“Real progress happens when education and industry stop operating in separate lanes,” Vamonte says
Hoffman Estates, Ill.—The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) has announced that Amanda Valmonte, Business Development Manager for PPG Automotive Refinish, to its board of trustees.
“We are honored to welcome Amanda Valmonte to our board,” said Brenda Hogen, chair of CREF’s Board of Trustees. “Her extensive experience and dedication to the collision industry will be invaluable as we continue to advance our mission.”
As a collision industry strategist and business development leader, Valmonte has spent more than 16 years building connections across nearly every corner of the collision industry. From dealership operations and vehicle auctions to global manufacturing, she’s worked alongside repair businesses, distributors, OEM partners and industry organizations to drive strategic growth, advance innovative solutions across the evolving collision repair landscape and help transform relationships into long-term opportunities for growth.
“I’m passionate about developing the industry’s future workforce and creating opportunities that strengthen the collision repair profession,” Valmonte said. “The collision industry has given me so much throughout my career. Serving on the CREF Board is an opportunity to give back by helping create stronger pathways for the next generation. If we want this industry to thrive, we have to invest in the students, schools and educators who are preparing tomorrow’s professionals.”
An active member of the Women’s Industry Network (WIN), Valmonte is a strong advocate for mentorship, representation and creating more leadership opportunities for women in collision repair.
“Real progress happens when education and industry stop operating in separate lanes,” she said. “When educators, businesses and industry leaders collaborate, students graduate with more than technical skills — they graduate with confidence, connections and a clearer vision of what’s possible, ensuring a skilled, innovative and sustainable future workforce.”
Industry members interested in getting involved and supporting the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s efforts to assist high school and college collision repair training programs can Contact Us to learn about the many ways to get involved.
Monetary donations can be made online, or sign up for The Donation Exchange to easily provide in-kind resources that collision repair schools and students desperately need.
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