The Technology & Maintenance Council of the American Trucking Associations awarded its highest honor - the Silver Spark Plug Award - to five trucking industry professionals during the Council's 2009 Annual Meeting, Feb. 9-12 in Orlando, Fla.


The 2009 TMC Silver Spark Plug Recipients are:
* Mike Crull, director of sales and marketing for Remy, Inc.
* Roger Duff, president, Second Pair of Eyes Transportation Services
* Mike Goodheart, regional manager for The Penray Companies
* Mari Skippers, business analyst for Eaton Corp.- Roadranger
* Kevin Tomlinson, director of maintenance for South Shore Transportation.

These recipients were awarded the Silver Spark Plug for their outstanding contributions to the improvement of equipment, maintenance, industry-related technology and management practices.

Crull, Anderson, Ind., has been a TMC member since 1990. He has provided leadership in several positions within the S.1 Electrical and Instruments Study Group. He chaired the Recommended Practices Update Task Force for nine years, guiding the development or updates of dozens of TMC Recommended Practices during a time of great industry transition. Crull has also served as moderator or panelist for dozens of technical sessions on electrical system maintenance and specification.

Duff, Franklin, Ky., has been a TMC member since 1998. He volunteered to serve as first vice-chairman for the S.1 Electrical and Instruments Study Group in 1999, and in 2000 was asked serve as chairman. Since that time he has effectively guided the study group and helped facilitate the development of numerous Recommended Practices.

Goodheart, Olathe, Kan., is a Recognized Associate and has been a TMC member since 1987. He has worked within the S.3 Engines Study, chairing a number of Task Forces and providing leadership in the development of several TMC Recommended Practices, and has worked extensively with TMC's Sign Committee. He has served as a panelist for technical sessions, a presenter in the PTDC training Fair and has appeared on the Council's weekly satellite radio show, "Tech Talk with TMC," sharing his expertise on fuel storage, housekeeping and operational issues.

Skippers, Galesburg, Mich., is a Recognized Associate and has been a TMC member since 1995. She has served on the Sergeant-At-Arms, Sign, Meeting, Member Outreach, Mentor, and Welcome Desk Committees, and assists in the TMCSuperTech competition as a skills station judge. She was elected to TMC's Board of Directors in 2006 as a director at large. She has also chaired the Advisory Annotation and RP Update Task Forces within the S.5 Fleet Maintenance Management Study Group and has served as secretary for several task forces.

Tomlinson, Sandusky, Ohio, has been a member since 1996. He has been active in both the S.1 Electrical and Instruments and S.2 Onboard Vehicle Electronics Study Groups, and has served as chairman of both study groups. He has either moderated or served as a panelist on numerous technical sessions and had contributed to the development of several TMC Recommended Practices within both study groups.