FRANKLIN, Tenn. -

Auction Academy plans to resume in-person sessions, with a meeting tentatively scheduled for Aug. 2-4 in Detroit.

The meeting takes place after more than a year of virtual classroom training for Auction Academy, which has conducted training monthly in a virtual classroom setting because of COVID-19 restrictions.

Auction Academy president Penny Wanna said the monthly virtual meetings have been successful.

“But we are eager to meet again in person,” Wanna said in a news release.

Saying that COVID guidelines will play an important role in the meeting structure, Wanna said the academy will include a hybrid component for any students unable to join the in-person session because of their comfort level or their company’s travel restrictions.

The academy’s virtual classroom training will continue through June, with a summer break taking place in July. Auction Academy’s Class Group 6 meets once a month for one-and a half hour sessions using Zoom. The training alternates between an industry topic and leadership training.

Auction Academy’s first 2021 session focused on the remarketing industry, with trade association speakers discussing current training, initiatives, committee opportunities and the 2021 conference schedule. 

All of the speakers are Auction Academy sponsors, and they included Tony Long of IARA, Tricia Heon of NAAA, Lynn Weaver of IAG and Michael Stanton of NADA.

February’s leadership training featured Adrienne L. Stevens with Accelerate C-Suite Coaching as a speaker who is new to Auction Academy. Stevens led an interactive conversation on “How to be a BadAss while Leading Others.”

Auction Academy this month will return to a business development topic. Tammy Swofford of America’s Auto Auction, Bill Westlake of Metro Auto Auction and Kurt Armstrong of Clark County Auto Auction are among the speakers. They are commercial business segment managers overseeing diverse accounts, and the class will learn how they develop and retain fleet/lease business.

Coaching and Mentoring in April, Online Sales in May and Diversity and Inclusion in June are topics for the balance of the virtual training for Class Group 6.

After the in-person session and auction facility tour in Detroit in August, the final meeting for Class Group 6 will also mark the class graduation. That will take place in September in conjunction with this year’s NAAA Convention in Chicago. 

“Graduation will be a red-letter day for Auction Academy’s Class Group 6, and we plan to celebrate in a big way to commemorate this extraordinary group,” Wanna said.

She also said, “They’ve all shown a focus and determination to complete this program which was remarkable in light of the many roadblocks thrown in their way by the pandemic, including the necessity of extending the training program from two to three years. The class has been 100% all-in, never wavering, always fluid and flexible, and enthusiastic in their approach to the training and work in their various companies.

“We enjoy working with them, applaud them for their success and admire them for their commitment to Auction Academy and the auction industry,” Wanna said.

Registration for Auction Academy’s Class Group 7 is now open, and Auction Academy is now taking names of interested class participants. Official registration opens in June during the CAR Conference in Las Vegas. Auction Academy will have an exhibit booth and moderate a panel at that event.

Coursework scheduled for Class Group 7 will include the usual first- and second-year locations. Anyone from Class 6 can join at no tuition cost to allow them to visit the locations they missed during the COVID year.

TPC Management Company founded Auction Academy in 2012, and the academy marks its fifth year under the leadership of Wanna, who has been Auction Academy’s president since 2017. 

“Penny Wanna is a strong, determined and visionary leader who has navigated Auction Academy with a sure and even hand during her tenure as president,” says Pierre Pons, president of TPC Management.

Pons also said, “She has been instrumental in developing an outstanding curriculum for Auction Academy, and has managed the program under extremely trying circumstances over the past year, ensuring a successful outcome for every one of the students.  Auction Academy is fortunate to have her at the helm, and looks forward to continued progress under her leadership.”