BEDFORD, Texas — The Automotive Management Institute (AMI) and the Automotive Service Association (ASA) announced that Joe Sanfillipo III, chief operating officer for USA Collision Centers, Cincinnati, Ohio, is the recipient of this year’s Emil Stanley Merit Award.

Sanfillipo has worked in the collision industry for more than 10 years and has been a partner in his family’s multi-location collision repair business for the last two. He holds several I-CAR and ASE certifications and is working on completing the necessary requirements to earn the Institute’s Accredited Automotive Manager (AAM) designation.

When not working in the shop, he contributes his time to the ASA where he is the Cincinnati chapter president and the president elect of ASA Ohio. Sanfillipo also gives his time to the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society where he has been a past “Man of the Year” candidate and has sat on multiple committees for the society.

As the scholarship recipient, Sanfillipo will receive complimentary registration, air transportation and hotel accommodations to attend NACE 2008, Nov. 5-8 in Las Vegas.

“I am honored to receive this year’s Emil Stanley Merit Award. I have seen the positive results that excellent management training has had on my career and my business,” Sanfillipo says. “I’m looking forward to seeing the expo, attending some great training classes and mingling with other successful shop owners and managers from around the world. I can’t think of a better place to be in November than this year’s NACE event.”

The award honors Emil Stanley who was publisher of Automotive Body Repair News (ABRN) until his death in 1989. Stanley was committed to strengthening the professionalism of the collision repair industry through education. He was recognized as a strong advocate of the International Autobody Congress & Exposition (NACE), the largest collision repair event sponsored annually by ASA. The award is made possible by a grant from ASA to EXCEL, AMI's resource development program.