The 2011 TMC Silver Spark Plug recipients are: Jerry Hubbell, vice president of business development for Vehicle Enhancement Systems; Dale Overton, manager of corporate integrity for Accuride; Randy Patterson, senior field engineer for Bridgestone-Bandag Tire Solutions; Kevin Rohlwing, senior vice president of training for the Tire Industry Association; and Chas Voyles, fleet service manager for Navistar International. These recipients were awarded the Silver Spark Plug for their outstanding contributions to the improvement of equipment, maintenance, industry-related technology and management practices.
- Hubbell has been a TMC member since 1988. He has been a driving force in TMC’s S.4 Cab & Controls Study Group and Future Truck Committee, and actively pursued cab and control improvements as well within the Society of Automotive Engineers. He has led numerous task forces, including Driver Visibility and Future Vision Task Forces that developed RPs on visibility guidelines and position papers on driver vision requirements.
- Overton has been a member since 1994. He has been active within the S.2 Tire and Wheel Study Group, having chaired four task forces and worked on may more to develop various TMC RPs. He has been a presenter for numerous TMC technical sessions, and readily shares his knowledge with others in the industry, and regularly appears on the Council’s satellite radio show — Tech Talk With TMC, heard weekly on the Dave Nemo Show on SiriusXM.
- Patterson is a TMC Recognized Associate and has been a member since 1990. He has been active in the S.2 Tire and Wheel Study Group as booth a fleet member and associate member — a valuable perspective that has been important in creating TMC RPs. He has chaired several task forces and has moderated technical sessions on Tire Application Guidelines and Updated Wheel & Rim Recommendations. He also has been active in the Council’s Professional Technician Development Committee (PTDC), serving as a tire-related station chairman for the TMCSuperTech competitions and helping produce training sessions for PTDC Training Fair.
- Rohlwing has been a TMC member since 1996. In addition to actively contributing to the creation of numerous TMC RPs within the S.2 Tire and Wheel Study Group, he has given substantial support to the PTDC’s TMCSuperTech competition, and has organized several technical sessions.
- Voyles has been a TMC member since 2005. Regarded as an industry peacemaker and bridge-builder, he has worked to improve communication between equipment users and the service provider community that supports them. He organized and/or served as panelist on several educational sessions on the topic of service provider and equipment user relationships, was instrumental in producing a training video on quality control, and became the first chairman of the Service Provider Committee in 2008.
The Silver Spark Plug is awarded annually to individuals who have given outstanding service to TMC. Since the award’s 1968 inception under the Regular Common Carrier Conference Maintenance Committee, 184 individuals have been recognized with the Silver Spark Plug Award. Both fleet representatives and members of the supplier community are eligible.
