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Jim Jennings Transmissions understands the importance of finding a well-trained & qualified automotive transmission technician in the Baltimore area. This is why our expert transmission technician staff is professionally trained and certified. Each transmission repair expert on our Baltimore automotive service shop staff strives for excellence in every automotive repair service our shop offers.
Gary Jennings - Transmission Shop General Manager
Gary's job is simple.....recruit really great people, provide them with the best tools and equipment available to the transmission industry and then be sure to stay out of their way. Besides working with such talented professionals in the family business for almost 30 years, he has also served as a member of the board of directors of the Automatic Transmission Rebuilders Association for 21 years. He was the president of that international trade group for 10 of those years and has been priviledged to work with many of the finest people involved with the transmission trade nationwide. Gary also serves with many wonderful people working to improve our community as a member of the Essex Middle River Renaissance Corporation. Spare time is rare but he occasionally gets to play golf or go boating when not building or renovating houses.
Bill Jennings - Transmissions Shop Parts Manager
Bill has been an integral part of our family's business for more than 35 years. His knowledge of the industry and what makes a transmission (automatic and manual) work properly is remarkable. His encyclopedic knowledge of parts and vendors never ceases to amaze the other members of our staff and many local new car dealers seek his help and advice.
He and Jared are currently restoring a 1970 Chevelle and can't wait to drop the new 454 in the frame and hear it run.
Dexter (Dex) Cheney - Transmission Specialist
Dex hails from a beautiful town in upstate New York and has been living in the Annapolis area since 1974. He has more than 31 years experience in the transmission industry and we have been honored to have him as a member of our team for 23 years. Dex has an unmatched devotion to our customers and his understanding of their problems is remarkable.
In his spare time, Dexter cultivates one of the most beautiful lawns and flower gardens in the Annapolis area. Matching his love of nature with his love of photography (he has formal training) produces some of the most beautiful pictures of flowers you will ever witness.
Dexter has been in the transmission industry since 1975 & we're proud that he has been on our team since 1985.
John (JC) Chalk - Transmission Specialist
JC is "the man" when it comes to Dodge trucks. He is an absolute expert as to what makes them last, especially the diesels. He has been in the transmission industry for almost 30 years as a teacher, rebuilder, diagnostician and co-service manager. He "knows transmissions" and 4 wheel drive vehicles.
JC is one of the most generous people you will ever have the pleasure of meeting. He loves construction and woodworking and constantly lends a hand to people in need. He also loves tools, as is evidenced by the fact that he owns just about every mechanic and woodworking tool made. He spends his weekends building or renovating houses. Stop in and test his knowledge.
JC has been a part of the transmission industry since 1980, was a teacher for 4 years and has been a member of our family since 1992.
Bill (Charlie) Dukeman - Transmission Shop Foreman
Charlie has the toughest job in the building. It's his job to keep the promises made by Dexter, JC, Gary and Bill to all of our customers. It is his challenge to get all the work done in a timely manner..... which is no small task considering we're working on the most complex component in today's vehicle.
Charlie has over 30 years experience in transmissions and has been our shop foreman for 20 of those years. He knows transmissions.
Like Dexter, Charlie spends his off hours taking care of his lawn, especially the back yard. It is more of a nature park than a back yard. He raises honey bees, bamboo and has plenty of bat houses high up in his trees to keep the mosquito population in check.
Charlie is happy to admit having been in this field since 1973 and has been our shop foreman since 1982.
Donna Biuk - Transmission Shop Office Manager
Donna, our office manager, has been a wonderful addition to our team. She came to us with plenty of experience..... she had been managing a Schmidt's Baking Outlet for the past 10 years. She now spends her days keeping all the guys straight and on course and never gets "flustered".
Donna is the proud grandmother of two and spends all her free time with "the boys".
Parker & Cooper (Jennings) Janson - Yellow Page Spokes Persons
Born January 3, 2006, these guys changed Gary's life. He became a grand father for the first time and we're getting "kinda sick" of hearing how cute, smart, agile, lovable, wonderful, active, adorable, sweet, happy,strong, ......well you get the picture. We're afraid we're going to have to deal with a talent agent since Gary placed them in this year's yellow page advertisement. They're taking a bath in the kitchen sink and the caption reads...."You can trust the Jennings family, we do". If you think they are as adorable as Gary thinks they are, please don't tell him, he's bad enough as it is.
Jared Jennings - Electrical diagnostics & trouble shooter
Jared is the third generation Jennings (Bill's son) to have "the gift" when it comes to transmission repair. He did not land this position by birth right....he's an electrical genius. We have discovered he can even program a VCR and has a has a "sixth sense" when it comes to figuring out what's wrong with a vehicle's computer and electrical system. Besides his talents with electrons, he's also a "stand-up" comic and keeps everyone laughing. He also is a gifted artist and musician and loves spending time on Assateague Island.
