Frank Jay Staab

Elected:           March 12, 1999

Inducted:        August 21, 1999

Frank Jay Staab was born March 5, 1938 in Mineola, New York.  Jay has been working in the towing industry for over the past 40 years.  Most of the time working for an employer.  In 1986, Jay formed his own towing company, “Tows R Us”.  Due to economic conditions in 1991, Jay was forced to close the operation.  In 1991, Jay formed Jay Staab Associates which provided regulatory and compliance consulting service (with a special focus on the needs of the towing industry).
In 1959, Jay was the force that formed the North Shore Towmans Association (NSTA), a small towing association in Nassau County, Long Island, later on the NSTA merged with other small associations on Long Island, to become the Long Island Garagemens Association, now known as the Long Island Auto Body Repair Association.
When Jay formed Tows R Us, he joined the Professional Wreckers Operators Association of Long Island (PWOA) and right from the start he got actively involved.  He served the corresponding secretary.  He was on the association’s newsletter “TowBiz” staff, Jay also served on the Franchise Tow Committee and was the “1991 Tow Show” Chairman.             When Jay received his ICC authority, he joined the Interstate Towing Association (ITA) and got actively involved.  In 1994, when ITA’s President, George Bakker was disenchanted with the services that ITA was getting from TRAA, Jay got involved again.  He helped to form a better working relationship between ITA and TRAA, at times bucking both ITA’s President, George Bakker and TRAA’s President, Jack Gratzianna.  He voluntarily took on the executive director’s relieve TRAA’s Executive Director, Jeff Morrison who just could handle the job at that time.  Through negotiations between Jack Gratzianna, Peter Aspesi, George Bakker and Jay, he was appointed as paid part time Executive Director of ITA.
Jay has honored for his contributions in the towing industry.

1989 – New York State police for the help and friendship he has given to them over the years.
1990 – “PWOA’s Golden Winch Award” and the American Towman’s “Towman Commendation Award” for rescuing a man trapped under a rolled over dump truck filled with sand.
1991 – PWOA’s Towman of the Year Award for his untiring efforts with PWOA.
1993 – A second “American Towman – Towman Commendation Award” for his efforts in rescuing a young man trapped under a car that rolled down an embankment and he was ejected from and rolled on top of him.
1996 – Jay received the Interstate Towing Associations “Agitators Award”.

Jay also has been active in his community over the years.  He was a member of the Uniondale Kiwanis Club from 1968-1974 and served as club secretary from 1970-1972.  He was active in the Boy Scouts of America, Nassaus County Council from 1973 until 1985.  Over the years he served as Cub Pack Committee Chairman, Cub Master, Assistant Scout Master, Troop Committee Chairman, Assistant District Commissioner and District Commissioner.  At times he served two or three positions at once.  He has received many Certificates of Appreciation and awards from the Boy Scouts of America including the “Arrow Head Award” for leadership development in 1980.  From 1976 until 1990 he was also active “Third Degree Knight” in the Robert W. Powell Council #3488, Knights of Columbus, in Uniondale, Long Island, New York.