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Congratulations to our Nissan SCOPE & Infiniti KEI Masters

Cecil Sammons

Nissan SCOPE Master

Bender Honda Nissan

Clovis, NM

Growing up, Cecil Sammons was not always interested in cars. “I just tinkered around with everything.” Now a Master Technician, Cecil says his favorite part of his job is diagnosing the cars. “I like fixing them. I get a sense of pride from doing it. When a customer comes in and he or she is all upset because his or her vehicle is acting up, I can fix it for him or her. That makes me happy.” He recommends that new technicians remember to “just take your time and listen to the customer’s complaints. Try to put yourself in his or her shoes.” Sammons says he likes all of Nissan’s vehicles and has owned a number of them himself. “I have a 370Z now. I really think Nissans are good vehicles. I recommend them to all my friends.”

In his spare time, Cecil says he works on project cars every now and then but that he tries not to. “I try to keep it at work. My main thing is going fishing. We trout fish during the winter, but we also catch bass, catfish and walleye. I also like camping and hiking.” A graduate of Clovis Community College with an Associate’s Degree in automotive technology, Sammons now serves on the advisory committee of his alma mater. “They have a really good automotive program.”


Isaias Serna

Nissan SCOPE Master

Bert Ogden Nissan

McAllen, TX

Even from a young age, Isaias Serna was mechanically-minded. “I started out with lawn mowers, taking the engines apart and overhauling them. Then it was tractors, and from there I moved up to regular vehicles. By the time I was sixteen, I was removing engines, doing overhauls and all that.” Serna pursued his interests and eventually graduated from South Texas Community College with a degree in automotive technology. Now that he is a Master Technician, Isaias says he still enjoys working on anything and everything; however, he does have a bit of a preference for the GTR. “I’m a GTR specialist. I’m actually the only one certified in this shop. I’ve worked on quite a few.”

Serna recommends that new technicians focus on studying the electrical and diagnosis part of the job. “The electrical part is the most critical. You’re going to go through a lot of that as well as diagnosing the vehicle. Mechanically, you can see someone take something apart and you can probably put it back together. But, knowledge of the electrical side of it is probably the hardest thing you’re going to face.” Isaias also cautions: “This is not an easy job. It takes a lot out of you. It takes a lot of your body and a lot of your mind.”


Robert Thomas

Nissan SCOPE Master

Shingle Springs Nissan

Shingle Springs, CA

Robert Thomas says that his interest in automotive technology began when he started road racing at the age of sixteen. In the early ‘70s, Robert attended De Anza College’s two-year automotive program where he eventually earned his certificate. Thomas believes that technicians “need a working knowledge in the basics and fundamentals. Some schools are better than others. Some spend too much time learning how to use a lab scope and not enough time learning the basics of how everything works.”

A Nissan employee for 20 years, Robert has no problem navigating the common ASIST workstation. In fact, Thomas was present for the initial development of ASIST. “I was working at a Nissan dealership in the San Francisco bay area when they first developed ASIST. I was one of the technicians they asked to come over, try out the prototype systems and give feedback on them.” Since Robert gave up racing a few years ago, he now prefers to spend his off-hours camping and hiking.


Robert Vieitez

Infiniti KEI Master

Gunn Infiniti, LTD.i

San Antonio, TX

For Robert Vieitez, seeing family members working on cars in the front yard was a common sight; however, Robert is the first in his family to make automobiles his career. He decided to enroll in WyoTech’s automotive technology program. Vieitez says that his favorite part of a car to work on is “the motor or the powertrain.” His favorite part of his job is the actual diagnosing of the vehicles.

Robert often uses the CONSULT to assist him in his work, and he notices a distinct difference between the current CONSULT and the previous model. “It’s 10 times better than CONSULT.” Concerning Nissan’s move toward HEV and electric vehicles, Vieitez says: “People are starting to buy them, and the hybrids we have right now have no problems whatsoever. I’ve talked to the people who work on LEAFs, and they say that there’re no problems with those either. So, right now, I’m excited.”


