Sacramento, Calif.--The Automotive Service Councils of California said its 69th annual conference on Oct. 2-4 was a perfect blend of education and relaxation in a resort like atmosphere.
The event at the Renaissance Esmeralda in Indian Wells, Calif., was kicked off by speakers who left attendees with valuable information that shop owners can implement to better manage their businesses.
Bryan Fikes, owner and founder of Zenergy Internet Marketing, presented information on how shop owners can use social sites to drive traffic to their Web sites. Philippe Heller discussed ADA compliance requirements and how to reduce your risk.
Ken Wardlow of the Bureau of Automotive Repair (BAR) told attendees of catalytic converter emissions inspection processes for smog check stations.
Immediately following, attendees were invited to a reception hosted by WORLDPAC. Old and new friends mingled in a relaxed atmosphere with food and drink.
The reception was turned into a Casino Royale, with attendees playing roulette, black jack, Texas hold ‘em poker and craps until the place shut down. The top winners were: first place David Kusa, second place Paula Nobriga, and third place Cindy Crawley.
On Saturday morning, all gathered for breakfast and heard Mitch Schneider, who used his experiences as a shop owner to relate the multiple secrets of a long and happy life.
The breakfast was followed by the chapter representatives meeting at which board elections were held. The open positions were filled by David Baerg, Craig Johnson, Dennis Montalbano, Les Morris, Tracy Renee, and Jeff Stich.
The Chapter Representatives Committee also reaffirmed the second year of a two-year term for Chair Dennis Montalbano.
The new board convened briefly to select the 2009 officers, who are:
• Stuart Terry, president
• Dennis Montalbano, first vice president
• Declan Kavanagh, treasurer
• Jack Crawley, secretary
• Glenn Davis, past president
The President’s Banquet ended the full-day with a black-tie affair. After cocktails and dinner, the 2009 committee chairs and board members were acknowledged for their service. Then the 2010 board and officers were installed.
The ASC Educational Foundation raffled off a 32-inch LCD television donated by ASCCA’s benefit provider, AutoNet TV, and a Blu-ray DVD Surround System.
The raffle exceeded the amount the foundation was hoping to raise to fully fund the Alan & Dee Cherko Scholarship Fund. Efforts continue to raise money for the Sheldon Miller Memorial Scholarship Fund.
Special acknowledgement was given to Marion Vosburg, who chaired the foundation in 2009 and who recently retired and resigned that duty.
During the banquet, Glenn Davis presented the President’s Award to Larry Nobriga, the person Davis said best served the association in 2009. Nobriga received the award for his hard work as chair of the ASCCA Government Affairs Committee.
On Sunday, the event wrapped up with the farewell breakfast that included a state-of-the-state address by Davis, President-elect Stewart Terry, and Legislative Advocate Jack Molodanof.