For me, one of the highlights of the year is the banquetthat closes the fall meeting of the ASE Board of Directors and Board of Governors.This is one of the few national events honoring technicians, parts specialistsand other motor vehicle service professionals who have demonstrated that theyare at the top of their game.

The awards sponsors come from the ranks of originalequipment manufacturers, parts suppliers, training organizations, trademagazines and tool companies. Each selects one technician within a categoryfrom the hundreds (in some cases, thousands) of eligible service professionalswho have scored highest on ASE-certification tests within the past year andmeet other requirements set by the sponsors.

The awards winners and their families are flown to the ASEboard meetings, held this year in San Antonio, where they sit in andparticipate in the meetings of the ASE boards and its committees, network withother high-performing service professionals, meet industry movers and shakersand do some sightseeing in an area of the country that they might not otherwiseget to visit.

This year, 38 individuals were recognized. Combined, thewinners represent about 878 years of technical experience repairing andservicing cars and trucks and they average 23 years on the job. Here are the 11winners from the medium/heavy truck sector:

Jamie Henderson:

Delco-Remy/ASE Medium/Heavy Truck Electrical/ElectronicSystems Technician of the Year. From Abiline, Texas, Jamie is a technician atCorley-Wetsel Freightliner and an ASE-certified Master Truck Technician.

Crayton Hughey:

2006 Freightliner/ASE Master Med-ium/Heavy Truck Technicianof the Year. Crayton hails from Lowndes, Mo., ran his own truck repair businessfor 19 years and is currently a service advisor at Duckett Truck Center inSikeston, Mo.

Aaron Zavadil:

2006 Sterling or Western Star/ASE Master Medium/Heavy TruckTech-nician of the Year. He graduated from TDDS Technical Institute, has beenworking as a technician for 10 years and is currently with TSI Western Star inNorth Jackson, Ohio.

Steve Altmann:

2006 GM/ASE Master Medium-/Heavy Truck Technician of theYear. A graduate of Universal Technical Institute, Steve has 14 years ofexperience, the past 12 years with Ironside Motor Sales, in Wisconsin Rapids,Wis.

Kenneth Clouse:

International Truck and Engine-/ASE Master Medium/HeavyTruck Technician of the Year. He is an ASE-certified Master Technician,International Diamond certified and is a Ford Senior Master certifiedtechnician. Kenneth lives in Chatanooga, Tenn., and works for Lee-Smith Inc.

Adam Russell Sr.:

2006 International Truck and Engine/ASE Parts Specialist ofthe Year. From Amelia, Va., Adam works at Goodman Truck and Tractor Co. and hasbeen ASE certified since 2003.

David Billmeier:

2006 International Truck and Engine/ASE Paint and RefinishTechnician of the Year. Billmeier lives in Carroll, Iowa, and works forO’Halloran International in Altoona.

Kenneth Passmore:

International Truck and Engine-/ASE Master School BusTechnician. Ken is from Indianapolis, works for Midwest Transit Equipment andattained his first ASE certification in 1977.

David Goar:

2006 Peterbilt/ASE Master Med-ium/Heavy Truck Technician ofthe Year. David lives in Anoka, Minn., and works for Peterbilt North in Blaine,Minn. David was also a regional winner of the Chevrolet-Caterpillar TEC MastersIII program in 1996 and the recipient of the GMC Five Star Performers MasterTechnician Guild Award in 1995.

James Rosencrans:

This year’s Snap-on/ASE Master Medium/Heavy Truck Technicianof the Year. James lives in Columbia City, Ind., and has operated RosencransTruck Repair for the past 23 years. He also was the 1998 winner of this award.In addition to holding the ASE Master Truck certification, he also is an ASEMaster certification in the automobile and school bus categories.

Adam Huizenga:

2006 Triangle Spring/ASE Med-ium/Heavy Truck Suspension andSteering Technician of the Year. From Fulton, Ill., Adam is a wheel alignmenttechnician for Mutual Wheel Co. and holds ASE Truck certifications in brakesand steering and suspension since 2000.

Congratulations to all the award winners, and a specialthanks to the sponsors. 

 
Chuck Roberts is ASE’s executive director of industryrelations.