Steve Nattier

Nissan SCOPE Master

Monken DG-CR-PL-JP-Nissan

Centralia, IL

Steve Nattier started his automotive career by attending trade school, earning a certificate in auto diesel technology. Steve believes that new technicians “need at least a trade school education, so they can learn the basics.” Nattier also recognizes the growing importance of electrical training. “They have to know a lot of electrical nowadays. A lot of stuff is going hybrid.” Steve has been working at Monken Auto for about 12 years, and although he is open to seeing more hybrids come through the dealership, he believes it will be a while before they see many electric vehicles in his neck of the woods. “Where we are there are no charging stations for at least 75 miles.”

In his off-hours, Nattier enjoys spending his time at the bowling alley. While working, Steve says his favorite part is when he “fixes something right the first time.” Concerning the ASIST workstation, Nattier says he usually can find what he is looking for pretty easily. But, he admits that he does miss the index that was included with the ASIST. “You could click and find a word a lot quicker. It helped, but they took the index away. It makes it a little harder sometimes.”


Don Becker

Nissan SCOPE Master

Daytona Nissani

Daytona Beach, FL

Although Don Becker has been regularly working on Nissans since 1997, his automotive career is significantly longer than that. “I’ve been at this for 43 years now. Back in the old days, I worked for a Datsun dealer in Indianapolis for a while.” Apparently, Don inherited his love for automotives from his father. “There was always something out in the garage that my dad was working on. He had Triumphs, MGs and Porsches. I even remember him fixing the engine of a Goliath at one time.” Now a Master Technician, Becker works as the shop foreman at Daytona Nissan. “They kind of give me all the difficult stuff to fix. I don’t really care what it is as long as it’s different. I like to fix the weird stuff.” He also is not intimidated by the new HEV and electric technology. “I think the LEAFs are really cool. I like all that stuff. Everybody’s scared of it, but it doesn’t bother me.”

Don used to spend a lot of his spare time on radio-controlled boats and at one point held 16 RC boat speed records. Becker spends more time now working on his Mini and going to the racetrack. “A friend of mine has a Sentra SER that we run as a 4-cylinder stock car. I like to spend Saturday evenings at the racetrack.”


Wade Harrington

Nissan SCOPE Master

Alexander Nissan, Inc.

Muncy, PA

As a child, Wade Harrington acquired his love for automotives by watching his grandfather. “I used to climb under the car with him when he was changing oil.” A graduate of the Pennsylvania College of Technology, Wade’s favorite part of his job is still simply working on cars. “It is fun doing what I do. It kind of comes naturally. It feels really good.” Harrington specifies that he tends to enjoy performing electrical diagnoses the best. When he is not working, Wade likes to spend time restoring his vintage ’69 Volkswagen Beetle and ’78 Volkswagen Bus.

Concerning Nissan’s plans for HEV and electric vehicles, Harrington thinks: “It definitely could bring in another spectrum of customers. I kind of like the hybrid, because you can drive a lot farther with it. You don’t have to find a charge port and wait.” Wade recommends that new technicians really concentrate on learning all of the new technology. “Keep up with all the new stuff because turning a wrench to change a part is one thing, but the diagnosis part is very important.” The condition he tends to find the most timeconsuming to diagnose is “a good true diagnosis of an airbag system. It’s pretty much a lot of diagnosis and checking to see if it looks good. If it still happens, then you replace this. If that doesn’t work, you replace that. There are a lot of steps you have to do.”


Steve Denton

Nissan SCOPE Master

Tom Wood Nissan, Inc.

Indianapolis, IN

As shop foreman, Steve Denton says he likes “helping other technicians learn how to repair difficult issues.” But above all Steve says he enjoys being an automotive technician. He says he “likes a challenge.” Denton acquired his interest in cars from his dad. “My dad raced cars. Drag strip, mostly. I helped my dad with his hot rods. I was helping him change oil when I was three years old.” When Steve was in high school, he took vocational training. “That’s what got me started.” At the age of 17, Denton went to community college to complete his automotive training.

