About each Nominee
Vice President
Hi, my name is Tim Childers.
I am 55 years old and the current Vice President of the NAPDRT. I have a great wife, kids and grand kids. I am a cancer survivor and unfortunately my wife is battling it now but doing well. As a founding member I have served on the BOD of the NAPDRT in my current position or as a member at large. I have been in the automotive industry ever since I was in school back in the 1970’s. I worked for many years as a body man. I learned the PDR trade twenty years ago while working for a wholesale dealer from a tech that was working for one of the first PDR companies in Illinois. My first set of tools, I made patterned off of his set. It is a very hard way to learn this trade when you only speak with one tech maybe once a week. After a few years I found internet forums like Doording,com and were able to meet many great friends and learn many new things. It opened my eyes to what it is like when you can share the information you have and gain information from others that you never knew about PDR. In 2005 when NAPDRT was formed, many great techs came together to start an organization for the technicians of this industry and I knew I wanted to help with that. I had seen what outside forces had done to the body shop industry over the years and it had caused our pay to flatten out and barely keep pace with the cost of living. As a board member, I have fought to keep some of those same forces from doing the same with our great trade. Since I am running unopposed, I appreciate the support of every member we have had and will continue to fight for the technician’s rights. Thank You!
Secretary
Chris Dillard
Thank you for the nomination for Secretary of NAPDRT. I feel that I will be of value to NAPDRT because of many things. I have a very diverse history in the PDR industry. First I started at the Baltimore Auction doing PDR for the auction and then Dent Wizard for 3 years. Second, I was self employed route technician for 13 years. Third I have a successful PDR shop for almost 6 years. Most of the local insurance offices know me on a first name basis. I’ve had State Farm use my pictures for educating adjusters about the process of PDR. Also some of my accounts I have had for more than 15 years. I will do my best. Thanks again.
Raymond Sapp
Waiting for Raymond’s Bio.
Board Of Director at Large Position 2 Available
My name is Douglas Brown,
As a nominee for a board position with NAPDRT, I find it a great honor.
I started and bought a Dent Doctor franchisee in 1990, and earned my certificate from them in early 1991.
I have had the luxury of fixing hail damage and door dings ever since.
I watched this industry grow from us making our own tools, to multi million dollar tool company’s out there servicing our every need.
My “outlook” on our industry isn’t all that bright, I’ve watched it grow from a few guys who really cared in the beginning, to out right lying in some circumstances by unscrupulous individuals .
My goal for NAPDRT, would be to bring individuals together , for the betterment of the whole industry .
I watched for many years before I chose an organization to be apart of. I wanted to find one that had a long standing track record, and that was NAPDRT.
There have been a few splinter groups that have formed over the last few years, that have tried too address the situation of some of the business practices that go on in PDR.
My goal would not be to police them or individuals but rather to educate and to try to unify our industry.
I have reached a point in my life where I no longer find the need to travel all over the world for hail damage, and far away locations for hail storms.
I do not have all the answers, I would need guidance and instruction on being a part of NAPDRT.
Lucky for me, I have the time and dedication to try and make some changes for the better.
Paintless Dent Removal has been very kind to me over the years, I think it’s about time I tried to give some back.
Thank you
My name is Mike Wahl
I have been a PDR Technician since 1998.
I service mostly body shops and still do a few dealerships.
I’ve been involved in the industry by giving my time back by helping to run the Dent Olympics at MTE along with Terry Siegle for many years.
I have also been involved with NAPDRT by serving on the board and being secretary.
I’ve helped put on numerous seminars at MTE and also at NACE on behalf of NAPDRT.
I would be honored to continue this involvement with your vote,thanks for taking the time to read.
Ryan Hampton
I am married, a father of 4 children and a 13 year PDR tech. My main focus in the PDR industry is on the hail side. I am one of the founders and current Vice Chairman of PDR Nation. My goals in being involved with NAPDRT are to continue working within another organization towards a day where there are standards for the PDR industry that we as technicians have a hand in writing. I believe the more time we invest in our industry as volunteers the better it will be for all of us. If we do for ourself only, we only help ourself, if we do for the industry we help everyone and it begins to matter. If elected to the board I will give my time to assist the current board on whatever they need and help them build on the foundation they have built over their first 10 years.
To My Friends In NAPDRT,
Hello, my name is Leonard Cicchiello. I have been nominated for reelection to the Napdrt board of directors for a second term. I would like to mention a few ideologies about myself and where I am at in the industry, as well as inform you to just a few things I have been already involved with while on the board. I think that my personal and family life gives an insight as to my character. I have been married 8 years to a woman with a lot of patience, but that is a double edged sword. I have two wonderful kids, who drive me nuts and make me laugh every day. I am a committed father and husband. Someone asked me once how long I was married for. I said I’m doing 6 to life…….I can remember when I started doing headliners and trim for my brother Jim, Tom Price, Mark Hunt…..just to name a few. Then I can remember when Wurth came out with the “Mini lifter”. I have no idea when I actually started but it’s been somewhere around 10 years. I have seen companies come and go, brokers rise and fall. One thing stays constant. The guys that can push are still pushing. The guys that could sell……well some are still selling. I think anyone can make money off of someone else’s skills. People do it all the time. Dealerships do it, hospitals do it, the government does it……But that’s just not my cup of “tea”. I think the “independent” technician should stand together with each other to educate ourselves. I think we the “independent” technician, not some “import” cheap labor, should dictate what our skill is worth. I also think the last person or persons that should have the say of what we are worth is an insurance adjustor, who rips off his own customers to save his company a few million. I scream at the top of my lungs when I hear someone say that there company is the “best and greatest” because they talked the “maaco” of body shops into a hail pdr contract. Most of those shops are butchers and so are “your techs”. That doesn’t mean my view will never change, we all adapt when we have to, but for now I’m pretty sure I love working for the small shops for myself , rather than some rail head where I am stuck with a bunch of sandbagger jerks making “10” g a day. I am a hail tech who has been forced into the local market a little. To be honest, I like “route” work and the people I have meet much better than being on the road for 2 months. I have been on the Napdrt board of directors making decisions about the website and all its intricacies. I have sat on numerous meetings about mobile tech and education day. I have written numerous articles for Napdrt as well. My brother Joe and I also gave a trim seminar last year and are doing it again this year. I enjoy being involved in Napdrt and I feel that I can bring my views and my experiences to help Napdrt members reach what they feel is important for them in our industry. I want to volunteer for our members, I want to make a difference. I feel that I can and that I do make a difference every week. Please take the time to vote. I would like to humbly ask for your vote again. Thank you very much and push straight!
Frank Cavazos
As a PDR technician I have a real interest in my trade and the challenges that we all face in our line of work and business.My involvement with NAPDRT is to see what is being done as an industry to promote and better our trade and those doing PDR work.As one of the few trade groups I’m aware of,I hope that it’s input would continue and increase.