FRANKLIN, Tenn. -

Auction industry leaders took to the classroom for the latest Auction Academy session, serving as faculty for the Senior Managers Class on topics from vehicle valuation to online selling technology and dealer funding.

Auction Academy, a professional education program developed by TPC Management, held the class in Nashville, Tenn., from Nov. 29 to Dec. 1. Tony Moorby, former chief executive officer of ADT Auctions, spoke on the history of the industry and his own longtime career to open the session. 

“I was fortunate enough to earn my way into some great management training programs when I first got into the car business, and their content has served me well over the years,” Moorby said. “It’s great to see this quality of faculty participation so early in Auction Academy’s program; it should signal the benefits of training to all in the industry.”

Faculty for the Senior Managers session included Ricky Beggs of Black Book; Rick Pomeroy of OVE; David Nutter of Direct Auction Services; Kay Hudson and Rick Guyer of CARS Recon Inc.; Randy Dohse and Alan Lang of DSC; Joe Miller of AutoIMS; and TPC Management staff Pierre Pons, Dick Curtis and Tom Stewart.

Classroom topics ranged from human resources, vehicle valuation and facilities upgrades to benchmark metrics, AutoIMS reporting, online selling technology and dealer funding. Participants also toured Manheim’s Nashville Auto Auction. 

“The first meeting of Auction Academy’s second class group engendered many good questions and incisive discussion,” said Academy chief operations officer Randall McCathren. “In addition to learning detailed information to take back to their respective auctions, the students were able to draw on their auction management experience and contribute to the ideas and information being presented.” 

Participants in the second class group of Auction Academy are: Josh Boender, Dyer Auto Auction; Tommy Rogers, Carolina Auto Auction; Eric Autenrieth, Indiana Auto Auction; Chris Angelicchio, Pittsburgh Auto Auction; Lawrence Cubitt, Flint Auto Auction; Dave Ward, Brasher’s Idaho Auto Auction; Steve Goettling, KCI Auto Auction; Matt Alombro and Bridget Higginbotham, Louisiana Auto Auction; J.D. Glover, EPIAA; Justin Brown, Missouri Auto Auction; Shaun Miller, Statewide Auto Auction; Scott Crane, Brasher’s Reno Auto Auction; Mike Shaub, Bel Air Auto Auction; Justin Booth, Brasher’s Salt Lake Auto Auction; and Steve Doyle, DAA Northwest.  

“I was very impressed with the caliber of the instructors at this first session of the Senior Managers class,” said Ward, operations manager at Brasher’s Idaho. “It’s of tremendous benefit to learn from people with such depth of experience in our industry.  I also learned a lot from the auction tour, which offered a rare opportunity for an in-depth look at how another auction operates.”

“We were fortunate to learn from the ‘best of the best’,” agreed J.D. Glover, assistant general manager at EPIAA.  “As the AGM of a fairly new auction, I found particular value in the benchmarking class, which gave me a lot of material to help me with projects I’m working on at EPIAA. In addition to the class presentations, we benefited from interaction not just with the instructors, but with the students from the other auctions as well. When you mix the two, that’s where you really learn about the industry.”

McCathren also acknowledged sponsors of the program, as well. For more information, visit www.auctionacademy.net.