A Bridgestone Firestone executive has been selected to serve on the board of directors at the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE).
The new appointee, Glenn Dahl, is senior coordinator of technical education for the Bloomingdale, Ill.-based Bridgestone Retail Operations, LLC, which operates a network of more than 2,000 company-owned automotive service centers, including Firestone Complete Auto Care and Tires Plus locations.
“We’re honored to have a team member appointed to the ASE Board of Directors,” says Darrell Rowe, the company’s manager of education and development. “Because of organizations like ASE and team members like Glenn, technicians receive extensive education about current automotive technologies and procedures.”
By participating in the post, Dahl, a 29-year industry veteran, will assist the nonprofit ASE in its mission of improving the quality of automotive service and repair through voluntary testing and certification of automotive technicians and parts specialists. Prior to being appointed to the board of directors, he was named to to the ASE Board of Governors, where he continues to serve.
“ASE is proud to have Bridgestone’s support of our certification program,” says Tim Zilke, ASE president and CEO. “It is especially gratifying to have someone of Glenn’s caliber on the board. He brings technical as well as real world experience to our group.”
In 2002, Dahl was instrumental in developing a patch program to recognize Bridgestone workers who become ASE certified, with each such employee receiving patches they can display on their uniforms. In 2005, the company and ASE developed a special registration program for its technicians to make it easier for them to register for certification testing. Since the launch of the registration program, Bridgestone has increased its count of ASE certified technicians by more than 60 percent.
Bridgestone has supported ASE certification for its technicians since ASE’s inception in 1972. Technicians achieve certification after passing at least one exam and providing proof of at least two years of relevant work experience. In order to maintain ASE certification, individuals must recertify every five years to ensure they are competent to address and service the newest automotive technologies.
For more information, visit www.ase.com and www.bridgestone-firestone.com.
