Education Takes Center Stage in Vegas

By Jeffrey Bellant

LAS VEGAS – Training, education and certification for the remarketing industry took center stage during the Conference of Automotive Remarketing last month at Caesars Palace.

Penny Wanna, president of Auction Academy and vice president of administration for TPC Management, moderated the panel discussing these topics. Wanna also serves on several education committees and a compliance committee.

Wanna called the session a “back to basics” look at opportunities for education and training available to the industry through Auction Academy, the International Automotive Remarketers Alliance’s (IARA) Certified Remarketers Program and its Audit and Compliance Training (ACT).

IARA’s CAR certification is one of the more comprehensive educational programs in the industry. Participants have to go through a rigorous program with 20 modules covering everything from remarketing channels, reconditioning, repossessions and branding, to benchmarking, arbitrage, the title process and legal issues.

Panelists discussed their journey to CAR certifications. It provides “universal and fundamental instruction and best practices, industry regulations and guidelines to better position yourself when working with other people in the industry,” Wanna said.

Keely Smith, who works in compliance for AutoIMS, said CAR certification broadened her view.

“It gave me a greater appreciation for all of our partners, consignors, and auctions – what they go through to remarket a car,” she said.

Mere Rangel, general manager of Big Valley Auto Auction, became CAR certified before entering Auction Academy and it helped him speak the same language with people in the industry. Jim Jackson of Holman Remarketing Solutions said his boss called him to take part in CAR and he became certified in

2010 and later received lifetime certification.

Once he got involved in the modules and the testing, it “really opened” his eyes to the wider remarketing business.

Jackson said he is the biggest advocate of the program and Holman has 18 workers who are CAR certified, including six with lifetime certifications.

“It is required in our company that all of our remarketers become certified – either we hire them as certified or they become certified upon employment,” Jackson said

Members of the Auction Academy also become CAR certified.

Tommy Rogers, general manager of Bel Air Auto Auction, became CAR certified seven years ago to set an example.

CAR graduates have to re-certify every three years and on the third certification, the student achieves lifetime certification, Wanna said.

“We have 18 lifetime certified honorees,” she said.

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