From testing as a student to training future generations to recognition for his dedication, an instructor now has all bases covered with his ASE experience.
David Wolf of Roseburg, Oregon was named the Motor Age Training/ASE Master L1 Training Specialist of the Year. Wolf serves as the lead instructor for the Toyota T-TEN program at Umpqua Community College, which is a two-year degree program that trains in all 8 ASE areas.
Wolf has not always been involved in the automotive industry—he earned degrees in music from the University of Illinois and the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and then spent four years playing bass trombone as the founding member of the Skyline Brass. However, he has always been interested in solving problems, so his transition to the automotive industry made perfect sense. “Automotive systems were interesting to me due to their complex nature, especially because there are mechanical and electrical systems that work together,” Wolf explains.
Wolf’s part-time interest in automotive repair transformed into a career in 1999—he accepted a full-time position with Jim Rogers at Rogers Tune-up Shop in Roseburg. In his 16 years of being in the industry full-time, most of Wolf’s work experience has involved positions at independent repair shops. He also spent two years working as a dealership technician.
Now, Wolf is using his talents and passion to foster the next generation of technicians as an instructor. Since 2010, Wolf has been teaching automotive studies at Umpqua Community College. “Teaching has given me the opportunity to help students work toward a successful career by becoming competent entry-level technicians,” he comments.
Wolf is the lead instructor for Umpqua’s Toyota T-TEN program, which has been a part of the college for over twenty years. Umpqua’s T-TEN students are employed by a sponsoring Toyota dealer as interns while they are attending college. T-TEN uses a competency-based curriculum in which students alternate every term between the college and dealership internships.
The college also has a General Automotive program, which has recently been affiliated with Snap-on, nc3 and the Chrysler CAP local program.
Aside from teaching at the college, Wolf does consulting work for shops in Roseburg. Wolf also makes time to pursue his original passion, music; he and his wife Kathryn perform together as members of the Rogue Valley Symphony. They also enjoy traveling and hiking along the scenic North Umpqua River.
Upon hearing he had been chosen as the Motor Age Training/ASE Master L1 Training Specialist of the Year, Wolf was equally surprised and honored. He recalls, “I still remember taking my first three ASE tests and being excited when I received those ‘pass’ results in the mail. I never thought taking ASE tests would lead to more than keeping certifications current. Thanks to ASE and Motor Age for this award and your dedication to automotive technician excellence through certification.”
