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nies in the automotive industry. After working two years at Robaina, Foster landed a job with a large MSO for six years, where she held five different positions, including director of national training and director of operations. Everything was progressing as planned, until life threw her a curveball in the form of a stroke. The stroke landed her in the hospital for five days, after which Foster rehabbed at home for two months. “I couldn’t walk, I couldn’t see out of one eye and I suffered terrible headaches; moreover, cognitively I was a mess,” she said. “My life had changed in an instant. I went from being a very active, social boss who was always on the move, to being a ‘patient’ confined to a bed with once-a-day walks. Finally, one of my doctors agreed to let me go back to work half-time, and eight months later I got the job at Crash Champions.” It was obviously a frightening experience and a serious life changer, Foster said. “I must have looked so scary. My left eye didn’t open for a while because when I had the stroke, I fell and broke my nose. I couldn’t get my vision quite right and I had extreme vertigo for quite a few months. “My doctor said you will never

walk the same, regular tasks will be very difficult and you’ll be on disability for the rest of your life,” she said. “I just thought, you don’t know me. No way. You’re not going to tell me how this is going to go. So, I got a piece of paper and I wrote, ‘This will not beat me. I am strong, resilient, brave, and I will be better.’ I knew in that moment that all I needed was for someone to tell me the odds are against me. I used her doubt to fuel my recovery. Thanks, doc. “In time, and through a tremendous amount of rehabilitation, determination and support, I started to feel like myself again,” Foster said. “Soon I started driving, walking better and tackling more and more assignments at work. I was back.” Although she doesn’t have feeling on her left side, Foster is still swinging for the fences, she said. “As a single mother, I will always be a warrior for my daughter (Taylor, 17),” she said. “She is my everything, and I will never let her see me quit. You just take it one step at a time, day by day, and sometimes even hour by hour. As an athlete, you are used to performing and being the best on the field. In a life-changing event that affects your body, you have to change your mindset and just do what you can in that moment.

Register for CIECA CONNEX 2022 CIECA announced its 14th annual conference, CONNEX 2022, will be held Sept. 13-14 at the Embassy Suites St. Louis-St. Charles in Missouri. The event will include a full lineup of business and technical speakers, networking opportunities and a vehicle gifting as part of the National Auto Body Council Recycled Rides® program. One of the event’s highlights will be a tour of Hunter Engineering’s ADAS and calibration center. The theme of the confer-

ence this year is “CIECA Next Gen: Evolving to Meet the Needs of the Collision Industry.” All industry stakeholders, including CIECA members and non-members, are invited to attend. The day prior to the conference, NABC will be holding the Boone Valley Golf Club Fundraiser in Augusta, MO. The conference agenda will be announced later this spring. Source: CIECA

It’s all mental. “I’ve always been a passionate leader,” Foster said. “But since having the stroke, I think I lead with more compassion and empathy now. I take time out to appreciate my team every single week. After all, the most important part of business is taking care of your people, and this includes understanding their individual needs and mindsets.” Foster is excited to be in an industry seemingly changing overnight, she said. “It’s all about electric and hybrid cars, keeping up with the ever-changing technology in vehicles, and seeing more and more vehicles that are aluminum now,” she said. “It’s going to take a certain skill level that can only be attained through the right development and training. We must stay at the forefront of tooling and education, that is the key. “Our industry’s technician workforce is thinning rapidly, and we have to address that, either through developing technicians organically—i.e., within the shop—

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or from hiring outside the industry, which requires even more training,” she continued. “Our team at Crash recognized this and established a department dedicated to keeping our technicians up to date with the most advanced classes, equipment and tooling.” Foster loves her role at Crash Champions. “We are creating an incredible culture here at Crash that is unmatched. I have been doing this for 19 years now, and I still wake up each day looking to challenge myself and change lives,” she said. “To this end, I am grateful for the organization that [Crash Champions founder and CEO] Matt Ebert established here. I’m also fortunate to work with one of the most influential people of my life, [Crash Champions COO] Alan Saviano, who has mentored me for the last seven years.” “Heidi’s passion, high energy and work ethic got her noticed as a leader,” Saviano said. “But it’s her relentless work ethic, extreme focus on team building, and an ability to consistently deliver results that sets her apart from the rest.”

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