Bob Keith, a 1974 Diesel Technology graduate of Southeast Community College, received the Outstanding Alumnus Award during the September commencement ceremony at SCC’s Milford Campus.
Keith and business partner Greg Petersen opened Silver Hammer Auto Body Repair in Omaha in 1979. After 32 years, the partners now own five CARSTAR Auto Body franchises in Nebraska and Kansas.
Keith joined CARSTAR’s corporate staff in 1996. He is the senior director of the CARSTAR corporate training and education department.
Keith is passionate about continuous learning in the auto body industry. He had many mentors in his early years in the industry and encouraged all students to seek out mentors.
“As both a trainer and a business owner, I see the need for continuing education,” Keith said. “With technology changing at a rapid pace, you must continually upgrade yourself to advance and increase your earning potential.”
Keith is active in the collision repair industry on a national level. He is on the Board of Directors for I-CAR®, the Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair, serving as treasurer, and is a member of the organization’s Executive Committee. He also volunteers for the Automotive Management Institute’s Board of Trustees as treasurer.
Keith recently joined the C-CAR Board of Directors as treasurer. He also works with the Collision Industry Conference as co-chair of its education committee. Keith also is a member of the Skills USA technical committee in the auto body category and serves as a subject matter expert for the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence.
In addition to his associate degree from SCC, Keith is an Accredited Automotive Manager through the AMI, is ASE Master Collision Repair Tech certified, holds the Master Structural Damage Analysis Professional certification from Chief Automotive and holds an Advanced Safety Certificate from the National Safety Council.
At home in Omaha, Keith is an active member of the I-80 Cosmopolitan Club.
Keith and his wife founded the auto body scholarship program to Nebraska high school seniors that still is offered by the Nebraska Auto Body Association.
The couple has two daughters and four grandchildren.