Doug Brown Re-Elected Automotive Lift Institute Chairman

Nov. 15, 2024
Gary Wainwright of Weco Inc. was elected to another two-year term as Associate Class representative at the lift safety organization’s annual meeting in Las Vegas earlier this month.

Doug Brown of Vehicle Service Group (Madison, Indiana) has been elected to a third one-year term as chairman of the Automotive Lift Institute (ALI) board of directors, according to a news release.

The election took place at the lift safety organization’s annual meeting in Las Vegas on November 4. Gary Wainwright of Weco Inc. (Bradford, Arkansas) was also elected to another two-year term as Associate Class representative.

Todd Michalski of Gray Manufacturing Company (St. Joseph, Missouri) was elected to the seat formerly held by his colleague, long-time member Stet Schanze. Schanze stepped down after 11 years on the ALI board, including three and a half years as chairman. R.W. “Bob” O’Gorman, ALI president, presented Schanze with a commemorative gavel at the meeting.

“We thank Stet for more than a decade of dedicated service to ALI and our lift safety mission,” said O’Gorman. “Under his leadership, ALI established a strategic plan that continues to guide the organization’s actions. He also played a crucial role in the decision to move into a much larger headquarters and to build the ALI LiftLab. We’ll miss his experience and insight.”

The ALI board of directors includes representatives of vehicle lift manufacturer members, as well as a representative elected by the ALI Associate Class. ALI Associate Class membership is available to North American organizations performing vehicle lift inspections with at least one ALI Certified Lift Inspector on staff.

The remaining members of the 2025 ALI board of directors are past chairman Jeff Kritzer of BendPak Inc. (Agoura Hills, California), Allan Pavlick of Stertil-Koni (Stevensville, Maryland), Gary DiAngelo of Total Automotive Lifting Solutions (Oakville, Ontario), Brian Spikes of Challenger Lifts (Louisville, Kentucky), and O’Gorman. Heather Almeida continues as secretary/treasurer.

ALI has served as the lift industry safety watchdog for more than 75 years. Its mission is to promote the safe design, construction, installation, service, inspection, and use of automotive lifts. In 1947, ALI developed the first Commercial Standard covering vehicle lifts published by the National Bureau of Standards. Today, ALI sponsors several national lift safety standards and offers third-party certification programs for automotive lifts and automotive lift inspectors.
About the Author

FenderBender Staff Reporters

The FenderBender staff reporters have nearly three decades of combined journalism and collision repair experience.

Sponsored Recommendations

Best Body Shop and the 360-Degree-Concept

Spanesi ‘360-Degree-Concept’ Enables Kansas Body Shop to Complete High-Quality Repairs

ADAS Applications: What They Are & What They Do

Learn how ADAS utilizes sensors such as radar, sonar, lidar and cameras to perceive the world around the vehicle, and either provide critical information to the driver or take...

Banking on Bigger Profits with a Heavy-Duty Truck Paint Booth

The addition of a heavy-duty paint booth for oversized trucks & vehicles can open the door to new or expanded service opportunities.

Boosting Your Shop's Bottom Line with an Extended Height Paint Booths

Discover how the investment in an extended-height paint booth is a game-changer for most collision shops with this Free Guide.