NEWS RELEASE
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
MEDIA CONTACT:
Louis A. Vitantonio, Jr.
Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association
440.746.1500
GCADA Funds Automotive Technology Scholarships
Cleveland, OH (November 16, 2010)— The Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association (GCADA) has funded two automotive technology scholarship programs: one for Stark State College in North Canton, OH, the other for Cuyahoga Community College in Cleveland.
The two scholarship funds, worth $5,000 each, are being made available through the Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association Educational Fund, which was established to promote automotive technology education and automotive service excellence in Northern Ohio.
“These scholarships are designed to help support automotive technology students at the collegiate level who are currently working in automotive dealerships,” says Louis A. Vitantonio Jr., President of the GCADA. “Today’s vehicles are increasingly complex technological marvels. Working on them requires more specialized training and computer skills than ever before.”
In addition to being an employee at an automotive dealership, the scholarship recipients must also maintain a 3.0 grade point average in automotive technology courses, as well as a 2.5 grade point average in general studies. Both Stark State College and Cuyahoga Community College will determine individual scholarship award recipients.
The establishment of the two Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers’ Association Automotive Technology Scholarships is just one way the GCADA promotes and supports automotive technical education. The GCADA also hosts an Automotive Technology Competition held at the Cleveland Auto Show, presented by AutoTrader.com, each year. Prior to the Cleveland Auto Show, top automotive technology students from across Northern Ohio take a written exam. The five highest scoring two-member teams on the written test then qualify for a hands-on competition during the Cleveland Auto Show, where they have to diagnose and find bugs planted by area collegiate automotive technology instructors.
The GCADA also invites aspiring automotive technicians to attend the Cleveland Auto Show during Career Day, which this year will be Tuesday, March 1, 2011. The date for this year’s 19th annual Automotive Technology Competition is Sunday, February 27. The Cleveland Auto Show runs from February 26 through March 5, 2011 at the I-X Center.
“The GCADA is proud to help support the education of students wishing to pursue very lucrative careers as automotive technicians,” Bill Burke of Spitzer Lakewood, Chairman of GCADA and the 2011 Cleveland Auto Show says. “There are some master technicians in the Greater Cleveland area who earn six figure salaries. In addition, the automotive technician career path is an excellent stepping stone into dealership management.”
Two prominent dealers in the Greater Cleveland area started out as automotive technicians. Both Fred Baker, owner of Fred Baker Porsche Audi in Bedford and Gary Panteck, owner of the Brunswick Auto Mart, started their careers as automotive technicians, eventually moving into management and then onto dealer ownership. Both Baker and Panteck also went on to serve as Chairman of the GCADA.
About the Cleveland Auto Show
The Cleveland Auto Show, presented by AutoTrader.com, marks the start of the spring selling season in Northeast Ohio. Featuring concept, pre- production and production vehicles from the world’s auto manufacturers, the show is held annually at the I-X Center with nearly 1.2 million square feet of exhibits. The Show also features an array of entertainment including sports celebrity appearances from the Browns, Cavs and OSU and NASCAR. The Cleveland Auto Show is a consumer show and a favorite family tradition since 1903.
About the GCADA
The Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers' Association (GCADA) has served the retail-automobile industry and community with integrity and distinction since 1903. Today, located in Brecksville, Ohio, GCADA represents 240 franchised motor vehicle dealers, which includes new-car, truck, motorcycle and RV dealers in a 21-county region of northern Ohio along the Lake Erie shore and beyond. More information on the GCADA can be found at www.gcada.org.
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