CHARLOTTE, NC — With 27 years of service at Victor Valley College and a long list of automotive certifications under his belt, instructor Dan Rowland recently received a national award recognizing him as an “Instructor of the Year.”

The Automotive Aftermarket division of Gates Corp. and the National Institute for Automotive Service (ASE) have named Dan Rowland of Hesperia, Calif., the 2016 Gates Tools for Schools/ASE Instructor of the Year.

An instructor at Victor Valley Community College in Victorville, Calif., Rowland has been a technician for 36 years. From 1973 to 1980 Rowland served in the U.S. Navy as a missile technician. Turning his love for cars into a career, still takes his classic cars and trucks to car shows and enjoys building model railroads when he’s not teaching.

To qualify for the Gates Tools for Schools/ASE Instructor of the Year award, candidates must have registered as an instructor through ASE, be Master Auto Certified + L1, and have taken at least one ASE test in the last 12 months. They must also be registered Gates Tools for Schools member, a Gates Performance Center administrator with students enrolled in their class, and currently contracted to teach automotive technology.