NACAT

Name: Dan Perrin

Where you live: Charleston, South Carolina

Current Position: NACAT Executive Manager and Vice President for Conferences

Employer: NACAT

Previous Position(s): NACAT President and Vice President, NACAT Board Member, Conference host 1989 and 1999

Years with NACAT: 30

Years in Education/Training: 33

Years in the Industry: 20

Certifications: ASE Master, Auto, Truck, Collision, Machinist, L1 and L2

Areas of specialization: Electrical and Electronics

Affiliations and Positions: NACAT & ATMC

Short bio:
I came into the automotive service industry by attending the first Auto Mechanics class at a brand new technical center in Charleston SC, After graduation Uncle Sam called and I spent three years in the US Army where I ran weapons ranges and taught a variety of military subjects. After that I worked as a technician, shop foreman, and service manager at predominately GM dealerships. For a short time I was a Training Manager for the old SUN Electric Company before they became part of Snap-On. I also spent time building drag racing cars and engines for a local performance center. I eventually opened my own Speed Shop and went semi-professional racing. After some success at both, a hurricane put me out of the Speed Shop business. I had been teaching part time at the school that I had graduated from, now a Technical College, and had been offered a full time position. With no business and some financial obligations after the hurricane, it seemed like a good idea to take the job, until I could relocate the Speed Shop. No one was more surprised than me when I discovered I liked teaching more than racing. I never reopened the shop and gave up racing all together when it became obvious that I could not do both. I have now retired from the school that taught me automotive skills and employed me for 28 years. I now work for NACAT on a part time basis. I have to say that life has been good to me and I have enjoyed everything that I have done, and still do!

What has NACAT done for me and what it means to me: I joined NACAT in 1983 and attended my first conference in 1985 in Fort Worth TX. Prior to that I had attended some other conferences but nothing compared to NACAT. It has been my main source of technical training ever since and I have only missed two conferences. What it has meant to me is that I now have friends all over North America and have a technical resource like no other in the world. Because of the training through NACAT I have been able to stay current even through the early 80’s. I may not have stayed in the teaching profession during the evolution from Technician to Teacher if had not been for NACAT.