LAS VEGAS — Women in Auto Care (WIAC), part of the Auto Care Association (ACA), honored its annual awards recipients at the 2023 AAPEX in Las Vegas in a ceremony that drew a standing-room-only crowd.
The women and companies honored were chosen by a 25-member panel of judges and drawn from 183 nominations, the organization said.
The winners of the 2023 awards were:
• Lifetime Achievement: Tammy Tecklenburg, founder and CEO, dott.
• Outstanding Achievement: Jill Trotta, vice president, business development, marketing and partnerships, Torqata Data & Analytics L.L.C.
• Female Shop Owner of the Year: Jessica Carrino, owner, Sparks Tire & Auto.
• Woman of Excellence: Susan Starnes, vice president, emerging markets, Genuine Parts Co.; Tanya Hunt, commercial project manager, BBB Industries; Ashlee Arnold, vice president, Arnold Oil Co.; and Jennifer Tio, president, Maximum Marketing Services Inc.
• Women in Auto Care Champion of the Year: April Williamson, associate category manager, NAPA.
• Company Ally of the Year: Standard Motor Products Inc.
The WIAC has a mission of engaging, educating and empowering women in the automotive industry. It holds an annual conference and several virtual events, networking and training, and awards scholarships and tools to women in high schools and post-secondary schools pursuing a career in the industry.
In 2023, the organization gave away $413,000 in scholarship funds and tool sets, a new record, said Chair Jessica Toliuszis, vice president of major accounts at Highline Warren L.L.C.
"This isn't a fluffy organization. This isn't a bunch of women having lunch together," Toliuszis said. "We are doing things for our industry. We are doing things for your companies. We are doing things for ourselves.
"I hope that everybody sees that, because I know that I am more convinced than ever of the tenacity of the automotive aftermarket and our potential for diversity."
Tecklenburg founded dott., which stands for "diversity of thought," in 2019. The company focuses on data-centric diversity, equity and inclusion programs for the automotive and commercial vehicle aftermarket. Tecklenburg, who is the first recipient of the lifetime achievement award, is also a past president of the WIAC.
Tecklenburg spoke about being the "elephant in the room" in her career and how female elephants support each other in the wild.
"I thought being different was a form of weakness, but now I see clearly that this diversity of thought, and this uniqueness, is where our power is, where our power comes from," she said.
By working together and with allies, women have thrived in the automotive aftermarket, going from being 2% of the industry to 20%, she said.
"Together, with our allies, we can shape our industry into a place where diversity, equity and inclusion aren't just words but fundamental pillars of our success."