Congratulations to our Nissan SCOPE & Infiniti KEI Masters
Dan Boynton
Infiniti KEI Master
Infiniti of Omaha
Elkhorn, NE
Even after working as an auto technician for over 35 years, Dan Boynton says he still loves getting up to go to work every day. “I never know what the day’s going to bring, what kind of challenge. I just enjoy getting up, coming to work and repairing the vehicles.” Particularly, Dan likes the troubleshooting aspect of fixing cars. “Sometimes it takes a little while, but I get great satisfaction in finally being able to track something down.” Boynton’s lifelong interest in cars should come as no surprise considering that his father shared that interest as well. “My dad had hotrods and drag cars. It was always in the family, so it’s always been in my blood.” Dan’s interest in motorized vehicles does not stop with automobiles. He and his wife also enjoy motorcycling. Boynton even used to compete in amateur level road racing using a Ducati track bike.
Although Dan finds Virtual Academy “very good and informative,” he recognizes that there are times when traditional classroom training is preferable. “It depends on what it is. Sometimes when you get in the classroom, you can discuss things with the instructors or the different technicians that are there. You can pick their brains and get different ideas.” Above all, Boynton believes that to be a successful technician: “Your heart has to be in it. New technicians have to have a good idea that this is what they want to build a career on. Have a passion for it. Wake up everyday and want to go to work.”
Paul Bulthuis
Infiniti KEI Master
Infiniti of Naperville
Naperville, IL
Inspired by his father and brother’s interest in cars, Paul Bulthuis began to develop an interest in mechanics at an early age. “My brother was always working on old muscle cars and I’d be under there loosening what he just tightened. Just acting how my brother and dad were.” Years later, Paul chose to attend the College of DuPage in Naperville, IL, a decision that would lead him to a successful career with Infiniti. “I ended up going to school with somebody who worked for Infiniti already and we got to talking and being friends. He realized that I was serious, so he got me a job. Best way to get in the door.”
At the end of the day, Bulthuis credits his co-workers with making Infiniti of Naperville such an enjoyable place to work. “I work with a bunch of great guys who don’t hesitate to help if you have questions or need to borrow anything. Everybody’s here to help and they want to see you fix things right the first time.” Paul marvels at the various technical advances that have occurred at Infiniti in recent years, particularly his ability to have TSBs sent to his phone and SIRs downloaded to his IPad. “It’s really crazy with computers and everything. Even in the last seven years that I’ve worked here, it’s changed so much.” Bulthuis’ advice to new technicians is: “Don’t hesitate to ask questions. You’re always learning something new every day no matter how long you’ve been doing it.”
Rick Marrujo
Infiniti KEI Master
Infiniti of Riverside
Riverside, CA
Rick Marrujo has been working to become a Master Technician since 2006. Although he learned mostly through on-the-job training, Rick recommends that new technicians attend a technical college, such as UTI or WyoTech. "Since I learned on the job, it took me a little longer. Had I gone to a technical college, I probably would have gotten my masters faster.”
Marrujo’s favorite aspect of his job is “the camaraderie between all of the technicians.” Originally starting his automotive career with Nissan, Rick came over to Infiniti last year. He has been very pleased with the quality of the Infiniti vehicles. “They’re great and very durable. I don’t see a whole lot of problems with them. If I could afford one, I’d get one myself.” The most difficult conditions Marrujo has had to diagnose have been intermittent problems. “When you know the symptom is there, but it’s not always there.” For particularly difficult problems, Rick will occasionally contact TECH LINE and has found them to be very helpful. He remembers that back in 2006 it could take up to 30 minutes to reach them, but now the system works much quicker.
