Penn College News

Automotive Alumnus Among Nation's Top Technicians

Friday, December 10, 2010

From left: Al Motta, head of technical training, Chrysler Academy; Timothy Zilke, National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence president and CEO; Robb Schenck, award-winning Penn College alumnus; and John Pfennig, ASE board chairman Alumnus Robb S. Schenck (second row, second from left), among his fellow ASE award-winners A Penn College graduate is among 38 professionals recognized at the recent fall board meeting of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence in Scottsdale, Ariz. Robb S. Schenck, a May 1999 graduate in automotive technology now employed at BZ Motors in Lewisburg, was selected as the Chrysler/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year. The annual awards banquet spotlights top scorers on the ASE certification tests, as well as on-the-job excellence, community service and other factors. "ASE has been honoring the best of the best in our industry for more than 30 years, and this year we recognized 38 outstanding individuals from all across the nation," said Tim Zilke, ASE president and CEO. The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence was established in 1972 as a nonprofit organization to help improve the quality of automotive service and repair through the voluntary testing and certification of automotive technicians and parts specialists. Nearly 400,000 ASE-certified professionals work in dealerships, independent shops, collision repair shops, auto parts stores, fleets, schools and colleges throughout the country. (In another college connection, Marlin Burns, of Joel Confer Toyota in Warriors Mark, was the Toyota/ASE Master Automobile Technician of the Year. He is the father of Michael T. Burns, who graduated in May 2001 with degrees in automotive technology and automotive technology: Toyoya emphasis. The elder Burns also toured Penn College as a member of the site-visit accreditation team for the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation.) Photos courtesy of Peter Jordan Photography, Scottsdale, Ariz.