Bedford, Texas, March 8, 2005 - The Automotive Management Institute (AMI) is accepting applications for its two new scholarships: the Richard Cossette Memorial Scholarship and the Gale Westerlund Memorial Scholarship. The scholarships, offered in conjunction with the Automotive Service Association (ASA), honor the contributions these individuals made to AMI, ASA and the collision repair industry.

Richard Cossette owned Lehman's Garage in Minneapolis, Minn., and was a charter founder of AMI and a $50,000 Charter Counsellor contributor to AMI's EXCEL program. He was the first chairman of EXCEL and was the recipient of AMI's Annual Recognition Award in 1994. He was awarded an honorary Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designation in 1997 to further recognize his commitment and dedication to AMI. He also held numerous leadership positions on the ASA board of directors and was active in several industry organizations until his death in 2002.

Gale Westerlund owned Gale's Auto Center in Blaine, Minn., and was a $25,000 Guarantor contributor to EXCEL. He earned the Institute's AAM designation in 1993, and also served on the ASA board of directors for many years. He was an active member of ASA and other collision industry organizations until his death in 2005.

Scholarship recipients will receive $500 to help cover expenses to attend AMI seminars offered during the International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE), Nov. 2-5, 2005, in Las Vegas.

To be eligible for the award, the following requirements must be met: applicants must work in the collision repair industry; must demonstrate an interest in self-improvement through management education; must own or work for a business that is an ASA Collision Division member in good standing; and, if the applicant is not the business owner, must be recommended by the business owner. AMI Trustees and their employees, and the Scholarship Selection Committee and their employees are not eligible to apply.

To request a scholarship application, call AMI at (800) 272-7467, ext. 239, or fill out a scholarship application online at www.amionline.org.Applications must be received by AMI on or before Aug. 15, 2005. The scholarship recipient will be notified by AMI on or before Sept. 6, 2005.

AMI was established to answer the demand for continuing education tailored specifically for the business needs of the automotive service industry. The Institute offers the Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designation, the first business management accreditation exclusively for the automotive service professional. To date, AMI programs have attracted more than 131,000 enrollments throughout North America. AMI is a not-for-profit educational foundation to which tax-deductible contributions can be made. For more information about the Institute, its curriculum, or EXCEL, please contact AMI at (800) 272-7467, ext. 239, or visit the AMI Web site at www.amionline.org.