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Letter to the Editor
Monday November 27
Women's Industry Network Launches
Women of the auto collision repair industry are uniting in order to strengthen and expand opportunities and to encourage new women into the profession. This newly formed effort, to be known as the Women’s Industry Network (WIN), will serve to greatly enhance the collision repair industry through education, networking, and sharing of resources.WIN’s mission is to be a supportive, nurturing, and educational network for women in the auto collision repair industry.
For those in the auto collision repair industry, WIN will be a forum to discuss problems, concerns, and implement solutions. It will also be an organization that solicits ideas to create positive change, while serving as a hub of information covering all facets of the auto collision repair business.
Planned activities include a 2007 Women’s Conference, which had its inaugural debut last May in Carefree, Arizona. Assured Performance Network, through the leadership of its CEO Scott Biggs, organized and hosted the event. Although Biggs will continue to be supportive of WIN and future Women’s Conferences, he passes the torch to the women within the auto collision repair industry.
Kathy Mello of T.G.I.F. Body Shop in Fremont, Calif., and Geralynn Kottschade of Jerry’s Body Shop in Mankato, Minn., served as co-chairs of the Women’s Conference. The work started at the Women’s Conference will continue with the duo’s leadership of WIN.
“While WIN’s primary focus will be on women, it aims to be as diverse in scope as is the collision repair industry and its customers,” said Kathy Mello. “Because of the contacts of the people involved, it will reach out internationally.”
Geralynn Kottschade said, “Another of the organization’s charges is to help prepare women for advanced positions in every aspect of the collision repair industry.”
WIN will also include elements of the Women’s Industry Network that was founded in the mid 1990s by Sheila Loftus of Sheila’s Information Network in Washington, D.C., and Trish Serratore of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) in Leesburg, Va., which provided workshops, seminars, and better communication across gender lines.
Loftus will function as the group’s executive director and Serratore will join WIN’s advisory board.
Loftus commented, “This is a dynamic group of women who are enthusiastic about bringing diverse groups together under one umbrella for the good of all within the collision repair industry.”
In addition to Serratore, Gigi Walker of Walker’s Auto Body in Concord, Calif., and Diane Rodenhouse of Rodenhouse Body Shop in Grand Rapids, Mich., will serve on the WIN advisory board. Catherine Babiar from Canada and Lyn Shepherd from the U.K., as well as a yet-to-be-named Australian and South African, will also serve.
WIN is accepting corporate sponsors to help develop WIN to become a positive force within the collision repair profession. To become a corporate sponsor, please contact Gigi Walker, WIN’s chair of corporate sponsors, at walkersab@cs.com or (925) 687-8453.
Membership is open to everyone within the auto collision repair industry. For information on membership or the upcoming Women’s Conference, contact info@womensindustrynetwork.com or Sheila Loftus directly at (202) 363-1858.
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