Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium

Established more than 20 years ago, with the support of Mort Schwartz and the late Jack Creamer, the Global Automotive Aftermarket Symposium, Inc. (GAAS) was formed to raise funds for aftermarket scholarships and educational initiatives and thrived under the leadership of Schwartz, David Caracci, MAAP and Dennis Welvaert.

Due to an ever more crowded industry events calendar, leadership of the long-standing organization decided to stop holding its annual symposium in 2015.

Representatives from GAAS and the University of the Aftermarket Foundation have worked closely to bring the two organizations together. GAAS will dissolve as a non-for-profit organization and donate its net assets to the foundation. An official confirmation vote was held during the recent University of the Aftermarket Foundation annual board of trustees meeting.

Automotive Scholarship Central will continue to be led by industry veteran Pete Kornafel,as chairman of the University of the Aftermarket Foundation education and scholarship committee. The scholarship application and review process has been online since 2008. See the U of A Foundation web page for more information on current UAF scholarships.