CHICAGO, May 21, 2014—Bobby Bassett, manager of training for Gates Corporation, was announced as the winner of the 2014 Mort Schwartz Excellence in Education Award, presented Wednesday on the second day of the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium (GAAS) 2014 at the Hyatt Regency O’Hare outside Chicago.
The award, presented by Sue Kalish of the Auto Care Association, is given annually to an individual in the automotive aftermarket who progresses the industry through training and education.
Kalish called Bassett an “overall educational good citizen” for his efforts in pushing Gates to the forefront of aftermarket education. Bassett helped create training initiatives through Gates that serve more than 40,000 students. He helped initiate the “Inside AAPEX” program to help educators gain more insight into industry issues at the annual trade show in Las Vegas.
Bassett also helped launch the Gates Performance E-Learning Center for Gates employees, customers, students and consumers.
He has been involved with educational initiatives with a number of industry organizations, including the Auto Care Association, ASE, North American Council of Automotive Teachers, and SkillsUSA.