When he is not working, Steve likes to spend time restoring his ‘56 Chevy Nomad. “It’s mostly original with a 265 engine. When I used to live in Colorado, I liked to fish, and I had a private ship. But, I ended up moving back to Indianapolis to be close to my parents.” Denton cautions that no one should become an automotive technician simply for the money. He recommends that one “should get his feet wet first before spending a lot of money on school. Maybe do some part time work.” Also Steve is quick to point out the importance of electrical training. “Specifically, the diagnosis of computer-controlled systems, most new technicians are computer savvy, but they don’t understand the controls.”


Jeffrey Skoglund

Nissan SCOPE Master

Miata’s Nissan Sacramento

Sacramento, CA

Jeffrey Skoglund first developed an interest in cars when he learned to drive. “Before that, I just took everything apart. I heard that my grandfather liked cars, but he was long gone by the time I was born.” Before coming to work at a dealership, Jeffrey completed the automotive program at American River College, a local Sacramento community college. Skoglund recommends that new technicians take a look at what their local community colleges have to offer. “Definitely check to see if they have a good program before checking out the trade schools. Then, just keep at it. You’ve got to love it.” Jeffrey also suggests that new technicians concentrate on learning “the electrical and engine control side of things, because they are the most complicated parts. If you’ve got that down, the other stuff should be easy.”

Skoglund says his favorite part of being a technician is that “it’s always different. If you do one thing too many times in a row, you can change it up. You get to work with your hands and your mind. You don’t have to sit in an office.” The conditions he finds the most difficult to diagnose “usually involve running problems on older cars, the less computer-controlled cars.” In his spare time, Jeffrey likes to play electric guitar and bass.


Manuel Parra-Marquez

Nissan SCOPE Master

United Nissan

Las Vegas, NV

It only took three years of high school auto shop to convince Manuel Parra-Marquez that a career in automotives was the right path for him. Now a Master Technician, Manuel originally started with Nissan as a lube technician back in 2005. While working at Nissan, Parra-Marquez also took classes at UTI in Phoenix, NM. Once Manuel finished school, he moved to Las Vegas where he has been working at United Nissan ever since. Parra-Marquez is happy that he has been able to remain with Nissan throughout his automotive career. “I started off with this company, and I’m happy with this company. I saw all the opportunities to become a master technician and I was able to take advantage of them. I’m happy about that.”

Manuel says that one of the coolest aspects of being an automotive technician is that each person is only paid for the specific work that they perform each day. Parra-Marquez has found that simple squeaks and rattles can be the most difficult and timeconsuming conditions to diagnose. “Nobody likes those because you sometimes have to tear down the whole car and it doesn’t pay very much to do it. You can spend a whole day working on it, but it is just part of the business.”


Matt Hoelscher

Nissan SCOPE Master

Joe Machens Nissan

Columbia, MO

It was the fast-paced world of hot rods that first got Matt Hoelscher interested in an automotive career. “The hot rod portion definitely got me started. A friend of mine’s father had a drag car, and we worked on his car quite often. I got into that aspect of it, and everything branched out from there. I didn’t always work on cars nor have the skill when I was younger, but I got into it. I did oil changes at Wal-Mart for a couple years. Then about a year after high school, I got into Universal Technical Institute in Arizona.” Matt not only completed UTI’s automotive program, he also completed the diesel, hot rod, HVAC and Ford programs offered at the school. UTI now offers a Nissan graduate program, and Hoelscher recommends that new technicians take a look at it.

Matt recommends that younger technicians really learn their fundamentals before moving on to the electronics on the car. “I think experience with the basics builds a lot on what you’re going to learn once you get into the electronics*.” In his off hours, Hoelscher says he still “dabbles in hot rods. I have a little 4-cylinder turbo car.” Up until a few years ago, Matt also moonlighted as an inline speed skater. “I had to give it up because I was putting my body through so much with skating and working on cars all day. One of the last things I did was the Chicagoland Inline Marathon. I got second overall out of 300 or so skaters.”


