Shellie Andrews has the qualities to succeed.

Shellie Andrews is the Operations Manager of Dana’s Collision Center. She’s also the latest addition to the board of the Women’s Industry Network (WIN).

Dana’s Collision Center is owned and operated by Andrews’ father, Dana Alexander Although Andrews works primarily in the office, she started out in the wash bay and the mixing room. When it comes to WIN, Andrews has been involved with the organization since before it was even founded. This may seem contradictory, but it’s nonetheless true.

“My dad is a big proponent of education and advancement. He found out that the Assured Performance Network was putting on a women’s conference for their members, and he asked if I would like to go,” says Andrews. “That event turned out to be the precursor of WIN. It got the ball rolling.”

Many who attended that conference ended up forming the core of WIN. They’ve kept coming back because they’ve found lasting value in the organization. “I loved the business, loved being in the shop, but I had never been much of one for making myself visible outside the shop,” says Andrews. “It’s given me the confidence to have my say and let my knowledge come through.”

Kim White is the Chair of WIN. She has gotten to know Shellie Andrews over the last year through her work with the organization. “We had an opening on the board that needed to be _ lled, and we immediately thought of Shellie,” says White. “She had already demonstrated a commitment and a passion for what we are doing.”

In addition to her passion and commitment to WIN, White also mentions Andrews’ central quality.

“In one word, she’s thoughtful,” says White. “When you ask her a question, she takes the time to think it through, think through all the ramifications, good, bad and otherwise. She’s not one to jump to a quick decision. She likes to look at all the angles.”

There have certainly been challenges along the way for Shellie Andrews. As she herself notes, there is a certain stigma attached to being the boss’s daughter.

“Some people knew and some people didn’t. There’s an advantage to having a different last name. In fact, we have one team member who worked with me for about two years before he found out,” says Andrews. “I think there still is a perception with some people that I don’t know as much because I’m female. Now, it’s true that I don’t know as much about repair as the techs do, but there’s a perception with some people that I don’t know as much about the management side as a man would, and that’s not true.”

Andrews wouldn’t hesitate before recommending collision repair as a career choice for the right person.

“If that’s what you want to do, I say go for it,” says Andrews. “We have a female technician at the shop right now. She came to us right between high school and college, and she’s starting on her second block of college training this spring. I think that you have something you want to do, then you should follow it. It’s not just for females. It’s anybody.”