SCRS claims I-CAR bylaw changes ‘formalize exclusion’ of certain collision repair representatives

I-CAR has proposed amendments to its bylaws — changes that the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) says marginalize the opportunity for voices that could represent the independent repair perspective, providing greater opportunity for corporate interests to govern the entity.

The changes will be voted on July 7. The board’s election will also be held on the same date to re-elect Paul Krauss, with Caliber Collision, and elect nominee Ryan Downs, with Crash Champions, to serve three-year terms representing the collision repair segment.

Two other seats will also be filled, one to represent the insurance segment and the other for education. Both seats are for three-year terms. Ed Mondragon, with State Farm, has been nominated for the insurance seat, and Laura Lozano, with Contra Costa College, for education.

The current list of Board of Directors members is found here.

According to the amended bylaws, eligibility under the “related industry services” segment would be expanded to include information systems providers, rental car companies, data service providers, operations or financial consulting firms, and third-party service providers.

In an open letter to I-CAR, SCRS says that, if approved, the bylaws would formalize the exclusion of certain collision repair representatives from the board.

Earlier this year, the SCRS Board supported Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg’s run for a board seat, which I-CAR rejected, stating that only individuals from collision repair facilities are eligible for the seats, according to the letter.

“While not currently explicitly stated in the bylaws, conversations with I-CAR leadership — including Governance Chair Chris Evans and former CEO John Van Alstyne — specified that it is the Board’s intent to reserve these seats for collision repair businesses,” the letter states.

“I-CAR’s interpretation of their bylaws concludes that an association leader is somehow simultaneously too representative of the ‘collision repair segment’ to be a hybrid director and not ‘collision repair segment’ enough to qualify as a collision repair representative. As a result of the application discussions and decisions, I-CAR is now asking members to approve bylaw changes that would formalize this exclusion, preventing associations like SCRS from representing the collision repair segment, even though no current bylaw language prohibits it.”

SCRS wrote that the purpose of the letter is to provide missing “critical context” and transparency behind the changes and nominations, which could “significantly impact representation within the organization and the broader collision repair industry.”

“Instead of simply amending the board intent to accommodate the existing bylaws, I-CAR appears to be using the amendment process to legitimize a prior, undocumented decision,” the letter states.

“The decision to nominate Ryan Downs of Crash Champions to fill the fourth open seat means all four collision repair seats will now be held by MSO representatives, despite the option to accept the application from SCRS’ executive director as a representative voice, or nominate an independent or single-shop for the fourth seat to maintain balance. MSO locations make up less than 25% of U.S. collision repair shops, with industry data suggesting about 7,500 locations across 1,000 MSO enterprises, compared to approximately 24,500 single-shop locations. I-CAR’s governance process is increasingly weighted toward corporate interests, marginalizing independent repairers and industry associations.”

According to I-CAR, regular members have 30 days to submit alternate nominees to appear on the ballot. Submission requirements, guidelines, and the board application can be found here. Application packages must be submitted by July 3 at 11:59 p.m. Central Time.

SCRS’s “call to action” in the letter encourages collision repair professionals to:

• • “Review proposed bylaw changes critically;
  • “Consider and submit alternate nominations within the 30-day window;
  • “Share feedback with I-CAR leadership regarding bylaw revisions, board composition, and the direction and inclusiveness of the organization;
  • “Submit feedback to I-CAR through [email protected]; and
  • “CC: SCRS, or submit feedback directly to SCRS through [email protected].”

Specifically to I-CAR leadership, the letter says, “We recognize the tremendous value I-CAR brings in training and credentialing for our industry. We want to see it continue to fulfill its vision: that every person in the collision repair industry has the information, knowledge, and skills to perform safe, complete, quality repairs for the benefit of the consumer.”

I-CAR didn’t respond to questions from Repairer Driven News about the changes.

Earlier this year, I-CAR named a new president and CEO, Kyle G. Thompson, who took the helm from Van Alstyne on May 5.

On April 10, I-CAR posted a press release on its website highlighting Thompson’s experience on the I-CAR board but didn’t elaborate on his 31-year career in the collision repair industry.

Thompson previously served as vice president of client services at Gerber Collision and Glass, according to LinkedIn.

Thompson worked at Progressive in property and casualty claims from 1994-2007 and then at USAA as P&C claims assistant vice president from 2007-2023. He began working for Boyd Group/Gerber Collision in 2023.

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