Thylan McCurdy

Nissan SCOPE Master

MacGuire’s Nissan/Lebanon

Lebanon, PA

Thylan McCurdy was born into a decidedly automotive family. “My grandfather, father, uncles, everybody seemed to be in the trade. So I kind of grew up around it.” While Thylan was still in high school, he attended a local technology school. “It’s a career and technology center. I went there for half the day during my junior and senior years. It was a kind of work-study. That’s actually how I got into the dealership. We had a co-op program, and I came to MacGuire’s Nissan. I’ve been here ever since.” Now a Master Technician, McCurdy highly recommends programs such as the one he attended to aspiring technicians. “I’m a big fan of the handson. You’re still in class learning bookwise but being in the work environment definitely helps. It gives you an idea of what you’re going to be doing every day.”

In his off-work hours, Thylan spends most of his time on automotive hobbies. “I also enjoy riding motorcycles. Other than that, I just like working on cars.” Most of all, McCurdy enjoys working on engine mechanics. “I like getting involved with tearing things apart.” In comparison, the most difficult conditions he finds to diagnose involve the electrical systems. “They’ve made CAN lines a lot simpler, but you can still have difficulties sometimes. And anything intermittent isn’t fun.”


Mark Kamrath

Nissan SCOPE Master

D. Patrick Nissan

Evansville, IN

From a young age, Mark Kamrath always had a mechanical mind. “My mom’s favorite story is that, at two years of age, she’d give me one of those click pens and I’d take it apart, and then put it back together during church service. She kept me busy doing stuff like that. So ever since then, I’ve been taking things apart and putting them back together.” Before Mark was even out of high school, he started working at a shop in Houston, Texas. Now Kamrath enjoys helping other technicians learn from his experience. “I like helping the other guys when I can. Just to help them understand better ways of doing things or thinking about something when they get stuck on a problem.” When it comes to fixing cars, Mark says he likes “doing pretty much anything, except oil changes.”

One of Kamrath’s favorite Nissan vehicles is the GTR. “I’ve worked on other fast cars, but the GTR is pretty impressive.” Mark is also excited about Nissan’s plans for HEV and electric vehicles. “I think it’s great. I think it is definitely the future and it’s good to see that Nissan is right with it.” When away from work, Kamrath enjoys spending time with his three sons. “We do a lot of stuff in the garage. I’ve been showing them how to weld, how to think for themselves, fix things for themselves, and they’re building things. Now we’ve got a couple of old cars in the garage. One of them is a ’66 Mustang. Other than that, I like to go camping. We all go camping a lot.”


Jorge Cruz

Nissan SCOPE Master

United Nissan

Las Vegas, NV

Jorge Cruz says that he always knew he wanted to be an automotive technician. “As far back as I can remember I always liked cars. I had an older brother who was a mechanic, and he always taught me things. I grew up working next to him.” Before coming to work at United Nissan, Jorge earned his associate’s degree in automotive technology at National Technical School in California. He also spent some time working for Honda, earning master technician status for that manufacturer as well.

Cruz has now been working as a Nissan technician for five years, and he recommends that new technicians get some training before they start working at a dealership. “I recommend going to school first, especially nowadays with the technology changing almost every year. The technical side is more advanced and more complicated. You have to be pretty knowledgeable to be able to diagnose vehicles nowadays. Pretty much everything’s electronic now, so I would recommend getting some electrical training. With the Nissan training, although it’s very good, it’s geared toward those who already have some previous training and previous knowledge of the technology. There are some people who are pretty smart who might not have any problems, but in general I think it’s good to start with some knowledge.”