Steve Valdillez
Infiniti KEI Master
Beshoff Infiniti
San Jose, CA
When Steve Valdillez was growing up, he watched his mechanically inclined father “tinker with cars.” Steve started his own automotive career by attending WyoTech, formerly called Sequoia. "I think attending trade school was a good thing. They broke down the automobile into eight different groups, and I took training in each one.” Steve recommends that new technicians concentrate their training on electrical and diagnosis. He also believes that more technical training can be very helpful particularly for becoming familiar with some of the technology technicians use every day. In general, Valdillez prefers training at the regional training center in Livermore, CA to using the Virtual Academy. “I like the hands-on because I get to meet the trainers. I like the fact that I’ve seen several of them multiple times. I think having personal relationships with the training instructors is a very good thing.” In his spare time, Steve hopes to restore his 1969 Chevelle. “It’s a Malibu, but I may make it into an SS clone.”
Jorge Rivera
Infiniti KEI Master
Jackie Cooper Infiniti
Tulsa, OK
Jorge Rivera was destined to spend his life around cars. “My mom makes a joke that I was born with a toy car in my hand,” Jorge says. “I always loved cars, always. My father is mechanical and any time we did any kind of work in the driveway on the cars that we had, I was right there helping him. I was the light and tool holder.” Soon after graduating high school, Jorge “jumped into” mechanics and has been working as a technician for 12 years. Rivera spent most of that time working for Infiniti and Nissan and says: “I would, honestly, never work on another vehicle. I’m an advocate for Nissan/Infiniti. I think they’re one of the best of all vehicles.” Although Jorge loves working on cars, space and money have kept him from pursuing automotive hobbies outside of work. But, he already knows which cars he would love to work on if he ever got the chance. “There are plenty of old Datsuns I want to work on and fix up, but I would absolutely love to come across a 1970 240Z. That’s my ultimate project car. I’d want to make it like it rolled off the showroom floor. That’d be hard to do, but I’d love it.”
Nicholas Osborne
Infiniti KEI Master
Bommarito Infiniti
Ellisville, MO
By coming to work at Bommarito Infiniti, Nicholas Osborne continued a family legacy. Nicholas’ father also worked at Bommarito, starting back in 1983. Osborne remembers helping his father work on cars from a young age. “I was always the light holder in the driveway. There was always something going on in the driveway with my dad.” Nicholas would later earn an Automotive Maintenance Certificate from Ranken Technical College. He advises: “The more training you have, the better off you are. The more knowledge you have when you first run into a problem, the more you’ve got to back you up. After training, be sure to listen to everybody who has experience. You’re not going to learn everything there is in school.”
Osborne particularly enjoys working on electrical issues. He is drawn to their inherent difficulty the most. “You get to dig in a little deeper. It’s frustrating but, in the end, it’s more rewarding when it’s done.” Given Nicholas’ interest in electrical work, it should come as no surprise that he has been waiting for a chance to work on Infiniti’s new hybrid vehicles. “It’s pretty neat technology from what I saw in my M Hybrid class. As far as working on them, I haven’t done anything other than reprogram the HEV control unit. Ideally, you get out of school and then you work on all the cars and get really familiar with them. But it doesn’t always work that way.”
Casey Chiaverotti
Nissan SCOPE Master
Boucher Nissan/Waukesha
Waukesha, WI
Long before he came to work at Nissan, Casey Chiaverotti had already been working on cars for years. “I’ve always tinkered around with cars. I took a few intermediate automotive classes in high school.” After high school, Casey went to work for an engineering company before finally choosing to attend UTI in Chicago, IL for automotive technology. He says: “I learned a lot from UTI. I think it helped me out a great deal when I started working in the dealership. It helped me move along quicker.”
A tool that Chiaverotti has found particularly useful is Nissan’s Technical Training on Virtual Academy. “It’s nice, because if there’s down time in the shop, you can go there and brush up on a few things. It’s good for before you go to training classes. You can get a grasp on things before you go down there. Sometimes I’ll grab the books you get from the training classes and look through those too.” In his off-hours, Casey likes to spend time bow fishing. “I have a boat that I built and everything. It’s an 18-foot Alumacraft Jon boat and we built a whole big aluminum deck on the front. I also got all of the lights out in front of it for fishing at night. It’s a lot of fun.”
