Ladies in Collision: Jannifer Stimmel-Watkins, Caliber Collision 

by Alana Quartuccio

Women sure can do anything, and it’s proven time and time again by the many lovely ladies who are part of this collision repair world. This month, we feature Jannifer Stimmel-Watkins, who has worn many different hats in this field so far, including body tech, diagnostic technician, instructor and most recently, ADAS specialist. Read on to learn all about why she loves this industry. 

Texas Automotive: You’ve worn quite a few different hats over years. What first interested you in a career in collision repair? 

Jannifer Stimmel-Watkins: It’s the weirdest thing (laughs). I had tried a bunch of other careers, but I never really stayed with anything. When I was trying to get back to work after having my second daughter, I applied for jobs that were related to my college degrees, but I was told I lacked experience or that I had too much experience and was over-qualified. So, I was stuck between a rock and a hard place. 

I’ve always been passionate about cars. My husband is a mechanic, and I grew up around my father’s shop, but he aspired for me to do something with my future that did not require me to work as hard as he had. After applying for jobs pertaining to my degrees at the time and receiving the same feedback repeatedly, I had to make a new plan. Attending a four-year college turned out to be a catch-22 for me. Every time I applied to a job that required a degree, I ‘lacked experience,’ but applying for positions that didn’t require my degree got me nowhere; in those cases, I was ‘overqualified.’ It appeared that I was at a fork in the road. I could either keep going down that path or choose a new one. 

Acquiring my 1973 VW Transporter inspired me to consider completely changing my career path altogether. I wanted to restore it myself, including the exterior, but while I had spent a lot of my childhood around cars, Dad’s shop focused on mechanical repairs. Every now and then, we would replace the interior or something of that nature, but his friends always repaired the body and painted the vehicles, so I had little exposure to the collision side of automotive repair. If I wanted to paint my VW, I would need to learn how to paint first. As I explored that idea, I began to wonder if returning to my childhood passion for cars would open the possibility of new opportunities. At the very least, it would be a welcome distraction while I continued my never-ending search for employment. 

I began Googling local auto collision programs. It turned out the technical college nearby – which my husband had attended for automotive – offered one. I contacted them, and they offered to give me a tour. By the end of that tour, I had registered to start the refinishing program in two weeks; TSTC offers separate associate degree programs and certifications for refinish or collision repair students, allowing students to select and focus their education in the specialty they plan to pursue. Although I began in the refinishing program, I soon found that I didn’t enjoy painting as much as I’d expected, so with a little persistent persuasion from some classmates, I decided to switch to the repair specialization with the intention of earning my degree in collision repair before returning to the refinish program.    

During my second semester, I attended my full course-load of repair classes along with one refinishing course. Participating in courses from both specializations was very eye-opening in discovering exactly where my passion lies. On the days that I had repair courses, they would have to push me out of the door at the end of the day. On the days I had paint class, it took motivation to make myself attend. I fell in love with collision repair. There was no turning back; refinishing had definitely lost its luster for me. Repair, on the other hand, was a new adventure with every entrance through those lab doors. During my last semester, I applied for a position as a body helper. When I went in to fill out the application, the manager told me that he had another type of position that he believed would suit me very well. He was looking for someone to help out around the shop and complete the scans for all of the vehicles. At the time, I had no clue what a pre- or post-repair scan was, but I was ready to work and always had a knack for technology, so I decided to try it out. 

I grew to really enjoy scanning the vehicles and diagnosing electrical and light mechanical problems and decided to go down that path and pursue being a diagnostic technician. There were times when I almost gave up trying to become a technician, but after a while I was able to convince my boss that I could handle more responsibilities. When vehicles came in, I helped blueprint them, went over which sublets they would need, maintained equipment, dropped off/picked up, updated the tracker and checked on vehicles. You name it, I did it. I was half diagnostic technician, half floor production manager…and I loved every minute of it. That’s how I got my start. 

TXA: What are some of the biggest challenges women face in this industry? Have you overcome any of these challenges yourself?

JSW: It can be difficult being a woman in this industry. There are times that people say things or don’t have confidence in you because you are a female. I don’t feel that I struggle with it as much as some of the stories that I have heard and even some of the responses when I would try to help my female students find employment. If I did, I may not have been as aware of it. I was diagnosed as autistic two years ago now. Apparently, there are several aspects where I lack awareness, and – fortunately for me – gender bias is one of them. I have always struggled with fitting into the framework of society’s gender norms. I have never really taken offense to discrimination in that way, most likely because I don’t recognize it. I am typically oblivious to subtle forms of discrimination and, on occasion, blatant actions. 

I don’t accept the premise that we are not able to perform in any aspect and are confined to careers that have been historically less male-dominated. I learned at a very young age that the only person who has the ability to limit me, is me. 

I remember a few times when gender played a factor in how I was perceived in this industry. I had a male co-worker who would not even speak to me when he needed me to do something for him. All of the guys at the shop were aware of it and would tease me about it. I would answer his question or ask him something, and he would respond to one of the guys standing next to me. Though it was okay when he was out in the parking lot trying to get a car to his bay, and I was the one who would get it started for him. When I was an instructor, my judgment was questioned about a student’s poor grade. He was not attending labs or completing coursework. His grandmother paid his tuition and called my supervisor asking why the welding instructor was “failing her grandson.” I had a great boss that came to me to find out the situation, and when I explained that the student was not attending labs or completing coursework, he returned her call to share those details. Apparently, when she learned my name, she expressed confusion and questioned why a woman had been hired as a welding instructor. Well, I’m not sure if he giggled as much on that call with her as he did while retelling it to me, but he had a fantastic response to that question: “because she is qualified.” 

