The National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE) applauds the service of Bobby Bassett, chairman of the board of ASE, and congratulates him on recently receiving the prestigious Art Fisher Excellence in Education Award from the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA).

“Bobby has a long history of volunteering his time and expertise as an advocate for training and education in the automotive industry. He is a well-known figure to high school and community college automotive programs across the country,” said Tim Zilke, ASE president and CEO. “We have been very fortunate to have this highly respected industry professional lead the ASE board of directors, especially during such an unprecedented time. We thank him for his service and the great impact he has made throughout the entire ASE organization.”

AWDA’s Excellence in Education Award is presented to an aftermarket company or individual who demonstrates outstanding commitment to education and training, either within their organization or throughout the industry. Given in memory of former AWDA Chairman Art Fisher, the award grants scholarships in the name of the award winner to two students enrolled in the automotive aftermarket management program at Northwood University.

Bassett, who retired as North American national training manager for Gates Corp. earlier this year, began his career in the aftermarket in 1978. He spent 22 years overseeing customer training in both the automotive and heavy-duty markets for Gates. In his capacity as national training manager for Gates, Bassett was the administrator of Gates’ “Tools for Schools” and Performance Center eLearning platforms.

“I can’t think of anyone more deserving of such an esteemed industry award than Bobby Bassett,” said Zilke. “We congratulate him on receiving the Art Fisher Excellence in Education award and look forward to him continuing to represent ASE as past chairman in the coming year.”