Sanders Woods
Infiniti KEI Master
Ray Brandt Infiniti/Metairie
Metairie, LA
Sanders Woods says he has always been a “car guy.” His family used to own a body shop, but instead of following in his family’s footsteps, Sanders chose to follow the more mechanical path. He specifies: “It stemmed out of necessity. The first vehicle I owned myself had issues, and I took a liking to wanting to know how stuff works.” While majoring in general studies at Southeastern University, Woods secured a part-time job as a lube technician and “it just kind of stuck.” He says: “It was something that I enjoyed doing anyway and it just continued on from there. I had a natural ability for it, I guess.”
For new technicians, Sanders believes that “on-the-job training is really good. But, as far as the way the business is structured right now, it’s harder to learn on the fly than it used to be. So, I would say, go to school and definitely learn the basics. I’d say a vocational school is best.”
Woods believes that electric vehicles and HEVs like the M Hybrid are “going to be the wave of the future as we get away from our high dependency on oil. Based solely on what I see on a regular basis, people are complaining a lot about fuel economy and I believe this is the way to do it. I can’t wait to see the Q50 Hybrid. We haven’t really had any issues with the M Hybrid. It’s been a very wellrounded car.”
John Faes
Nissan SCOPE Master
Cole Nissan
Kalamazoo, MI
John Faes discovered his aptitude for mechanics almost by accident. “I had an interest in automobiles, but I didn’t really work on them at all. Then, when I went to college, I had some vehicles that were breaking down. So, I kind of learned about it out of necessity. Then I got into it and I went to school for it.”
Now that he is a Master Technician, Faes’ colleagues often refer to him as “the academic technician” due to his strong penchant for learning. John’s favorite part of his job is when he can use the things he has learned to help the other technicians. “I don’t make as much money that way, but it’s what I prefer to do. I know that once I’m done being a technician, I’m probably going to end up teaching. I seem to like it a lot.”
Faes recommends that future technicians follow his lead and train through a combination of on-the-job training and more traditional schooling. “Get in somewhere at entry level, possibly part-time, and go to school at the same time. It’s a lot to juggle, but you learn really fast that way. That’s how I did it and I would definitely do it again.”
Donald Weekly
Nissan SCOPE Master
Childre Nissan, Inc.
Milledgeville, GA
Donald Weekly is the first member of his family to show an interest in mechanics and he has followed that career path ever since his high school days. Although Weekly likes to work on electronics and diagnostics, his favorite part of his job is simply the troubleshooting aspect. “I like to have a challenge.” The most challenging conditions Donald normally faces are electrical issues. But, problems with airbags he finds especially time-consuming. “Not a whole lot of diagnostic information on airbags. It’s usually just replacing the components until you fix the problem.”
Even in his spare time, Weekly likes to keep himself busy. He enjoys fishing, hunting, golfing and riding motorcycles. He also enjoys going to the local racetrack. “I like watching drag racing and NASCAR, mostly.”
Aware of the growing importance of electrical systems in today’s vehicles, Donald strongly suggests that new technicians “go to school and get some kind of electrical or electronics degree. A bachelor’s degree or a twoyear associate’s degree, at least. I think electrical is very important. Everything’s going that way, so I think it would be helpful.”
Roscoe Askew
Nissan SCOPE Master
Greenville Nissan
Greenville, NC
The son of a tobacco farmer, Roscoe Askew grew up “in the tobacco fields until college.” Although Roscoe did not really grow up around cars, he still found ways to stretch his mechanical skills. “I worked on the farm equipment. I also had motorcycles, four-wheelers and go-carts that I had been tearing up and trying to fix ever since I was a kid.” Right after high school, Askew enrolled in a two-year program sponsored by GM. Roscoe worked at GM from 2005 to 2006 until he made the move to Nissan. “I’ve been working here ever since. I love it. I didn’t see GMs with the kind of mileage we see in the cars that come through here.” Currently, Askew’s favorite Nissan vehicle is the 2013 Pathfinder. “That’s probably going to be the next car I try to get for my wife. Either that or the 2013 Altima.”
