Toyota head named Champion of the Year by SkillsUSA

When it comes to understanding the value of hard work and a good education, Jim Lentz, president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Sales USA, gets it. From his teenage days doing odd jobs to his climb through the ranks at Toyota, Lentz says his willingness to learn and tackle new projects have been the keys to his success.

He shared that guidance with hundreds of SkillsUSA student members and corporate partners at the annual SkillsUSA dinner, where he was named Champion of the Year for his tireless efforts supporting skills-based education.

Lentz offered that the skills, professionalism and abilities of the SkillsUSA students set them apart from other high school graduates and give them an incredible advantage in the job market.

The Champion of the Year dinner is held annually to recognize the corporate leader whose efforts to support the education and promotion of America’s highly skilled workforce through SkillsUSA have made an exceptional impact on the student members of the organization.

Toyota Motor Sales has partnered with SkillsUSA since 1988, sponsoring multiple events and activities over several years. TMS has provided significant leadership, expertise and equipment support for the SkillsUSA Championships Automotive Service Technology and Collision Repair Technology contests at state and national levels, helping set high standards for automotive instruction in high school and postsecondary programs nationwide. Toyota has also hired SkillsUSA graduates both at its dealerships and in its corporate offices.

TMS has also been a long-time leader on the SkillsUSA Youth Development Foundation (YDF), which builds industry involvement in SkillsUSA and career and technical education. Additionally, TMS has underwritten important SkillsUSA events including the YDF Awards Recognition luncheons held during the annual SkillsUSA National Leadership and Skills Conference. Most recently, TMS donated a Toyota Sienna to the SkillsUSA National Headquarters.

For more information, visit www.skillsusa.org.