Executive Officer Election

Candidate for President

Bill Gratzianna

O’Hare Towing

Candidate Profile

Bill Gratzianna has dedicated his life to the towing and recovery industry, carrying forward a family tradition built on hard work, service, leadership, and commitment to others. As a second-generation tower and Hall of Fame inductee, Bill understands the history of our industry and the importance of protecting its future.

For 37 years, Bill has shared that journey with his wife, Marci. Together, they have built a life centered on family, the towing industry, and giving back. They are the proud parents of four amazing daughters, who have been an important part of their family’s story.

Bill believes the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum should continue to honor the people who built this industry, remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, and inspire the next generation of towing professionals.

Bill Gratzianna brings experience, passion, family values, and a deep love for our industry. He is ready to serve and help lead the Museum into its next chapter—honoring our past while building our future.

Candidate for First Vice President

Jeffrey Godwin

Cox Fleet / Fleetnet America

Candidate Profile

Jeffrey Godwin has a heart for the towing industry and has been a part of it for thirty-three years. His experience in the towing business began in dispatch and office management and has included every aspect of towing company operations. Mr. Godwin also held national roles with RoadOne during that consolidation and co-founded FTI Groups Inc. and towPartners, among other towing industry businesses, several of which remain in operation today.

Mr. Godwin currently serves as Sr. Director of Solution & Integration Strategy for Cox Fleet / FleetNet America, providing the communication platform connecting event providers and service providers. Mr. Godwin participates in industry groups, works with many industry associations, and currently serves as 1st Vice President of the International Towing and Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum. Mr. Godwin also serves as Committee Chairman of the ITRHFM Wall of the Fallen (2006–2008 and 2011–present) and Chairman of the ITRHFM Survivor Fund Committee, which provides funds to the families of those men and women who lose their lives each year in the industry.

Having served on both the museum and TRAA (Towing & Recovery Association of America) board of directors, Mr. Godwin is prepared for the challenges unique to our industry. His contributions to the industry have earned him numerous awards, including two TRAA Presidential Awards, a museum Presidential Award, and induction into the ITRHFM Hall of Fame in 2024. Mr. Godwin has two children and lives in Longview, Texas.

Candidate for Second Vice President

Steve Welchel

Welchel Enterprises

Candidate Profile

Steve Welchel has served on the Board of Directors of the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum for the past fifteen years and currently serves as Second Vice President. Throughout his time with the Museum, he has remained committed to preserving the history of the towing and recovery industry while supporting the organization’s continued growth and success.

A second-generation towing company owner, Steve has worked in his family-owned business for more than 30 years. During that time, he played an instrumental role in growing the business from a small, family-run operation into a significantly larger company. While working full-time, Steve earned his bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Kennesaw State University.

In addition to his involvement with the Museum, Steve has worked closely with the Towing and Recovery Association of Georgia for many years and currently serves as its President.

Outside of his professional and industry involvement, Steve has been married for 20 years and is the father of three daughters.

Candidate for Second Vice President

John Weaver

Mauldin Body Shop Towing & Recovery

Candidate Profile

John Weaver of Canton, Georgia, has served on the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum Board of Directors since 2017 and is seeking the position of Second Vice President. John has also served on the Survivor Fund Committee and remains committed to the continued growth of the Museum, Hall of Fame, and Wall of the Fallen. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame as a member of the Class of 2016.

John has spent nearly six decades in the towing and recovery industry, beginning his career with Mauldin Body Shop and Towing, established in 1961. Throughout his career, he has focused heavily on training, education, traffic incident management, and advancing professionalism within the industry. He has served as Executive Director of the Towing and Recovery Association of Georgia, on the Board of Directors of the Towing and Recovery Association of America, and in leadership roles with Georgia’s TIME Task Force.

John continues to bring his extensive industry experience and dedication to service to the Museum Board. He is passionate about strengthening the Museum and ensuring its facilities, programs, and legacy continue to represent and honor towing and recovery professionals around the world.