Cory Smith

Nissan SCOPE Master

IngramPark Nissan

San Antonio, TX

Cory Smith is “a hardcore Nissan guy.” He has owned a number of Nissan cars, including two Titans, a 350Z and a 240SX. “My favorite one would have to be the 350Z. They’ve been out so long that they’ve proven to be almost bulletproof. They don’t really have any problems.” Like many future technicians, Cory started out working on cars with his dad. “That’s what kind of got me into the hobby of working on cars. And then it eventually turned into my career.” A graduate of Lake Washington Technical College, Smith’s favorite part about being an automotive technician is that “every day is different. Every day is a different problem, a different car and a different customer. It just makes it exciting. It’s not just the same old job every single day.”

Cory suggests that new technicians “go to school before starting. It kind of makes it hard for us when they come in and only know how to loosen a drain plug. It definitely helps a lot to study a career before going into it, so you’re not just going in blind. Whenever you go in with some basic knowledge, you at least have a little bit of confidence which will make you move a little bit quicker.” One of Smith’s favorite hobbies outside of work is “working on car audio and visual stuff. I started out doing car audio installations at Best Buy.” Cory also enjoys participating in drifting events. “I put a turbo motor from Japan in my 240SX and use my Titan to tow it over to Dallas. They have a place called Mineral Wells, and they have a nice little setup there for drifting.”


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Congratulations to our Nissan SCOPE & Infiniti KEI Senior Specialists

Todd Smetana

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Bob Moore Nissan of Tulsa

Tulsa, OK

Christopher Shough

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

North Plainfield Nissan

North Plainfield, NJ

Joshua Houchin

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Frank Fletcher Nissan

Joplin, MO

Doug Basham

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Dick Smith Nissan

Columbia, SC

Robert Underwood

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Vaden Nissan

Savannah, GA

Jeffery Mahl

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Billy Ray Nissan

Longwood, FL

Anthony Evans

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Benson Nissan

Easley, SC

Aaron Miller

Infiniti KEI Senior Specialist

Kuni Westside Infiniti

Lynnwood, WA

Michael Schultz

Infiniti KEI Senior Specialist

Perry Infiniti

Escondido, CA

Robert Palomo

Infiniti KEI Senior Specialist

Infiniti of Riverside

Riverside, CA

Matthew Naves

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Ben Mynatt Nissan

Salisbury, NC

Robert Melton

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Blue Ridge Nissan

Wytheville, VA

Daniel Shea

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Frederick Nissan

Frederick, MD

Jaime Davalos

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Charlie Clark Nissan

Brownsville, TX

Michael Zorchets

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Bedford Nissan, Inc.

Bedford, OH

Chris Francois

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Nissan of Middletown

New Hampton, NY

Terry Frederick

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Ferman Nissan of North Tampa

Tampa, FL

Jeffery Gill

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Antwerpen Security Nissan

Baltimore, MD

Zachary Boggs

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Fred Martin Nissan, LLC.

Baltimore, MD

Steven Allen, Jr.

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Al West Nissan

Rolla, MO

Gustavo Perez

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Autonation Nissan Kendall

Palmetto Bay, FL

Ryan Stone

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Koons Nissan

Falls Church, VA

Thomas Christenbury

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Harrelson Nissan So Carolina

Rock Hill, SC

Victor Rodriguez

Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist

Gunn Nissan, LTD

San Antonio, TX

Frederick Sharpe

Infiniti KEI Senior Specialist

Warren Henry Infiniti

Miami, FL

Darryl Hirsch

Infiniti KEI Senior Specialist

Nationwide Infiniti Timonium

Timonium, MD

Kevin Roskosky

Infiniti KEI Senior Specialist

Sheehy Infiniti/Annapolis

Annapolis, MD

Gasper Limon

Infiniti KEI Senior Specialist

Infiniti of Tucson

Tucson, AZ

Dung Tran

Infiniti KEI Senior Specialist

Austin Infiniti, Inc.

Austin, TX

Juan Muro

Infiniti KEI Senior Specialist

Hoy-Fox Infiniti

El Paso, TX

Edward Doherty

Infiniti KEI Senior Specialist

Herb Chambers Infiniti

Westborough, MA


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