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TechForce Foundation Names Director of National Partnership

Tina SmithTechForce Foundation has named Tina Smith as its director of national partnership. In her new role, Smith will be responsible for developing corporate partnerships throughout the transportation industry to help solve the industry’s shortage of professional technicians.

TechForce recently launched an industry-wide initiative called FutureTech Success. According to the company, the goal of the campaign is to harness resources in the industry to raise the bar for future techs in communities across the country.

For example, donated training aids and employee volunteers will be activated to enhance local high school shop classes and afterschool programs; national marketing will tell the story of the ‘new collar’ career and negate the outdated, grease-monkey image; and one-stop-shop resource hubs for future techs, parents, educators and industry will make readily available the tools required to help students pursue a tech pathway, according to TechForce.

Smith will drive the effort to identify new corporate partners willing to sponsor the FutureTech Success campaign or to donate to TechForce Foundation’s scholarship and grant program, including its Veterans at Work: Military Transition Campaign, its Accelerate Tuition scholarships and its Life Happens emergency relief funds.

“Who better than Tina to tell the story of our future techs,” said Jennifer Maher, CEO of TechForce Foundation. “Tina herself pursued a technical education, made possible thanks to a generous scholarship, became a technician, turned wrenches, and knows what it’s like to be a female technician in the industry.

“Tina has the authenticity and passion we sought in someone who can walk the talk of the TechForce story, and help companies realize how they can be part of the solution,” Maher added.

According to TechForce, Smith is “looking forward today to giving back, championing the youth of the next generation, and helping the industry she loves prosper in its workforce development efforts.”

Previously, Smith served as the national sales manager for the traditional U.S. aftermarket with Lumileds. Before that, she worked at NGK Spark Plugs (U.S.A.) Inc. from 2013-’18, starting as the product services manager and advancing to become the group’s manager for the North American buying groups. She was responsible for implementing sales and marketing activities within the major automotive aftermarket buying groups.

Before NGK, Smith was the lead engineering technician for three years at Gates Corp., She began her automotive career at Yazaki North America and served the company for nine years as an application engineer and benchmark technician.

Smith was an AASA Emerging Leader Member from 2015-’16 and a member of the Women in Auto Care Educational Committee from 2014-’17.

For more information, visit TechForceFoundation.org.

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