Auction Academy Class 8 Prepares for Active Hands-On Year

Auction Academy’s newest class, Class 8, is in full academic swing having completed two in-person sessions and three virtual training sessions as it prepares to convene for Session No. 3 in Dallas, Texas in February. 

Class 8 is Auction Academy’s largest to date, with 34 students from around the country representing auto auctions, finance companies, and other entities that provide services to the auto auction industry. Auction Academy is a continuing two-year education program developed by TPC Management Company (TPC) for professionals in the auto auction industry. Graduates often move on to higher positions in the auction industry.

“We have an outstanding group of students in Class 8 who are devoted to the industry and are eager to increase their skill and knowledge as they participate in Auction Academy’s two-year training and development experience,” said Auction Academy President Penny Wanna in a Jan. 29 news release.

Wanna notes that Auction Academy’s curriculum includes quarterly in-person meetings, alternating with virtual classroom sessions. Both formats include training led by subject matter experts in the remarketing field from all over the country.

Following its inaugural session in Nashville, Tennessee in August 2023, Class 8 convened in Scottsdale, Arizona in November. Classroom training included presentations by David Ibarra of eLeader Tech, Inc; Mike Caggiano of ADESA Operations; Jamye Carpenter; Kim Waterman of Auction Edge; Ann Cammarata, Dusti Daniel and Bo Boshell of AutoIMS; Melanie Glaze of U-Haul; and Steve Greenfield of Automotive Ventures.  

The group was hosted by Metro Auto Auction of Phoenix for a tour of the auction facilities; a Q&A session with auction general manager Jerry Stiver, controller Steve Dulley (Class 7 Alum), fleet/lease manager Ron Kemp, and director of national accounts Bill Westlake; and an evening at the Brittlebush patio at the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa.

2024 Full of Training, Tours, and Trips

Auction Academy will convene in Dallas in February for the next in-person training session. Classroom presentations and training will be led by Mike Jones of Smart Auction; Pierre Pons of TPC Management; Doug Evans of Hyundai Capital America; Scott Mousaw of United Auto Credit; Brent Huisman of Exeter Finance; Dave Woods of Harley-Davidson Financial Services; Mark Lindenmuth of Caprock Auto Remarketing; Casey Hughes of Toyota Financial Services; and David Walsh with Training Services, Inc. who will deliver leadership training on “Conversation Based Selling.”

During Session No. 3, Class 8 will get to have a one-of-a-kind “entertainment” experience with Former Navy SEAL officer Clint Bruce at his Trident facility. Co-founder and CEO of the Trident Response Group, Bruce and his team will lead students through exciting and actionable personal and group readiness training.

Auction Academy has planned two industry site visits for Session No. 3 as well. The group will tour Metro Auto Auction of Dallas hosted by general manager Scott Stalder; Controller Rob Gorman (Class 6 alum); fleet/lease manager Mike White; and Bill Westlake, director of national accounts. Class 8 will also visit Union Pacific’s Auto Facility for a rail yard tour with Shawn Cook of Union Pacific, coordinated by Jeff Grandstaff, president of Gold Star Resources, LLC.

The remainder of 2024 will take Class 8 to Detroit, Michigan where they will be hosted by Manheim; to Spokane, Washington, where they will be hosted by McConkey Auto Auction Group’s DAA Northwest; and to Baltimore, Maryland where they will be hosted by BSC America’s Bel Air Auto Auction.

Wanna also reports that since Class 8 launched in August of 2023, 100% of the class have taken the NAAA Diversity and Inclusion Pledge as well as become NAAA Safe T. Sam Certified.

In addition, the entire group is testing to become IARA “CAR” Certified with one third of the class having already completed the certification. In the first quarter of 2024, Auction Academy will roll out the NAAA Privacy Pam Certification and the IARA ACT Certification.