The Collision Repair Association of California (CRA) has a new president and two new board members to help lead the trade group in its third year.
Lee Amaradio, owner of Faith Quality Auto Body, Murrieta, Calif., is CRA’s new president, replacing Gene Crozat, one of the founding members of CRA and its president for the past two years. Amaradio said he plans to devote a great deal of time to his new role.
“Our immediate goal is to represent our members’ interests and promote fairness for all stakeholders involved in collision repair transactions,” he said.
Amaradio, a BodyShop Business contributor, is a well-know trade industry columnist who writes on a wide range of technical and policy issues. He said that the CRA will be focusing on a team approach aimed at reducing the incidence of insurer payment disputes and illegal steering tactics.
“Gene Crozat helped get us to this pivotal policy position where we have to assess how best to flex our trade association muscle,” he said. “I assure repairers, insurers and jobbers that the CRA will be guided by the spirit of cooperation and the benefits of constructive dialogue.”
Amaradio said that over the next two months, the CRA will use new approaches to improving industry-wide communications. The CRA’s Web site and newsletter will be conduits for some of the planned changes, but also coming are meetings where board members will be working with current and prospective members to identify actions that are needed to improve the collision repair environment in specific geographic market areas.
The two new members of CRA’s seven-member board are: Jim Boyle of Regal Collision in Vallejo, Calif.; and Nathan Simmons, C Collision in Pasadena, Calif. Both members have been very active in trade association matters, from workshops to legislative days.
Collision repairers with questions about joining CRA should contact Allen Wood, executive director, at 530-620-7480.
