Three months after being named 2008 Entrepreneur of the Year by Ernst and Young, Oxford’s Lori Blaker has a ground-breaking honor to add to her resume.
Blaker, the president and CEO of Rochester Hills-based Technical Training, Inc., has been named the board chairperson of the National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation. The position is a two-year term.
In the NATEF board’s 25-year history, Blaker is the first woman to serve.
‘We welcome our 2009 officers and are particularly pleased to announce Lori Blaker as our first woman chairperson,? said Bill Kersten, NATEF president, in a statement. ‘Lori has been an enthusiastic supporter of the NATEF mission and we look forward to her leadership in 2009.?
Being chairperson means Blaker will be in charge of a 10-member board to develop strategies and leadership for Virginia-based NATEF, an organization which evaluates automotive technician training programs and qualifies them for certification by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence.
For many years, Blaker’s served on the Automotive Service Excellence Board of Governors. She accepted the NATEF nomination in October, and that’s when she discovered she was the first woman to be appointed to the position.
‘It is amazing, because the automotive industry is traditionally a male-dominated industry,? Blaker said.
‘It is so great to see that women are finally coming into the ranks and are becoming an important voice…Women bring a different perspective, and a different view to situations. I hope that I can lead the way, and then help guide or mentor the next generation of women leaders in this industry.?
In the tough times the automotive industry is facing, Blaker hopes to ensure that the challenges faced by today’s automotive industry don’t compromise the standards set in the organization’s automotive technology programs.
‘Automotive technology has changed dramatically over the last decade,? she added. ‘Automotive systems are so complex. It truly takes a knowledgeable, skilled technician to diagnose and repair these systems.?
Kersten said Blaker’s skills running her own business made her a suitable chairperson.
‘She’s involved in developing training programs,? he said. ‘She’s the president and CEO of TTi, and this attests that she’s a successful businessperson who has organization skills and is a leader. These are all critical to be the chair of any organization.?