Gary Wano Jr. of Oklahoma--fresh off of being selected 2008's Collision Repair Shop Executive of the Year by Body Shop Business magazine--assumes the duties of SCRS chairman after several years of service on the SCRS board of directors.

Three executive board members are returning for a second term: Vice Chairman Barry Dorn of Virginia, Treasurer Tim Waldren of Nevada, and Director-at-Large Stacy Bartnik of Illinois.

Secretary Aaron Clark of Indiana, an SCRS national director last year, will begin his inaugural term as secretary.  Farzam Afshar of California will become immediate past chairman.

National directors for the upcoming year include returning officers Dan Bailey of Kansas, Toby Chess of California, Rollie Benjamin of Minnesota, Bill Garoutte of Missouri, and Steve Regan of Massachusetts.

 First-time national directors include Dale Matsumoto  of Hawaii, Ron Reichen of Oregon, and Joe Skurka of Michigan, who will all three-year terms.

 Wano, who started out in the collision repair industry as a paint technician in 1985, co-owns G.W. & Son Auto Body Shop Inc. with his father, Gary Wano Sr.  His work on the behalf of the industry includes participation in the National Auto Body Council (as former director-at-large and current chairman of the PRIDE Committee), CIC (past chairman of the Anti-Fraud/Ethics Committee), Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (current member of the Repair Advisory Panel), and the Oklahoma Auto Body Association (past president).

SCRS' new chairman anticipates the upcoming year to be challenging but rewarding none the less.  "There are a lot of industry issues that we intend on addressing throughout the year," Wano said. 

"Although some repairers are pessimistic about the general climate of the collision repair industry, we are optimistic about the opportunities that lie ahead, he said.  "SCRS' job is to identify those opportunities and ensure our members are successful and profitable. 

"Thankfully, the growing varieties of electronic communication methods allow us to respond more quickly to repairer needs, and if needed, mobilize faster than before," Wano said.  "We recognize our strength is derived from our members and our state affiliate associations.  SCRS will continue to focus on strengthening and leveraging those relationships, as the need for unity has never been more prevalent."

First-time board member Ron Reichen said he looks forward to representing the industry in the Northwest, as well as helping the industry tackle a variety of significant issues.

"The merger of information providers (CCC and Mitchell) is on every repairer's mind," Reichen said.  "There is a lot of uncertainty and unanswered questions that could have a negative impact on repairers and their profitability.  That's something we will continue to watch closely. 

 
"There's also the matter of training and lack of readily accessible information with the diversity of vehicle structures and repair techniques being promoted by various manufacturers," he said.  "And, of course, insurance industry relations are always a concern-finding the right balance of cooperation and responsible push-back to ensure our members get the compensation they need to operate profitable businesses."

In regard to insurer and repairer relations, SCRS officials are in the process of implementing a strategy they believe could be one of the keys to a more improved and productive relationship.

"What we have found is that oftentimes there is a disconnect between what the insurer's home office has set as policy and what is implemented in the field by local management," Wano said.  "In the process of being passed down, the intent and spirit of the policy is often lost, sometimes resulting in negotiations at the shop level that are heated, unproductive, and certainly not market-driven. 

"By dealing with the decision-makers at the home office, we may be able to identify solutions which are mutually beneficial that ultimately benefit the consumer," he said.  "We have used this approach successfully with other industry segments and are confident it will be successful with insurers also."