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The Automotive Management Institute (AMi), the industry's leading nonprofit provider and collaborator of administrative and management education for the mechanical and collision automotive sectors, is pleased to announce the development and launch of a new professional designation focused on the technician in a leadership role: AMi Accredited Shop Foreman. The new designation is designed to provide training focused on the unique requirements of the foreman/mentor role. The accreditation represents ten months of industry work to identify and develop requirements, based on interviews and subject matter expert input. AMi President, Chuck Searles, states, "Often, mentors in the shop environment receive technical training and that’s it. To be successful as a leader, they have to pick up the rest as they go. The shop foreman accreditation fills that gap with soft-skill courses from AMi approved industry training providers.” This new designation requires multiple categories of training, including shop management basics; coaching, mentoring, team building, and five all-new courses focused on the shop foreman role. For more information about AMi's Shop Foreman Designation and requirements,click here

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, TEXAS, Sept. 1, 2020 - The Board of Trustees at the Automotive Management Institute, the industry’s leading provider of management education for automotive service and collision repair professionals, is pleased to announce that Chuck Searles has been selected as the organization’s new president, effective immediately. Searles will succeed Jeff Peevy, who left to return to I-CAR as VP of Technical Products, Programs and Services in late July. Searles brings to the position a wealth of knowledge in the industry. He has been an active part of the automotive service and training community for almost 28 years. His career began as a Dealer Service Technician in 1992. During nine years as a Service Technician Chuck was employed by three different Dealers in two different states, Alaska and Arizona. This diversity helped expand his skillset and knowledge base, which eventually led to a Technical Service Support position with Nissan North America in 2001. Over the last nineteen years he has served in four different Nissan training roles; Technical Training Instructor, Sales Training Senior Planner, Technical Training Operations Manager, and Technical Training Instructional Design Manager. “I’m honored and excited to serve the Board of Trustees and the ever-expanding client base as President of AMi,” Searles said about his new role. Searles can be reached at [email protected]. "We are ever so pleased to announce Chuck S... read more

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS, TEXAS, June 5, 2020 - The Automotive Management Institute (AMi) regrettably acknowledged the passing of one of its founders. Don Seyfer passed away on June 3rd in Wheat Ridge, Colorado. Don was involved with the creation of the nonprofit organization in 1989 and was an early financial contributor. He was also one of the first to earn the Automotive Management Institute's "Accredited Automotive Manager" (AAM) professional designation and was known to encourage many others to achieve the respected designation. Don's involvement left a family legacy of support for AMi with his wife Margie becoming an AMi accredited instructor and his son Donny also achieving the instructor status as well as serving on the AMi board of trustees. Many thanks to Don for his service to AMi, ASA and the industry as a whole. His example has made a positive impact on education. On behalf of the AMi staff, instructors and students we say "thank you" and send our condolences to Don's wonderful family. About the Automotive Management Institute AMi was established in 1989 to answer the demand for continuing education and industry-accepted recognition programs tailored specifically for the business needs of the automotive service and repair industry. To date, AMi programs have attracted more than 250,000 enrollments throughout North America. AMi is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) educational foundation, to which tax-deductible contributions may be made. For mo... read more