One piece of advice Roscoe often passes on to younger technicians is: “Get a couple years of experience and then try to start knocking out those ASEs. I was late at getting my ASE because I didn’t really think it was that important. Now that I’m older, I see that it’s very important. Younger technicians should start now. You want to have it early.” Askew also stresses the value of hands-on learning. “Figuring out stuff and making mistakes, that’s how you learn the most. I’ve broken all kinds of things in my life, but most of the time, I only have to break it once.”
Luis Diaz
Nissan SCOPE Master
Metro Nissan of Montclair
Montclair, CA
Originally a native of Mexico, Luis Diaz has been working at Nissan for 18 years. Luis’ favorite Nissan car is the Maxima and he particularly likes working on the engine in Nissan vehicles. He specifies that he just loves “to fix things for people, so they can be happy. They feel really good after we fix the cars right the first time.” Diaz learned mostly through on-the-job training and he recommends that new technicians try to do the same. “If you put your hands on the car, you will know exactly what it takes to fix that car, instead of just hearing about it or reading it in a book. Just put your hands on it. Do oil changes, then help out the mechanics and learn as much as you can. Then, you should be on the right track to becoming a mechanic in no time.”
Luis’ interest in mechanics is being passed on to the next generation for his 15-year-old son has decided that he likes working on cars. Now father and son have project cars they can work on together. “We work on our own cars. We own two Maximas and one Altima. We customize them a little bit. We try to copy “The Fast and the Furious” kind of style.” Diaz says that he still has quite a bit of family living in Mexico City, Mexico, and he sends his greatest love and greetings to all of them.
Davie Head
Nissan SCOPE Master
Mitchell Nissan, Inc.
Enterprise, AL
Davie Head did not turn his attention toward the automotive industry until he was about 25 years old. Now, he credits his family for giving him the motivation to reach the level of Master Technician. “My drive was my family. It drove me to want to gain my masters. I knew it was going to put me in a better position.” Davie’s favorite part of his job has become the problem-solving aspect. “I like just tackling a problem, working through it and getting it solved.”
Just apply themselves. That’s the key. Once you apply yourself, you can pretty much do anything you want to do. But, always keep reading and studying, because technology is changing so fast that one week it may be one way and the next it could be totally different.” Head also recommends that new technicians focus their training on drivability and heightening their problemsolving abilities. “If you can do that, all the rest of it is basically just hands-on changing out parts. If you can figure out a problem and what caused it, that’ll put you way ahead of the game.”
When he is not working, Davie works on older project cars at home and rides a motorcycle with his motorcycle club. “We do a lot for the community. We do charity rides to help with school supplies and back-to-school stuff. We also work security for high school parties and stuff like that.”
Jason Stelly
Infiniti KEI Master
Orlando Infiniti
Orlando, FL
Unlike many future Master Technicians, Jason Stelly showed very little interest in cars before he made the decision to pursue a career in automotive. “I didn’t even touch a car until I physically went to school for it. It was a generic automotive school, but it was a Fordsponsored program. I wasn’t really pushed towards this field, but I saw the potential. Then, it just came naturally and one thing led to another.” Although Stelly started his career with Ford, he ended up following his service manager to Nissan before coming to Infiniti. “I took some training at Nissan, and then I took the rest of my courses with Infiniti. I really do like the Infiniti product. It’s a very good car. I like working on them.”
Now that Jason has found his calling as an automotive technician, his favorite part of the job is its inherent unpredictability. “I like challenges. It’s fun that it’s not the same thing every day. You don’t know what you’re going to get. It makes it complicated, but it also makes it fun. The automotive industry is constantly changing and that’s really awesome. Tomorrow, we don’t know what’s going to happen in the industry. We might be working on electric stuff. But, we know we’re always going to have a job because someone has to fix the cars. You always have to fix the things that people make. It’s a good industry to be in.”
