Marshall A. Pieczentkowski
Elected: April 13, 1996
Inducted: August 16, 1996
Born: Ski was born in Chelsea, Massachusetts on March 1, 1939. He attended grade and high school in Colorado, California and graduated from New Mexico Military Institute in Roswell, New Mexico. He married Jan and they have six children and seven grandchildren.
History: Ski attended the University of Arizona and then acquired a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Administration at Northern Arizona University, where he also attended graduate school.
He began his career as a service station owner of two Union Oil Company stations and one Shell Company station. He also operated towing businesses in conjunction with the service stations in Southern California for three years. Joining Amoco Oil in 1964, Ski became a territory manager and moved quickly up in the company. From merchandiser and sales manager, to regional and market manager, Ski held a series of varied marketing positions at the oil company before being promoted to manager of the Amoco Motor Club in 1989 when he also assumed the duties of manger of servicer relations. With the sale of Amoco Motor Club to Montgomery Ward’s Signature Group in January 1996, Ski was moved to his current position in brand marketing, where he is a highly demanded and frequent speaker for towing groups. He has been a champion in the drive to increase professionalism in the industry and has made numerous presentations on the subject. He also has donated his time as a consultant to numerous individual towing companies to enhance their business towards the consumer. Ski has been extremely active in the industry during his career. A past president of the National Automobile and Towing Organization (NATO), he was also a NATO Secretary and Treasurer. He is on the editorial board for the American Towman Magazine and is an Honorary Member of the Towing & Recovery Association of America (TRAA). He serves as an active advisor to both groups pertaining to relationship between servicers and motor clubs. An original founder of the National Towing Commission, Ski helped spearhead efforts to start the commission in Atlantic City in 1991, which was formed to enhance relationships between motor clubs and service providers. Ski was also involved in the original Captains of the Industry and Ace Awards sponsored by the American Towman Magazine to recognize outstanding service and contributions by service providers to the towing industry. He has also been a sponsor and contributor through Amoco Motor Club to many state and national towing conventions including the TRAA and American Towman conventions. He has also worked to increase funding and awareness for The International Towing Hall of Fame and contributed funds through Amoco Motor Club. In his capacity as manager servicer relations for Amoco Motor Club, Ski was the original contributor to the TRAA National Driver Certification program. The major campaigner in its fund-raising efforts, Ski serves as Motor Club spokesman for the certification program and through his lobbying efforts he has persuaded other motor clubs to make significant contributions to the TRAA program.