The VIP’s

Josh Holder joined the Corvette team in 2002. As Corvette Chief Engineer, Josh is responsible for the engineering, development and launch of all 8th generation Corvettes. His job is to make sure product decisions exceed customer expectations for performance, technology, and value. The revolutionary eighth generation Corvette has been the fastest selling and most awarded vehicle in history.

Josh started his GM career in 1999 as a Manufacturing Engineer in Body Assembly Systems working on full size SUVs and trucks. He has held various positions on the Corvette team including Manufacturing Engineer, Designing Engineer, Program Validation Engineer, and Program Engineering Manager. He has contributed to the last four generations of Corvette and holds patents in body structure design.

Raised in Northwestern Montana, Josh’s passion for Corvettes began at a very early age. His parents purchased a 1973 Corvette and were very active in a Corvette club. In grade school, Josh knew that he wanted to be an engineer working on Corvette.

He and his wife Angela (who is also an engineer at GM) share a passion for Corvettes and currently own six of them ranging years from 1964 to 2006. They enjoy seeing the country during cross country-road trips. Josh enjoys outdoor activities including hiking and downhill skiing and of course the occasional track day in a Corvette.

John Kraman found career success as a sales manager of autos and then aircrafts, and he is a licensed Federal Aviation Administration pilot and mechanic. He joined Mecum in 2006 and is now the director of company relations and the company spokesperson at public events.

As the supervisor of Mecum’s on-air talent, John further utilizes his skillset as a commentator and analyst for the televised coverage of Mecum auctions on MotorTrend and MotorTrend+.

In his spare time, John enjoys tending to his personal car collection, spending time with his wife Christine, four grown children and five grandchildren, and also performing in the classic rock trio, Redline 7000.

Matt Avery

Matt Avery is a veteran automotive journalist, photographer and historian. He was a technician for Mercedes-Benz and BMW before writing for the television show, MotorWeek. He then joined the Cars.com editorial team as Senior Video Producer and now is the Executive Producer & Host of the Mecum Auctions podcast.

For ten years Matt wrote an automotive column in the Chicago Daily Herald and his career includes time on the board for the Midwest Automotive Media Association. The photography he captured for his book, COPO, has a permanent home in the archives at the General Motors Heritage Center.

In 2020 Matt was placed on SEMA’s ‘35 Under 35’ List, recognizing rising young stars in the automotive industry and in 2021 Matt became a member of SEMA’s Future Leaders Network. His new book, Camaro Special Editions, releases this Fall.

• Official Homepage: www.theMattAvery.com

• Facebook Author Page: www.facebook.com/theMattAvery

• Official Instagram: @themattavery

Founder of Bloomington Gold, Survivor, Benchmark Certifications, & Special Collections.

Involved with Corvettes and airplanes for over six decades, many innovations created within Bloomington Gold have influenced not only the education, judging, historic preservation and values of Corvette, but among other brands and events as well.

Other innovations Burroughs has created have influenced advances in aviation, marketing, and product development in many other industries.

His current business, Prove It, authenticates historically important objects including automobiles, aircraft, space memorabilia, movie items, and other high-risk artifacts.