Jared Reeve
Nissan SCOPE Master
Naples Nissan
Naples, FL
Like many future technicians, Jared Reeve first developed an interest in cars from his father. “My dad always had older cars around. He kind of taught me a little bit about it.” Jared began his automotive career working as a detailer but eventually worked his way into a lube technician position. “I started my technician career at Mitsubishi. I was there for about two years then I moved to Florida and started with Acura. A year later, I switched to Nissan. I became a master almost on my fouryear anniversary working at Nissan.”
Reeve says his favorite part of the job is “making the customers happy,” but he particularly likes doing interior work. “I like working on dashboard harnesses and electrical. It’s more challenging. I would definitely choose a harness or electrical repair over transmission or engine work.” Jared recommends that new technicians also become comfortable with electrical work. “Nowadays definitely concentrate on electrical training. Things are becoming very complicated.” Given Reeve’s preference for electrical work, it is not surprising that he also enjoys playing with technological gadgets in his offhours. “I love messing with technology, whether it’s computers, cell phones, or video games.”
Above all, Jared recognizes how much he owes to those who helped him along the way to becoming a Master Technician. “I was brought up around very smart people and they actually took the time to train me. I’m sure schools are a great help, but if you can find the right people that is how you get a great work experience.”
Congratulations to our Nissan SCOPE & Infiniti KEI Senior Specialists
Chris Rauch
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Dick Smith Nissan
Lexington, SC
Dishon Jones-Bower
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Anderson Nissan
Lake Havasu City, AZ
Scott Vaughn
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Nissan of Chesapeake, LLC.
Chesapeake, VA
Ricardo Caldas
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Sutherlin Nissan Orlando
Orlando, FL
Julio Olivares
Infiniti KEI Senior Specialist
Sewell Infiniti/North Houston
Houston, TX
Hector Gomez
Infiniti KEI Senior Specialist
Crest Infiniti
Plano, TX
Matthew Szymczak
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Martin Nissan
Skokie, IL
Aaron Englishman
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Lynnes Nissan West, Inc.
Stanhope, NJ
Brian Johnson
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Eau Claire Nissan
Eau Claire, WI
Gregory Schneider
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Nissan of Huntington
Huntington Station, NY
Blair Markovitz
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Girard Motors, Inc.
Groton, CT
Gregory Jarrell
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Simmons Nissan, Inc.
Mount Airy, NC
Sherman Bascombe
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Ocala Nissan, Inc.
Ocala, FL
Mark Nosko
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Courtesy Car City
Moline, IL
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Marlboro Nissan
Marlborough, MA
Richard Alexander
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
E Tourelle’s Northpark Nissan
Covington, LA
Thomas Hull
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Coggin Nissan at the Ave
Jacksonville, FL
Jim Bendtzen
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Bruce Bennett Nissan
Wilton, CT
Paul Gear
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Lynchburg Nissan, Inc.
Forest, VA
Paul Horton
Infiniti KEI Senior Specialist
Infiniti of Palm Beaches
West Palm Beach, FL
Dave Kroh
Infiniti KEI Senior Specialist
Infiniti of Palm Beaches
West Palm Beach, FL
Daniel Coronado
Infiniti KEI Senior Specialist
Santa Monica Infiniti
Santa Monica, CA
Keith Tunney
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Sheehy Nissan of Waldorf
Waldorf, MD
Juan Eguia
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Woodland Hills Nissan
Woodland Hills, CA
Josiah Karnuth
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
New City Nissan
Honolulu, HI
Francis Bautista
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Nissan 46
Totowa, NJ
Amandeep Gosal
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Central Valley Nissan Inc.
Modesto, CA
Lee Napier
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Don Williamson Nissan
Jacksonville, NC
Wei Mar
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Charles Barker Nissan
Norfolk, VA
Vincenzo Cardazzone
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Nissan of Garden City
Hempstead, NY
Matt Mangone
Nissan SCOPE Senior Specialist
Lokey Nissan
Clearwater, FL