CREF Welcomes Heather McMahon to Board of Trustees

Originally published at CollisionRepairEducationFoundation.org

The Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF) is excited to welcome Heather McMahon, Vice President of Material Damage, Corporate Claims for Erie Insurance, to its Board of Trustees.

“The Foundation is delighted to have Heather join our Board of Trustees,” says CREF Executive Director Brandon Eckenrode. “Her industry experience and her passion for promoting education will certainly be a major asset. I look forward to her joining in CREF’s efforts to support collision school programs and students.”

McMahon’s industry career began in 2003 as an inside claim adjuster for Erie Insurance, but it didn’t take long for her to move up the ranks, utilizing her bachelor’s degree in finance, master’s degree in insurance management and several professional designations in the insurance industry to advance into training and supervisory roles. Following five years serving as a VP and Claim Manager in multiple locations, she was promoted to VP of Material Damage in 2021.

McMahon believes her work experience will lend itself to her new position on CREF’s Board of Trustees in many ways. In addition to excelling at strategic planning, goal alignment and securing resources to support those initiatives, her skills include “identifying areas for improvement, implementing process improvements and leveraging technology and other resources to optimize departmental operations, as well as fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation and continuous improvement within the department,” she says.

“Overall, my role involves balancing strategic planning with day-to-day operations to ensure that our department is functioning at its most effective and contributing to the overall success of the organization,” McMahon explains, expressing confidence that her 20 years of industry experience can be leveraged in as a Trustee because “CREF is seeking members to help identify and champion process improvement, strategic planning and fundraising.”

McMahon is dedicated to promoting inclusive work environments as evidenced by the fact that she sponsors one of Erie Insurance’s Affinity networks, which is “designed to foster diversity awareness and a culture of inclusion.” She adds, “Being a sponsor of an Affinity network, I am regularly involved with member engagement, coordinating, fundraising and raising awareness on a variety of topics. I am also a sponsor for various initiatives regarding talent.”

This industry has become McMahon’s home, and she’s excited for the opportunity to give back by supporting collision schools and students as a CREF Trustee. “My involvement in the industry has given me the chance to meet and collaborate with amazing industry partners. It’s been inspiring to see everyone come together with a shared goal of helping others and making a positive impact on the communities we serve.”

McMahon hopes her efforts in this new role will help make a difference for the students who will become the industry’s future professionals. “I’m excited to join the Foundation’s Board of Trustees because I’m passionate about the power of education and believe deeply in connecting people with the resources and opportunities they need to thrive. I also have a strong commitment to continuous improvement – both personally and organizationally – so, the chance to contribute to optimizing processes, enhancing experiences and making a positive impact aligns perfectly with my values and what motivates me.”

Industry members interested in getting involved and supporting the Collision Repair Education Foundation’s efforts to assist secondary and post-secondary collision repair training programs can Contact Us to learn about the many ways to get involved. Monetary donations can be made online.

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The Collision Repair Education Foundation, founded in 1991, is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to supporting collision repair educational programs, schools and students to create qualified, entry-level employees and connect them with an array of career opportunities. For information on how to donate to programs supported by the Education Foundation, visit us online at: www.CollisionRepairEducationFoundation.org.

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If you would like more information about this topic or any of CREF’s initiatives, please email [email protected].