Bob (BK) Kommalan - Rebuilds Manual Transmissions & Transfer Cases
BK has been with Jim's for close to 22 years and is a phenomenal technician. The part of his brain that can see how things work and go together obviously developed early since he has loved all things mechanical since early childhood.......and his skills reflect it. When BK rebuilds or repairs something, be it a stick shift transmission, differential, transfer case or our shop equipment you can be sure it's done right. He can do anything and he's good at it! BK is a little quirky (as super gifted people tend to be) away from work. He has been baking the most delicious cakes for family, friends and co-workers for ten years, including wedding cakes. He also has been an avid collector of Star Trek memorabilia and attends their conventions.
Larry Seymour - Transmission Installation
Larry has the dubious honor of working with the Jennings family longer than anyone else other than Bill Jennings. He's been with us for over 30 years and doesn't show any signs of slowing down. There are days we don't even know Larry is here, he is so quite, but he must be....cause the cars and trucks keep rolling in and are driven out a few hours later. One of Larry's talents is that he is a good listener. It works well for him, especially for his after-hours hobby. He is the sound man for local Blue Grass bands and makes sure they sound as good as they can. He is "Mr. Dependable".
Gary (Guido) Bell - Transmission & Electronic Specialist
Gary has a lot of things going on in his life. As a newlywed of nine months, he recently got the great news he is also going to be a poppa in August 2008 (a boy). At work he is a man of many talents. He rebuilds differentials, installs all the latest transmissions, diagnoses and repairs electrical problems and also rebuilds manual shift transmisisons. Like BK, Gary can do just about anything and especially loves imports. The harder the job, the more he likes it. The more complex, the more he dives into it. Now, if we could just get him to work on time....he would be "Mr. Perfect".
Richard (Rick) Bennington - Transmission Rebuilder & Diagnostician
Rick, besides being a fanatic when it comes to automatic transmissions, is a devoted father and husband. Rick and his wife Tre recently gave a week of their life to help rebuild a devasted famiy's home near the Mississippi Gulf coast caused by Hurricane Katrina. They were humbled by the experience but yet feel richer for it. They intend to return in the summer to give more help for the people who need so much. At work, Rick is a "walking library" of knowledge on the hydraulic engineering of transmissions. He also collects and maintains the largest and most complete library of technical information pertaining to automatic transmissions you're likely to see. Rick, Tre and their kids are very active in their church and home school.
Doug Koerner - Transmission Rebuilder & Diagnostician
Doug's life is split between performing magic on automatic transmissions, boating with his family and serving as the assistant minister of his church. Everyone has heard the old saying...."it's difficult to soar like an eagle when you work with turkeys". Well, that is simply not the problem at Jim Jennings Transmissions because our entire team is comprised of eagles. Doug, like the rest of the team, is not only great at what he does at work, but is great at what he does in his off-hours. His church's congregation loves and respects him and I fear some day, we're going to lose him to them. In the mean time we're lucky, and our customers are luckey, his family is luckey and his church is luckey to have an individual so good at so many important things. You won't find a better person than Doug Kroener.
Bob Williams - Transmission Rebuilder & Diagnostician
Bob is "Mr. Chrysler". Chrysler could do well to fly him to Detroit to help design their transmissions. He "knows Chryslers". He is also "Mr. Easy Going" and simply is a delight to work with. He has been rebuilding transmissions for over 20 years and if his help is needed anywhere in the building....he's there and is more "chipper" than a person has a right to be. He and his wife Bev were recently world travelers. They flew to Okinawa, Japan to visit Bev's son who is serving our country in the armed forces. They had "the trip of a lifetime" but said they could do without the looonnnggg flight.
Santo Wren - Transmission Installation
Like Gary, Santo is a recent grandfather and very proud of it. He tends to be on the quiet side and always has a smile from ear to ear to go along with his cheerful personality. He is especially happy when Charlie assigns him Dodge Durangos....he loves'em. Santo is an avid tennis player, if you consider a hard working guy nearing the 50 year age mark playing five times per week avid? He also played football in high school.
Joyce Jennings - Accounting
Joyce's primary job is to keep the boss "on task". She's been married to him for 36 years and knows he tends to fly from project to project like a humming bird....she should know. Joyce works part time now, spending most of her time either baby-sitting the twins or working with her church. Over the last couple of years she has also volunteered to help Gary, their son JB and wife Michelle, their daughter Jennifer and husband JC, build and remodel houses on weekends. She can paint and "pull romex cable" with the best of them.