Nov. 29, 2022—The TechForce Foundation has announced the category winners of its annual Techs Rock Awards and opened public voting for the grand prize winner.
According to a press release, the Techs Rock Awards were inaugurated in 2018 and recognize outstanding technicians who also serve as mentors for the next generation of technicians. The five category winners were selected from among nearly 700 nominees. Each winner receives a prize package valued at more than $1,700 from TechForce partners such as Ford, AutoZone and Advance Auto Parts. The grand prize winner will receive a trip to STX 2024 in Orlando along with a prize package worth more than $5,500. The winners and their categories are as follows:
- Barrier Buster: Awarded to a technician who shows "heart and passion in overcoming obstacles to succeed." - Daniel McCrum, Carmax
- Die Hard: Awarded to "industry superfans who live, breathe, sleep, and thrive in their career." - Joshua Ferrantino, Rodman Ford
- Outstanding Mentor: Awarded to a technician who provides "support and guidance to the industry's future technicians." - Frank Mendoza, Flow Nissan & NASCAR Technical Institute
- Pay it Forward: Presented to technicians who serve as a "a community advocate and inspiring the next generation of techs." - Zachary Carlsen, Northern Auto Repair
- Rookie of the Year: Awarded to "up-and-coming tech professionals with under two years’ professional experience." - Kael Gortat, Carmax
Members of the public can vote for one category winner to be the grand prize winner from now until Dec. 2, 2022, at 11:59 p.m. PST. To read more about each candidate and to place your vote, head to TechForce.org/vote.
