Athena and Woman of the Year Awards Announced at the Annual SBN Breakfast

	SBN Chairman Luanne Brown congratulates 2006 SBN Woman of the Year award winner Kathleen Schmatz.

The 2006 SEMA Show was a flurry of activity. Deals were sealed, contacts made and new products launched. Just as important was the opportunity to stop and reflect on the impact people have made to the professional growth of women in the aftermarket.

On Thursday morning, the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN) met to honor two very important people and to celebrate their distinguished careers and how they serve as an inspiration to women and men in this industry.

The SBN Breakfast, always well attended by both men and women, is the venue to meet women on the move and the men who support their contributions to this $34 billion industry.

On November 2, 2006, two people were given formal recognition. Mike Eaton, president of Eaton Detroit Springs, was given the prestigious Athena Award. Presented by last year’s winner, Zan Martin, president of Martin & Company Advertising, this award is given to a person (male or female) or a company that has made a significant contribution to the professional growth of women in this industry. Eaton joins the ranks of Alex Borla, Rainer Willingham, Don Smith and J.R. Granatelli as well as Amy Faulk, Charlie Van Cleve, Kim Lane and more.

Luanne Brown, chairperson of the SBN Select Committee, shared why Eaton was selected from among the many candidates. “Mike Eaton believes in supporting women in positions of management,” Brown said. “In fact, more than 50% of his managerial and office staff are women. A non-believer in glass ceilings, he gives women the resources and opportunity they need for advancement.”

	2006 SBN Athena Award winner Mike Eaton was described as an individual who believes in supporting women in positions of management. “A non-believer in glass ceilings, he gives women the resources and opportunity they need for advancement,” said SBN Chairman Luanne Brown.

The 2006 SEMA Show was a flurry of activity. Deals were sealed, contacts made and new products launched. Just as important was the opportunity to stop and reflect on the impact people have made to the professional growth of women in the aftermarket.

Kathleen Schmatz was presented the Woman of the Year award, which was established in 2002 by the SBN to recognize the outstanding achievements and contributions of a woman in the automotive aftermarket. Presented by last year’s recipient, Debbie Lewis, publisher of Hot Rod and Restoration, this award went to the current president and CEO of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA) located in Bethesda, Maryland.

Schmatz—who is a 30-year veteran of Babcox publications, where she served as vice president and group publisher, and the founding president of the Car Care Council’s Women’s Board—has had an illustrious career. She frequently appears in national news to speak on behalf of the automotive aftermarket.

Brown added at the presentation: “We took into consideration Schmatz’s perception as a role model, her knowledge and expertise, leadership and management roles as well as her industry involvement. This was an easy choice.”

 SBN Speed Networking Follows Award Presentation

The SBN Speed Networking & Awards Breakfast concluded with nearly an hour of very productive and fun Speed Networking activity. SBN Speed Networking provides an exchange of information about companies and people in three-minute segments of time on a one-on-one basis. A rotation of chairs keeps the flow of information new for each person. This year’s Speed Networking event demonstrated that it doesn’t take a long time to make a crucial contact—one that can provide new opportunities for sales, distribution or employment—especially with the bright go-getters who regularly fill the seats of the annual SBN Breakfast. If you did not have a chance to attend this year, look for information via the SBN mailings, SEMA eNews, or check out www.sema.org/sbn .

Ask Patty wants to give a warm congratulations to the recipients of the SBN awards and a big thank you to all the wonderful people we met at the breakfast!