TechForce Foundation announced the category winners for its 2022 Techs Rock Awards as well as opens the grand prize public vote.
The awards honor professional technicians who mentor and inspire the next generation of techs, bring excellence to their workplaces and communities, and demonstrate passion and commitment to the profession.
The five category winners were selected by a panel of expert celebrity judges including Emily Reeves, Flying Sparks Garage; Charles Sanville, The Humble Mechanic; Bogi Lateiner, Bogi’s Garage; Pete Meier, Motor Age Magazine; and Julia Landauer, Julia Landauer Racing.
Since 2018 technicians have received more than $27,000 in prizes. Over $17,500 in prizes are being awarded in the 2022 Techs Rock Awards:
- Each Category Winner receives prizes valued over $1,700 from TechForce partners including Ford Motor Company, AutoZone, CRC Industries, Snap-on Industrial, Advance Auto Parts, WD-40 Company and Cengage.
- The Grand Prize Winner will receive an all-expenses-paid trip to STX 2024 in Orlando, FL valued at $3,000 courtesy of Advance Auto Parts, along with an additional prize package valued at over $5,500 from TechForce partners CRC Industries, Ford Motor Company, Snap-on Industrial, Advance Auto Parts, WD-40 Company and AutoZone.
Each category winner represents a distinct category. Awardees include:
- Barrier Buster - Daniel McCrum, Carmax. The Barrier Buster category recognizes technicians for showing heart and passion in overcoming obstacles to succeed.
- Die Hard - Joshua Ferrantino, Rodman Ford. The Die Hard category recognizes industry superfans who live, breathe, sleep, and thrive in their career.
- Outstanding Mentor - Frank Mendoza, Flow Nissan and NASCAR Technical Institute. The Outstanding Mentor category recognizes techs for providing support and guidance to the industry's future technicians.
- Pay it Forward - Zachary Carlsen, Northern Auto Repair. The Pay it Forward category recognizes technicians for being a community advocate and inspiring the next generation of techs.
- Rookie of the Year - Kael Gortat, Carmax. The Rookie of the Year category recognizes up-and-coming tech professionals with under two years’ professional experience.
Voting ends Friday, Dec. 2, 2022 at 11:59 PM PT.
Learn more about the category winners and vote for the Grand Prize Winner at TechForce.org/Vote.
