WyoTech–the U.S. automotive, diesel, and collision trade school based in Laramie, Wyoming–has announced its inaugural Hall of Fame class, with alumni including the late trailblazer known as “The Fastest Woman on Earth, a John Deere master tech whose YouTube videos have garnered 8 million views, a custom car builder who returned as an instructor and more.
“Each of the six alumni has achieved tremendous career success and demonstrates WyoTech’s capability of training students to succeed across the entire spectrum of the trade industry,” said Jim Mathis, president and CEO of WyoTech. “We’re honored to recognize them as the first inductees of WyoTech’s Hall of Fame and to show the public the kind of impact our graduates have on the trade industry and the world.”
To be eligible for the WyoTech Hall of Fame, alumni must be five years post-graduation and established in the industry.
The inaugural WyoTech Hall of Fame Class is (in alphabetical order):
John Alonzo is the Racing Operations-Marketing Director for the race shop at Scoggin Dickey Parts Center in Lubbock, Texas, one of the world’s leading dealers of high-performance engines and GM parts.
Jessi Combs (1980-2019): The late Combs broke stereotypes and records by joining the North American Eagle Supersonic Speed Challenger team and, in 2013, became “The Fastest Woman on 4-Wheels” at 398 mph, with a top speed of 440 mph. In 2019, she set a new Women’s Landspeed World Record at 522.783 mph before the accident that took her life. That feat and her career were memorialized in the HBO Max documentary “The Fastest Woman on Earth.”
Dave Gilley is the founder and owner of Gilleyfab Enterprises, near Salt Lake City, Utah, known for top-tier, fine-quality fabrication in the UTV industry.
Levi Green is the owner and instructor of HammerFab near Austin, Texas, which specializes in handcrafting upscale turnkey customs and industry-leading fabrication tools and parts.
Zeth Key is a Master John Deere Service Technician at a Sloan Implement location in Illinois. In April 2008, he launched a YouTube channel in honor of his late friend, Jake, to promote the trade they loved and to “inspire a younger generation to pick up a wrench and start a great career” keeping agriculture running. In two years, the channel grew to 63,000 subscribers and 8 million views.
Randy Svalina is a WyoTech Specialties Instructor who teaches students a curriculum and a way of life that helps their families and communities. “As a part of WyoTech, we help others reach their goals, their dreams, raise their families, and succeed in their journey,” he said.
For more information, visit wyotech.edu.