIA, Hall of Fame
The ninth annual CTDA/1-800EveryRim New Year Luncheon on January 20 featured the establishment of the California Tire Dealers Association Hall of Fame and speeches by representatives from SEMA and The Tire Industry Association. (TIA). Two of the inductees were former directors of CTDA-N (North) and CTDA-S (South), with the combined associations becoming the California Tire Dealers Association (CTDA) in 2010.
- The late Eddie Cohn was a CTDA-S director and had previously operated Cohn Tire Sales in Los Angeles.
- Jay Goldberg has been a board member of the CTDA since the ’60s. He operated Anderson Tire, Semperit Pacific and later became a principal at Globe Tire. Goldberg was also heavily involved with the National Tire Dealers and Retreaders Association (NTDRA).
- The late Tom Hanlon, a past CTDA-N president, also ran Hanlon’s Tire Service in San Bruno, California.
- The late Ed King, who helped establish CTDA-N’s insurance services, was a past executive director of CTDA and prior to that was a CTDA-N board member.
- Don Zavattero, former secretary, treasurer, and board member of the CTDA-N and CTDA, is the founder of Tech Supply in Hayward California.
The Hall of Fame inductees were announced by CTDA Executive Director Marc Connerly and CTDA board member Chris Barry of the Independent Tire Dealer Group (ITDG) served as the luncheon’s emcee. Speakers touched on topics important to the industry:
- SEMA Wheel & Tire Council (WTC) select committee member and former SEMA board member Steve Swanson of The Carlstar Group engaged attendees regarding the benefits of WTC membership.
- Retired TIA CEO Roy Littlefield, and now a part time lobbyist for the association, reviewed legislative issues including the infrastructure bill and funding.
- TIA President Mason Hess, of Purcell Tire, stressed the continuing impact of the labor shortage and talked about TIA’s role in employee training and the importance of manager engagement with new hires.
LEED Brakes Adds Pat Infantino as Wholesale Sales Manager
LEED Brakes is growing its sales team by adding 30+ year industry veteran and Buffalo native Pat Infantino to the position of wholesale sales manager. Infantino’s longtime industry experience includes 15 years as a manufacturer’s rep, 3½ years as national sales manager at Castle Chemical, followed by 8½ years as sales manager at Stainless Steel Brakes. Most recently, he spent 6½ years with Covercraft Industries as eastern director of sales. Infantino brings with him to LEED Brakes a plethora of experience in dealing with a wide variety of types of customers, including wholesale distribution, jobbers, automotive chains, online and big-box retailers and experience with the RV aftermarket
The Media Movers, Shakers and Story Breakers Behind Power Automedia’s Digital Magazines
In celebrating 15 years of digital media, Power Automedia launched its “Media Movers, Shakers, and Story Breakers” campaign. The “Media Movers” campaign features an interview with each member of the editorial division, highlighting the uniquely passionate people which have been the driving force behind Power Automedia’s successful magazines. The Media Movers and Shakers are a dedicated group of unique personalities banded together to bring readers everything from how-to articles, automotive news and event coverage. It is through the words of the magazines’ editors that enthusiasts can find community, achieve their dreams and share in the passions of the automotive hobby.
Power Automedia’s group of Story Breakers encompasses more than just an expert team of writers. Helping to shape both the future of the industry, and the digital content of the company is Chief Operating Officer Scott Parker, Creative Operations Director Andrew Almazan and Managing Editor Amanda Bourne. Each member of editorial leadership contributes to fine-tuning the department’s mission of crafting the most innovative automotive content possible. Watch each Media Movers campaign spotlight here.
SRO Motorsports America Announces Staff Promotions, Additions
SRO Motorsports America has announced staff promotions and additions to strengthen its growth in North America. Effective immediately, Brian Hughes was promoted to vice president, operations. He is recognized as a leading logistics and operations professional within both motorsports and corporate settings. Prior to joining SRO America, Hughes had extensive experience with ChampCar, IMSA, and NZR Consulting. Staci Langham was promoted to general manager, and will oversee Team Relations, GT World Challenge America and GT America. Langham has been a member of the World Challenge organization for over a decade.
Robbie Montinola was promoted to vice president, marketing communications and business development, and will oversee several new hires in his department. Montinola enters his fifth season with SRO after many years in the tech media and entertainment space. Susan Dunklau was promoted to CFO. Dunklau has been with the series since 2011, most recently serving as the senior series administrator. Dean Case, meanwhile, joins as press officer. Case has previously worked for Ford Racing, NISMO, and Mazdaspeed and will lead efforts to tell the multitude of stories from within the SRO paddock.
Natasha Masterson will join as the manager for marketing and business development. Masterson has worked extensively in IndyCar, Formula One, WEC, IMSA and with brands such as McLaren and Lamborghini. Kenzie Manning and Raymond Fong join team relations. Manning has a diverse motorsports background ranging from pit crew work to hospitality. Fong is an experienced sports marketing and events professional having most recently worked for the Golden State Warriors. Mitchell Mefford will join the SRO engineering team. Mefford is well known in the paddock, having served as a part of the weekend SRO technical staff since 2019.
CRP Automotive Names Brian Banks 2021 Canadian Sales Representative of the Year
CRP Automotive has named Brian Banks as its 2021 Canadian Sales Representative of the Year. Banks is the President of BRB Sales and Marketing Inc., and represents CRP Automotive’s AAE, Ajusa, Pentosin and Rein brands in the Ontario province. 2021 marked Banks’ first full year as a sales representative for CRP Automotive. The award was presented by CRP Automotive Canadian National Sales Manager Patrick Hébert. Banks founded BRB Sales and Marketing Inc. in 2019, as an independent manufacturer’s representative providing sales, marketing and service for the automotive aftermarket, heavy-duty, and industrial channels in Ontario, Canada. Originally the company was a partner agent with Kanmar Inc. until March 2020. Prior to founding BRB, Banks served as a manufacturer’s representative in the Ontario automotive aftermarket for 28 years.
Continental Names Peter Dobrowolski as Product Manager for Diagnostics and Services
Continental has named Peter Dobrowolski as the new product manager for diagnostics and services - North America. In his new role, Dobrowolski will be responsible for managing the portfolio of diagnostics products that include the Autodiagnos Pro Automotive Diagnostic System, Autodiagnos TPMS Tools and the Autodiagnos Drive Connected Vehicle Data Solution.
Dobrowolski is a long-time employee of Continental, serving in several capacities during the past 10 years. He was a senior product manager for the Tachographs, Telematics and Services group, where he managed a start-up compliance product for the heavy-duty trucking industry and oversaw the entire product lifecycle from concept through to market deployment in both the United States and Canada. Dobrowolski was also the health, safety and facilities manager for Continental’s Allentown, Pennsylvania, facility. Prior to joining Continental, Dobrowolski was employed by Saab Automotive AB as assistant manager – parts technical services and worked on the operations support staff for Logistics Services at Caterpillar Inc.
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