Holly Gerke has been elected chair of the board of directors for theAutomotive Training Managers Council (ATMC). A director of technical training at Penske Truck Leasing, Gerke is the first-ever company employee to be elected chair (as well as the first to serve on its board, of which she gained entry in 2011).
ATMC is a non-profit organization that works to advance training and professional development within the transportation industry.
“Holly has made significant contributions since first being elected to the ATMC board of directors, particularly through her work on our Continuing Automotive Service Education (CASE) steering committee and the ATMC strategic planning committee,” explained ATMC president Dave Milne.
She was vice chair prior to the retirement of then chair Darrell Rowe from his career at Bridgestone Retail Operations, which led to his board resignation.
Gerke (pictured right) will spend the year serving out the remainder of Rowe’s one-year term and is expected to run for re-election. She is the third woman in its 30-year history to lead the board.
“I am honored to be elected chair of the ATMC board,” Gerke stated. “I am humbled that my colleagues voted me to the chair position.”
Gerke’s work with ATMC has made her a better Penske employee.
“It‘s helped me understand how other companies create and deliver their training,” she pointed out. “We are sharing knowledge, and what better way to improve our own technical training initiatives but by learning from experts around the industry.”
Bobby Bassett is a past ATMC chair and is manager of North America training for Gates Corporation. “Holly has been a pleasure to work with,” he said. “She is a great steward for the Penske organization.”
Bill Jacobelli, Penske’s senior vice president of maintenance said: “We couldn’t be happier, or more proud of Holly. By achieving this recognition she has further reinforced the exceptional talent we already know her to be.
“When you consider the rather intense competition in the marketplace for talent, recognition of our people in such prominent positions also serves as recognition of the quality of our training programs,” he said.
Tim Zilke serves as board treasurer and is president and CEO of the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE). “Holly first came to our attention due to her character and poise when interacting with ATMC membership,” he said.
“Since then, I have come to know her as hard-working and dedicated to the principles of the ATMC mission, making her one of the notable new voices to emerge in a leadership role within our industry,” Zilke observed.
“The work that is done by ATMC is powerful for our industry and I look forward to helping lead this organization as it continues to provide high-quality technical training,” Gerke said.
By Alen Beljin
As part of her duties at Penske, Gerke is entrusted with ensuring that the company’s 3,900 truck maintenance technicians and 950 customer service technicians in the United States and Canada receive the necessary training and certifications to