Forty-five automotive professionals were recognized on November 20, 2013 at the fall board meeting of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), which was held at the Fairmont Hotel in Newport Beach, California.
Thirty-eight different companies from both OEM and Aftermarket segments sponsored the individual technician recognition awards in the Auto, Truck, Collision and Parts categories along with three instructor awards. In addition to looking for top scores on ASE tests, award sponsors examine on-the-job excellence, community service and other factors when selecting honorees.
“ASE has been honoring the best of the best in our industry for more than 40 years, and this year we recognized outstanding individuals from all across the nation,” said Tim Zilke, ASE President & CEO. “We couldn’t do this without the support of our many award sponsors, whose ranks include some of the best-known names in the industry. Their commitment to excellence is reflected in the talented individuals we recognize each year.”
The ASE annual awards spotlight top scorers on the ASE Certification Tests from more than 330,000 ASE-certified professionals nationwide. Nissan selects our annual winners (one Nissan and one Infiniti) using the following criteria:
- Must be a current Nissan or Infiniti Master Technician
- Highest number of correct answers on ASE recertification tests for previous 12 months
- All Nissan training (instructor-led, eLearning, SIR videos) is up-to-date
Bob McCann, Senior Manager NNA Technical Training; Paul Mathias, NNA Technical Training Manager, West; Rob Barto, Chairman of the ASE Board of Directors; and Tim Zilke, ASE President & CEO, presented the awards to the ASE Nissan and Infiniti Masters of the Year.
NISSAN/ASE MASTER TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR
John McKeage, an ASE Master Automobile Technician from Lisbon, Maine, was honored with a national achievement award as the Nissan/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year.
People pictured (L to R) are:
Tim Zilke, ASE President & CEO; Paul Mathias, Manager, Technical Training Operations (Nissan North America, Inc.); John McKeage, Nissan ASE Master Technician of the Year; Rob Barto, Chairman of the ASE Board of Directors and Manager, Technical Training Design (Nissan North America, Inc.).
“John is one of the outstanding ASE-certified professionals recognized annually by different segments of the automotive service and repair industry. Each of these elite technicians is presented with an industry-specific award recognizing his or her achievement,” said Zilke.
McKeage is employed by Lee Nissan of Topsham. He has been a technician for 31 years. “We are proud to partner with Nissan to recognize John’s commitment to excellence in providing the very best in vehicle repair services to his extended community. This dedication is reflected in the talented professionals we recognize each year, and John represents the best of the best,” said Zilke.
INFINITI/ASE MASTER TECHNICIAN OF THE YEAR
David Ellingsen, an ASE Master Automobile Technician from Elkton, Maryland, was selected and honored with the national achievement award as the Infiniti/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year.
Ellingsen is employed by Porter Infiniti of Newark, Delaware. He has been a technician for 30 years. “We are proud to partner with Infiniti in recognizing Dave’s commitment to excellence in providing the very best in vehicle repair services to his extended community as Dave is one of the best of the best,” shared Zilke.
People pictured (L to R) are:
Tim Zilke, ASE President & CEO; Paul Mathias, Manager, Technical Training Operations (Nissan North America, Inc.); David Ellingsen, Infiniti ASE Master Technician of the Year; Rob Barto, Chairman of the ASE Board of Directors and Manager, Technical Training Design (Nissan North America, Inc.).
The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) was founded in 1972 as a non-profit, independent organization dedicated to improving the quality of automotive service and repair through voluntary testing and certification of automotive professionals.