Candidate for Secretary

Kevin Fox

Horton’s Wrecker Service

Candidate Profile

Kevin Fox has been involved in the towing and recovery industry his entire life, beginning as a child riding in wreckers with his father. That early experience grew into a lifelong commitment to the industry, its people, and its history.

For many years, Kevin served as General Manager of his family’s business, Alligator Towing & Recovery, Inc., in Fort Myers, Florida. Founded by his family in 1967, the company served the Southwest Florida community for decades. He is currently employed by Horton’s Wrecker Service, Inc., in Manassas, Virginia.

Throughout his career, Kevin has remained actively involved in industry organizations. He served as an area chairperson for the Professional Wrecker Operators of Florida (PWOF), participated in the Towing and Recovery Association of America (TRAA), and is a founding member of the Florida Independent Towing and Recovery Association (FITRA), where he served as Executive Director.

Kevin currently serves as Secretary and as a member of the Board of Directors of the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum. His involvement with the Museum also includes service on the Auction Committee, Building and Preservation Committee, and Survivor Fund Committee, supporting efforts to preserve the industry’s history and assist the families of towing professionals who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

Throughout his involvement in the towing and recovery industry, Kevin has continued to advocate for professional excellence, safety, education, and high industry standards.

Candidate for Secretary

Mike Porter

Newhouse Towing & TDR Way

Candidate Profile

Mike Porter is the owner of Newhouse Towing in Portland, Oregon, and a partner in Tri County Towing, PB Leasing, and Swift Credit Card Processing. He has spent his career in the towing industry and remains actively involved in the day-to-day operations of his business.

For the past eight years, Mike has served on the Board of Directors of the International Towing & Recovery Hall of Fame and Museum, helping guide the organization in its mission to preserve the history of the towing and recovery industry and honor the people who built it. He also serves as the emcee for the annual Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony.

Through TDR Way LLC, Mike works with towing owners across the country as a trainer, consultant, and speaker. He created STEEP, a dispatch training curriculum developed from real calls within his own company. He also created Profitowable, a peer advisory and benchmarking platform where owners share actual numbers and compare performance with their peers. Mike facilitates the Profitowable 20 Groups and has led mastermind groups for business owners for approximately ten years.

Mike is the author of Open the Door to the Truth and a regular contributor to Tow Times. He speaks at industry events on dispatch, leadership, and the financial principles behind operating a profitable towing company.

Candidate for Treasurer

Crystal Griffin

Sheehan’s Towing Inc.

Candidate Profile

Crystal Griffin is the Owner and President of Sheehan’s Towing, Inc., a towing and recovery company she has owned and operated in West Palm Beach, Florida, since 1996. Over the past three decades, she has grown the company into a successful operation supported by an experienced team with more than 100 years of combined industry experience.

Crystal places a strong emphasis on safety, education, and professional development, with her team completing hundreds of hours of industry training. Her operation includes a diverse fleet ranging from light-duty wreckers and flatbeds to heavy-duty recovery wreckers, ultra-heavy-duty rotators, and specialized transport equipment.

Since 2017, Crystal has served as Treasurer-Elect of the Sunshine State Towing Association and is one of the Association’s founding members. She has also served as a Legislative Liaison, representing the towing industry and participating in efforts to rewrite and modernize Florida’s towing and storage statutes. She has also served on the Association’s event committee and helped organize its Annual Fundraising Gala for many years.

Sheehan’s Towing is certified by the State of Florida as a Woman-Owned Business Enterprise and Small Business Enterprise (SBE). Crystal also maintains hands-on industry knowledge through certifications including Intermediate Maintenance of Traffic (IMOT) and Maintenance of Traffic (MOT), along with hundreds of hours of continuing education and safety training.

Outside of the industry, Crystal is the proud mother of two daughters, Morgan and Madison. Morgan is a University of Florida graduate who works within the family towing business, while Madison is pursuing a degree in Economics at Penn State University.