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David Lambert
David became a tow truck operator in 1982 in Jacksonville, Florida. After 5 years of driving he was hired by AAA as a field representative. In 1989 he began writing AAA's Towing and Service manual, which he did for 9 years.
Over the years, David assisted TRAA with developing their Level I training manual;
participated in the 1995 revising of the University of Georgia's International Institute of Towing and Recovery (IITR) light-duty program; chairman of SAE's Towability Committee; contributing editor for American Towman and TowTimes magazines.
In 1989, David received his first towing certification from the University of Georgia., International Institute of Towing and Recovery (IITR) and has continued attending training to expand his knowledge of the industry. He has also been certified in TRAA Level I and II; PWOF Light/Medium/Heavy; AAA light-duty; MOT/Flagger; and Crane Operator for SpeedCrane.
David developed the Professional Wrecker Operators of Florida's light and medium-duty certification program and serves as lead-instructor. He also developed AAA's light-duty certification program and their train-the-trainer program, serving as lead instructor for both programs until his retirement in 2003.
"It was my hope to build the best, most comprehensive training program available to tow truck operators. From start to finish, the N.A.T.A. program provides safety information that will help the operator become more professional and help the business succeed. It was important to make my program affordable to everyone."
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Garrett Paquette
Heavy and Ultra-heavy Instructor
Garrett is a 2nd generation tower who has been in a tow truck most of his life but began towing for the family business, Car Store Towing, in 1979. He has operated heavy equipment for over 25 years and maintains a fleet of trucks that include heavy, ultra-heavy, rotators, Landolls and a variety of light and medium-duty equipment.
Looking to improve his skills and knowledge in the business, Garrett took his first training course from Ross Kinman in 1984. He is certified in all four classes of trucks from PWOF. He holds other certifications in air cushions; wreck, rescue, and scuba diving; hazwoper; and MOT/Flagger. With his heavy and ultra-heavy experience and towing/recovery equipment, Garrett is one to two companies in the Orlando area who participates in the RISC (Rapid Incident Scene Clearance) program on Florida's Turnpike.
Garrett is a devoted family man and community leader. His son Tony is 3rd generation, already working the heavies and wife, Sharon manages both the business office and their home, while daughter Cecilla is a student. Garrett belongs to the Clermont Masonic Lodge, the Brachia Shrine, and Scottish Rite. He was a volunteer Fire Fighter, is still a member of the South Lake County Chamber of Commerce, and president of his local Kiwanis Club.
"With Garrett onboard, NATA will begin offering each class of certification from light to ultra nationwide", said Lambert. "We began working on the heavy program in February and hope to begin scheduling classes for early summer." The Ultra class should be ready for the fall.
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Mission accomplished!
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