The Automotive Aftermarket division of Gates Corp., in collaboration with the National Institute for Automotive Service (ASE), has announced that Dan Rowland of Hesperia, California, is the 2016 Gates Tools for Schools/ASE Instructor of the Year. Rowland is an instructor at Victor Valley Community College in Victorville, California.

ASE, a non-profit organization established to improve the quality of automotive repair and service through the testing and certification of technicians and parts specialists, partnered with Gates to recognize a top automotive instructor who displays commitment to his or her students and to the automotive service industry. To qualify for the Gates Tools for Schools/ASE Instructor of the Year award, candidates must have registered as an instructor through ASE, be Master Auto Certified + L1 and have taken at least one ASE test in the past 12 months. They also had to be a registered Gates Tools for Schools member, a Gates Performance Center administrator with students enrolled in their class and currently contracted to teach automotive technology.

Rowland bested thousands of ASE technicians who competed for top honors within this category. He and other educators and technicians were honored by the ASE at the annual fall board meeting held Nov. 16 in Concord, North Carolina.

Rowland has been a technician for 36 years. Originally from northern Illinois, Rowland served in the U.S. Navy from 1973 to 1980 as a missile technician. He said he has always enjoyed working on cars, getting his start by working on his and his friends’ vehicles. Eventually, this hobby turned into a career. Rowland said he enjoys the feeling of a job done right and having a satisfied customer express their appreciation. When he’s not teaching, Rowland’s hobbies include taking his classic cars and trucks to car shows and building model railroads.