I knew coming into this industry that there would be challenges; I had been warned by multiple people. But if you challenge me, I will go out of my way to prove that your preconceived notion was incorrect. I don’t back down. Although, while I believe we belong wherever we want to be, I also think that female collision repair professionals should expect to be treated the same and have the same expectations. I set the bar higher for myself because I do know that I will have to work harder to prove that I deserve to be here. Because my autism was undiagnosed most of my life, I never learned about the coping resources and tools available to make life easier; instead, I had to learn to adapt and create my own resources, and that has proven to be an asset in my career. I understand that there will always be challenges, but I’m prepared to meet them.

I think that all of us collision repairers – not just women – should be putting our best foot forward in everything that we do, and if that still isn’t enough to prove your worth, you are in the wrong place. There is a job down the road that will be elated to have you. It’s like a puzzle; you shouldn’t force a piece to fit in somewhere. Go where you will be treasured because you are the missing piece. My mother always told me, ‘If it doesn’t work out, it wasn’t meant to be.’ She has been right about everything so far, so I am not going to question her on that one.

TXA: What led you to transition from the body shop to auto body instruction? 

JSW: I had aspired to return as an instructor after working in the field and acquiring experience. As a student, I used to sit on one of my instructor’s stools in the lab and joke that I was just warming it up because it was going to be mine one day. I reminisced about that very thing when I would sit on that stool as an instructor. At one point, I became frustrated because I had not attained a technician role yet, despite performing the position’s responsibilities, so I applied for a teaching position that opened up. My co-worker had also applied and got the job. 

Ironically, after I officially became a tech – just as I had hoped for – another instructor position opened up, and the school contacted me, suggesting I apply. Our director was working on a pilot apprenticeship program and thought I would be a good fit to help build that and be the instructor for it. I did not really want to leave the job I loved, but I was not sure when another position would open at my alma mater, and I didn’t want to pass up the opportunity. It was also very intriguing that I would be able to participate in the apprenticeship program. I love new challenges and developing programs. I have built something in pretty much every job I have been in. I worked at the school for five years. I loved my students, and I loved teaching. I left last October when they cancelled the apprenticeship program. It was a very difficult decision. Perhaps, I will return to education in the future.

TXA: What role do you currently play? 

JSW: I am an ADAS estimator and compliance specialist for Caliber Collision. I review estimates in an effort to make sure that we are performing the ADAS calibrations required after a collision or repair. We review which systems each vehicle has, and once we have identified them, we review the procedures being performed along with the details of the damage. Once we have verified the systems, we research repair procedures to find the supporting documentation, which we prepare and add to the file. We use that information to update the estimate. We joke that we are ADAS detectives. I am on a great team. They make it very easy to start work every day.

TXA: What do you love most about this industry? 

JSW: Everything. I love the science of it. It is like a story, and I enjoy doing the best that I can to make sure the story has a happy ending. You have to be able to piece together the story that created the damage in order to repair it properly and cover all of your bases. Perhaps that is how I wound up in diagnostics. Puzzles and fixing things are two of my favorite pastimes. It bodes well in this career. I was in healthcare before moving into collision. It’s always been important that my career allows me to help people. I get bored quite easily. I am quite routine personally, but in my profession, I thrive when I encounter variety, where I’m challenged. Collision repair definitely offers that – every car, every repair is different. I love that. 

TXA: You definitely keep busy with work, family and the baby kangaroos. Many may remember seeing you walk around with them at the Texas Auto Body Trade Show in September. I heard you had a podcast as well. So, what is life like outside of the collision repair world?

JSW: Before I started working for Caliber, I started a podcast called AutiBody Texperience. I was hoping to continue to reach out to the younger generation about this industry and cover topics that would make them interested in going into this field. I also wanted to reach others in the autism community and talk about how being in this industry has improved so many of the traits that I struggled with before. There are many benefits that a physically active, precision career in this industry can offer to others like me. It would also be beneficial for our shops that are facing shortages. We have many traits that align with the requirements to complete a thorough, accurate, procedure-based repair. 

I plan to add more videos about what photos should be taken to document ADAS systems and ensure that the necessary calibrations are performed and other topics like that, but I have been so busy since I started this job. I’m someone who completely throws myself into whatever job I have. I’m a perfectionist; I like to be among the best. Because I am still rather new in my current role, I am constantly learning and of course building tools to increase my productivity. If I’m not at work or doing some type of event, I’m doing something with the kids or the kangaroos. The kangaroos – Rusty and Patina – are on bottles and need to be fed five times a day, so there isn’t really any life outside of them right now; it’s like having two infants. 

TXA: What encouraging words would you give to another female interested in pursuing this field? 

JSW: As much as some people may think that it’s not a field for women, that is not true. We’re growing more and more in this industry. I can’t say we’re taking over…but more women are definitely finding their place in the collision industry. Mental health is a big problem in society today with all the electronic devices and social media. The physical work, the skill and concentration involved in collision work has been the best thing for my mental and physical health. I have always had problems with coordination, and repair work has helped to fine-tune my motor skills, improve my muscle memory and increase my strength. I think every woman aspires to have a rewarding career that pays well. This industry has been the most lucrative and rewarding career that I’ve ever had. Technology is the way to go in my opinion. When you look at the salaries of office jobs compared to a trade, the amount of time it takes to earn more income and the opportunities are much more prevalent in a trade. There’s also a certain satisfaction in overcoming challenges we face throughout the repair process. I rarely felt challenged at my other jobs, and if I did, it faded quickly – within a year at most. In collision, every day feels like a new day with a new possibility. That may just be my perception of it, but others might feel the same way if they tested it out. It’s definitely worth a try! TXA

Want more? Check out the November 2025 issue of Texas Automotive!