Motor Age and PTEN are committed to supporting young technicians in the automotive aftermarket, and we want to shine a spotlight on those who are paving a successful path in the industry. This is part of a monthly series to showcase the best young talent in our industry.

That's how Lee Hall, fleet manager of the City of Fairfax (Virginia) Fleet Services/Operations division, described Beach, who he nominated for the award.

"The City of Fairfax had a job opening back in 2018 to replace an ASE Master Technician who was retiring with over 30 years of service," Hall said. "So, it was no easy task to find his replacement. Jesse joined our team in February 2018 with a lot of knowledge in the automotive industry, but he had never worked in a fleet with such a wide diverse of inventory, such as police, fire, transit, refuse, construction, snow equipment, lawn equipment, heavy equipment: loaders, skid steers, front loaders, etc. So, for anyone moving into this new world of fleet services, it could be very overwhelming for a technician, especially a younger technician.

"Jesse worked side-by-side with the techs to learn the processes of the city fleet. Then, after he learned this process, Jesse took his level to an all-new high! Jesse introduced some private industry practices to the city's fleet services. The city was able to start performing some larger scope jobs in-house rather than outsourcing the work. Jesse has been a big part of implementing revised PM checklists for police vehicles."

PTEN and Motor Age magazines talked with Beach about his career path, to see if he had guidance for other young technicians, and to share some anecdotes.  

What is the best piece of advice that you’ve received during your career?

The best advice that I’ve ever received is to learn how something works before starting the job. It will help you fix/diagnose anything. Of course, you can change parts on a lot of things, but what if that doesn't fix it? Knowing what different components do and how they work together will make you more confident, time and money won’t be wasted, and it will decrease the chance of a comeback.         

What is your dream car?

It will probably change tomorrow, but as of now, it's a '71 Dodge Demon, but with the modern everything swapped into it… dash, seats, steering, suspension, engine, trans, all of it. I love the early '70s muscle, but with modern reliability and power!

What is the most random item in your toolbox?

An old phone charger with an LED light. We have a lot of issues with 12V auxiliary outlets, and that charger works perfectly.

What are your career aspirations?

I'm doing it. Honestly, if I can continue to keep gaining knowledge of all the vehicles around our shop, this is where I would love to be for the rest of my career. I work primarily on police and gas vehicles, but we also have buses, heavy trucks with equipment, fire, and small engines. I love working on a multitude of vehicles and hope to become well-versed in as many of them as possible.         

How did you first become interested in the automotive industry?

From a very young age, I was always working with my dad on the weekends in our little garage at the house. He worked 30 years as a mechanic for the City of Fairfax, so on weekends when he was home, working on cars, in the yard and around our house is what he/we did. Following him helped me learn what to do and what not to do.

If you weren’t in the automotive industry, what would you be doing?

I would probably be a general contractor or carpenter. I enjoy all things that take physical labor and working with my hands.  Lately, I have found I am very knowledgeable about construction and building (probably out of necessity due to a recent home purchase). I feel that knowledge of home maintenance and repair is something that comes naturally to me. I give credit to listening and learning from my dad as I was growing up.

What is your favorite tool?

My Milwaukee 1/4" hex impact driver, hands down. I use it 100% of the time. It does everything from taking off skid pans, covers, fender, liners, under dash panels, and center consoles.

Tell us how you got your first job.

During high school, and honestly right after graduation, I didn't know what I wanted to do. I worked a variety of jobs. from making sandwiches in a deli, to a garden and nursery center, to a spray-in bedliner shop. It just wasn't keeping my interest, so I decided to go to a trade school for automotive sound security and fabrication. I had found I liked building things and fixing problems. After graduation, I thought I would get into car audio because I had the certificate, but unfortunately, no one would hire me. A friend told me to apply as a general service technician at Merchants Tire. I followed the lead tech for four years, asking questions and assisting in any way I could.  Once I finally felt confident with the knowledge I had acquired, I asked to move into a technician position. 10 years later, I was ASE-certified, an emissions and state inspector, and more confident than ever. Having finally landed what I hope is my career job at the City of Fairfax, I feel as if my hard work is paying off.  That being said, I will continue to work hard and ask questions because there is always something to learn and someone that knows something different/more than what I know.

What is the most challenging or memorable repair you’ve worked on?

I thrive on challenging tasks, although it may be different than other people, due to their experiences. When you are challenged, you learn and retain information differently. You learn what to do and what not to do by getting your hands in there. That being said, my most memorable repair is probably the first engine I put in, which was for the car I still own. When I was in high school, my dad got a project '73 Dart. When I/we removed and replaced the engine and transmission, I was terrified but excited at the same time. I remember it vividly.