Auction Academy should never be confused with mere academics; in many ways, it provides more of a practical education. 

This intense skills-you-can-apply school delivers consistent results with a growing roster of vehicle remarketing industry alumni who improve career prospects and contribute to industry service and volunteerism.

As seen at its recent Class 8 graduation, the careers of the 30 auto auction employees range across all stages and levels.

The Class 8 awards ceremony and celebratory evening gala were held on March 19 at the Sheraton San Diego Resort during the Conference of Automotive Remarketing.

Easels bearing poster-sized photos of each graduate lined the walls of the formal dining and reception areas where graduates enjoyed a sit-down dinner of surf and turf and multiple wines before the awards and speakers. The atmosphere created the remarketing industry's closest event to a Hollywood-style awards show. Attendees included a wide network of alumni, sponsors, industry associates, leaders, and supporters.

A Leading Remarketing Industry Resource 

For two years, “Class 8 showed up to each in-person session and signed into each virtual classroom with intentions to observe, contribute, learn, progress, create connections, and build relationships, not only for themselves and their auctions/companies, but for you, our industry,” said host and Auction Academy president Penny Wanna.

Auction Academy, an executive education program developed by TPC Management, started in 2012 with 16 graduates in Class 1, most of them the sons and daughters of legacy family auction operations. Since then, the eight classes in total graduated 171 auto auction and remarketing leaders. 

During the two-year course program, Class 8 attended quarterly in-person class sessions in eight states, traveled collectively 426,329 miles, and spent 432 hours together in person and another 27 hours virtually. At these gatherings, Class 8 listened to 147 speakers and presentations and toured eight auctions, one railyard, and two OEM plants, including Nissan in Nashville and Ford in Detroit. The curriculum also spanned 26 hours of leadership-focused segments.

Beyond such a thorough core curriculum, the graduates must participate in related industry training and achieve complementary certifications:

• Certified Automotive Remarketer (CAR) program through the Automotive Remarketing Alliance (ARA)

• ARA’s Audit and Compliance Training (ACT) program

• National Auto Auction Association (NAAA) Safety Certification program

• NAAA Data Security Certified

• Membership in NAAA Diversity and Inclusion Pledge Team

And lest anyone conclude that two years is more than enough time to accomplish these credentials, the reality is that all students attend Auction Academy while working full-time jobs in the auction industry and balancing their work and family lives.

Maria Acuna Essence Award

One of the biannual gala highlights is the Maria Acuna Essence Award, given since Class 7 in 2021.

Auction Academy gives the award to a student(s) who fully embraced the program and contributed to the betterment of their classmates, the academy, and the industry. The winners of this award also act on their education by giving back to the industry and advocating for the academy program and related certifications.

The award is named after Maria Acuna, a Class 5 Auction Academy graduate and comptroller at Big Valley Auto Auction in Donna, Texas, who passed away on Aug. 14, 2021, at the age of 47 after battling breast cancer and surviving COVID. Acuna often shared her valued educational experiences and appreciation of the academy, contributed to the wholesale auto auction industry, and earned Certified Automotive Remarketer status by the IARA.

The three winners of the Maria Acuna Essence Award are: 

• Tom Freiert, director of sales at VUMO

• Keely Capriola, sales manager at Greater Rockford Auto Auction

• Tara McClean, fleet lease manager at Dealers Auto Auction / Little Rock

In remarks following the award, Freiert cited the passion of the students for the industry and how they are all serious about their work and careers. 

“Auction Academy will be one of, if not the, most impactful things that I do in not only my career but also my personal life,” he told the ballroom audience. “I've learned more through the academy in the past two years than I have in my previous 13 years in the industry. To my classmates—you are more than colleagues, you are family.”

Freiert closed out with some applicable business lessons: "As I stand here tonight, holding this award, I am reminded that every milestone, every breakthrough, and every success I’ve experienced has come from stepping into discomfort. The moments that stretched me, challenged me, and even scared me were the ones that shaped me the most. Because the truth is, comfort never changed the world. Comfort never built industries, never disrupted markets, never turned ideas into revolutions. It’s in the uncomfortable — the uncertain, the difficult, the seemingly impossible — where real growth happens."

Graduates Grow for the Long Haul

As Freiert pointed out, and in interviews among AA graduates, each one’s journey encompasses unique and personal growth and common experiences.

Bryce Beckstrom, the director of learning solutions at ConditionReports.com, told Automotive Fleet that his relationships with his classmates will help his career. 

“It’s a network of 30 industry professionals I have for life that I would consider my friends, and the network of professional speakers and industry experts along the way you have access to for getting information. I value the intimate knowledge you gain of how this industry functions, the key players, and their roles and impacts.”

For Ana Maria Tapia, the business manager at Indiana Auto Auction, the academy provided "a load of information" and business cards that will help her move ahead in her career.

“Listening to all the speakers and their comments, you realize some people have been in the auction world for a lot longer, and they bring in a lot of experience that you didn’t think about before,” Tapia said. “You learn about many ways to make the [auction] processes easier.”

Jared Smith, assistant operations manager at FastLane Auto Exchange (EBlock in New Orleans), learned about the Auction Academy opportunity through colleagues at EBlock.

“One of the more memorable experiences was learning from my classmates and the different positions they're in, whether it's with finance companies or through the auctions, and learning how everybody operates and how we all exchange and share ideas with each other,” Smith said. “AA has definitely given me the confidence to step up into a leadership role and understand more than just how my auction operates.”

Meanwhile, Auction Academy Class 9, with 28 students, started the curriculum with a first session in Nashville, Tennessee in February. They will graduate in late 2026.

“Thank you for taking the time -- away from your families, from your daily responsibilities at your auctions or companies, and for showing up without fail and always giving 100%,” Wanna told Class 8. “The entire Auction Academy team appreciates you and is excited for your future. We’re confident your leadership will not go unnoticed as we continue to progress and thrive as an industry and as a community.”