I’m sitting in a quiet conference room at the Cincinnati Marriott at River Center in Covington, Ky., just across the Ohio River from Cincinnati proper. Why am I here? I’m attending the 2022 NACAT (North American Council Of Automotive Teachers) conference, and if you’re an educator you should have been here, too!
NACAT is the only industry association that is specifically focused on those responsible for training our next generation of technicians and is run by those doing the same. As their tagline reads, “For automotive teachers, by automotive teachers.” As the name implies, educators involved in high school and post-secondary programs from across the United States and Canada are included and eligible for membership. And while there are numerous benefits to being a member, the one that has to be at the top of the list is attending the annual conference.
And while training in the latest vehicle technologies is certainly important to the men and women preparing their students for careers in the industry, the primary purpose of the conference is to assist members on developing their professional skillsets as educators. This includes mastering the necessary classroom skills and on the business of education – interacting with administration, potential employers of their students, and more.
Another factor that makes NACAT a unique experience is the family atmosphere surrounding the event. Yes, I mean how other members make you feel right at home but more than that, many of the attendees bring their families and everyone is welcome at the group activities held over the course of the four-day event. A tradition at the conference is the annual Valve Cover Races, a pine box derby-style event featuring entries made from a variety of automotive valve covers and limited only by the imagination of the builder. This year, the races started off with the kids in attendance, including visiting Girl Scouts who attended as guests of ATech Training, the host sponsor of this year’s event. And the winner of this informal competition was a little 2- or 3-year-old by the name of Wesley, who, admittedly, needed a little help setting up his entry on the track!
A New Era?
NACAT, like many other industry organizations, has had its up and downs. This year’s conference also welcomed in a new business manager, Heather Sebben, to help lead NACAT to new heights. This young lady has motor oil in her blood, as a drag racer (starting at age 8!) and in working with her father at the family shop. Admittedly, when her father asked her to take over the management of the business, her skillsets were a bit lacking. So, she sought help and ended up at what was at that time ASA Midwest, where she met someone we all know, Sheri Hamilton. That meeting led to working first part-time and later full-time with Hamilton, who mentored Heather and helped prepare her for this new role.
And the efforts are already showing. A new logo heralds in a new era for NACAT, and the conference’s successes are only one part of the whole. Visit the newly redesigned website, and you’ll find that becoming a member has been made as easy as it can be, and resources for existing members have been expanded, including the ability to see and identify other NACAT members near you to encourage collaboration and networking. Additional resources are planned to include both technical and management training resources, as well as an area to exchange ideas on curriculum development and implementation.
As I said earlier, “For automotive teachers, by automotive teachers”. If that’s you, you need to learn more about how NACAT can help you take your programs to the next level. Log on to www.NACAT.org today, and plan on attending the 2023 conference. I’ll be there!
NACAT Awards
On the final evening of the 2022 conference, members and guests sat down for one last meal together. As part of the evening’s activities, individual awards and recognitions were announced.
First on the agenda were two awards presented every year by Mitchell1. This year, Mike Alberry, Product Manager for Mitchell1’s ProDemand service information service, made the presentations. First, was the presentation of their annual student scholarship that recognizes one U.S. or Canadian high school senior or college student for outstanding achievement in automotive technology/auto shop repair scholastics. The winning student, Daniel Zielinski, received a $2,500 scholarship, a check for $500, and roundtrip airfare and accommodations for the winner and a guest to attend the NACAT conference.
Mitchell1 also recognizes an Educator of the Year. Metropolitan Community College (Kansas City, Mo.) automotive technology instructor and Ford ASSET coordinator, David Patience was announced as this year’s recipient. Patience, whose automotive career spans 37 years including 19 at MCC, earned the honor by achieving the highest score of all the educators in the U.S. and Canada who took the most recent National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) certification tests.
The Educator of the Year award includes a one-year subscription for MCC to Mitchell1 online service manuals (about a $1,200 savings for the college), plus $500 and an expenses-paid trip for Patience and his wife to attend the conference and awards banquet.
Next was the presentation of the Larry Cotten Memorial scholarship. The scholarship honors the legacy of Larry Cotten, the first president of the council. Cotten retired from Tarrant County College in 2005 after teaching there for 30 years. Additionally, in 1982, Cotten worked for I-CAR for a year. Cotten passed away in 2005. His family established this scholarship as way to support the next generation of collision repairers. This year's recipient is Elisaa McAdams. She is a graduating senior from New Horizons Education Center in Newport News, Virginia. She was accepted into Lincoln Tech in Nashville, Tennessee, as a collision repair student. Thanks to the scholarship, McAdams has received $1,000 for use in her automotive education career.
The NACAT Award of Appreciation was presented to ATech Training, this year’s host and Gold sponsor. ATech Training, Inc. was founded in 1984 to develop products that aid instructors in presenting automotive repair topics. Led by CEO Laura Lyons, ATech has become a world leader in the design and development of world class “Trainers” and courseware for automotive OEM, secondary and community college automotive programs, as well as military and other technical training schools.
Two outgoing NACAT Board members, Jim Voth and Jason Bronsther, were honored for their efforts in keeping NACAT moving forward and meeting their objectives of serving automotive educators in the U.S. and Canada. NACAT News editor James Curry was also honored as a Friend of NACAT for his efforts and contributions to the organization.
Last but certainly not least, Bronsther was also honored as NACAT’s 2022 MVP for Outstanding Service. I think it’s important to understand that he, as well as the other board members, are not paid staff but educators that volunteer their time to serve their fellow educators. Anyone who has taught in the public school system knows how much time it demands just to run your own classes! So on behalf of those in the aftermarket benefiting from your efforts, thank you NACAT – and all those who make it what it is.
Are you an educator? Then learn how you can not only benefit from what NACAT has to offer, but also to learn how you can make a difference in the direction this industry takes, visit the NACAT website at www.NACAT.org. See you in Houston, Tex., in 2023!
