Toyota’s Jim Lentz Named SkillsUSA Champion of the Year
SkillsUSA named Jim Lentz as the 2011 Champion of the Year for his work in the creation and promotion of America’s workforce.
LEESBURG, Va. — SkillsUSA announced that Jim Lentz, president and chief operating officer of Toyota Motor Sales (TMS) U.S.A. Inc., will receive the 2011 SkillsUSA Champion of the Year award during a ceremony at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City on Nov. 4, 2011.
The award is handed out to a corporate chief executive every year for for doing exemplary work in the creation and promotion of America’s workforce, according to SkillsUSA. It also recognizes the honoree for the corporation’s involvement in promoting and supporting career and technical education.
“I am honored to receive the Champion of the Year award and accept it on behalf of Toyota,” Lentz said. “SkillsUSA is a leader in career and technical education, and we're proud to support their efforts in preparing and training America's workforce.”
TMS has partnered with nonprofit education association since 1988 and has provided support for the SkillsUSA Championships Automotive Service Technology and Collision Repair Technology contests at state and national levels. Toyota also has hired SkillsUSA graduates both at its dealerships and in its corporate offices.
“Jim and Toyota’s support for career and technical education through SkillsUSA, the Association of Career and Technical Education (ACTE) and Automotive Youth Education System (AYES) all help to ensure our nation will continue to be productive and successful,” said Tim Lawrence, executive director of SkillsUSA.
More Auto Finance

Interest Rates Further Squeeze Auto Consumers
Last month’s hike and a potential second increase this month add to a growing list of inflation woes that could continue to dent overall car sales.
Read More →
Mind Your Process
Consistent steps taken in various aspects of the F&I office can make valuable differences over time, similar to an outline for a best-selling book.
Read More →
Top Five Credit Application Fraud Flags
Compliance audits regularly reveal bad habits that can lead to fraud charges and should have been stamped out decades ago.
Read More →
More Auto Loans for the Taking in August
Riskier categories were on the uptick for the month as lenders loosened access in several areas while balancing out the exposure in another, Cox Automotive reported.
Read More →
July Was Hot for Auto Borrowers
Credit proved readily available for many, but most loans left buyers in negative territory, Cox Automotive said.
Read More →
Dealer Lender Preferences Revealed
When lenders provide consistent, fast service, their overall satisfaction scores with dealers greatly improve, according to JD Power research.
Read More →
Auto Refi Savings Surge
Consumers with 84-month auto loan terms who refinanced saved the most on monthly payments, according to a new report by auto refinancing provider Caribou.
Read More →
Subaru Enters Lending Business
The automaker follows other brands in adding captive financing in the U.S., and says the move will strengthen its position here.
Read More →
Positive Equity Reaches Record High
Mainstream vehicle owners who bought a car seven years ago are likely to have positive equity when trading in for a new vehicle, according to second-quarter Edmunds data.
Read More →
Dealerships Are Paying the Price for Extended Car Loans
Growing negative-equity scenarios mean such lengthy terms should be addressed in a forward-looking way to make them work for the dealer and the consumer down the road.
Read More →