PRESIDENT’S
Steven Krieps
MESSAGE
(304) 755-1146 skrieps@live.com
A NEW BEGINNING
If you would have told me four years ago that the cold call I was about to make to Aaron Schulenburg, executive director of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), would lead to where I am today, I would have said, “Don’t be ridiculous!” After 15 years in the automotive industry – and frustrated with things in my state and a particular piece of legislation – I reached out to WMABA Executive Director Jordan Hendler at Aaron’s suggestion. From there, it has been an exciting and eye-opening experience, leading me across the country to meet so many amazing passionate people in our industry. Since bringing West Virginia into the association, I am now stepping into the presidential role for WMABA while working with my team at Greg Cline Automotive to run our shop in Winfield, WV. I take this position knowing that I’m stepping into the shoes of the legends who came before me. I am honored and humbled to be elected for this position, and I look forward to the coming year, which will hopefully be pandemic-free. The last year and a half has been tough on us all. Between COVID-19 and political and social struggles, there has been no shortage of distractions. Since we were not able to meet in person, WMABA began monthly and sometimes weekly virtual “Watercooler chats,” allowing members to log into our Zoom meetings and discuss any issues they were facing or get answers to questions or concerns they had. For example, COVID-19-related cleaning was a huge concern at the beginning of the shutdown. We felt there was a huge potential for liability with the wording in estimate lines, and we at Greg Cline even questioned whether charging for this procedure was a smart move. WMABA set up a Zoom meeting focused on this specific topic and how shops can protect themselves while serving their customers. It really allowed us the ability to reach more than we could have through annual local meetings. With the NORTHEAST® Automotive Services
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July 2021
Show coming up September 10-12, our Collision Professional Repairer Education Program (Collision P.R.E.P.) series is loaded with new opportunities for education, conversation and networking. As always, we as an industry are facing a quickly changing landscape, and connection is a great way to stay on top of the issues. We held virtual Collision P.R.E.P. classes during what would have been the 2020 NORTHEAST show to continue to bring content to our members and those looking for help. To keep information flowing, we moved all the past virtual courses to an archive so members could reference these at any time (included in their membership fee). We worked to create a consumer education publication to show five simple but powerful things vehicle owners can do to stay in charge of their repairs, insurance claims and families’ safety.
I share these things not to plug our association but to show the hard work and commitment of the people behind the scenes who dedicate and donate their time. I have had the pleasure and honor to be involved in all these things – and many more over the past four years – and I believe I am only getting started. To the Board and its officers, thank you for the support and for accepting me into your family. To our executive director, thanks for sharing your wisdom and knowledge. To our exiting president, Torchy Chandler, thank you for your leadership and example. There are many more who are owed a thank you, and I could write an entire magazine just for that, but this is not the Grammys. I look forward to the future and making a difference. H&D
