Nebraska Autobody Association
Hall of Fame

Daniel Novak

Daniel Novak graduated from Lincoln High School in 1966. He began attending Milford Trade School, but was drafted into the army where he served in the medical corps in Vietnam. When he returned to civilian life, he finished his collision repair training at Milford. He began to work for Vanice Body Shop in 1969. He then started D & D Body Shop in College View with a partner, Don Barker. The partnership dissolved after a couple of years and Dan went to work for Misle Chevrolet managing their body shop until he and his brother Michael started Novak Automotive on Rentworth Drive. Several years later they moved the business to Center Park Road.

Almost from the beginning, Dan realized the importance of being involved in an association in the industry. He belonged to the Independent Garage Owners Association (IGA), which later became Automotive Service Council (ASC). He was there for the inception of the NABA, in which he later became the first president to be elected two consecutive years. Dan's terms as president of NABA resulted in many activites, both fun and educational, which helped pull the members together to produce a productive and growing association. Dan was also instrumental in, and attended, the initial meetings of the CIC Conference.

He was known for his organizational skills during his years in NABA and is rememberd fondly for his many faxes and, even more, his notes in the mail as he shared the many ideas he had to improve things in the industry. It was often said amongst his colleagues, that the U.S. Postal Service would go out of business without Dan Novak.

Daniel Novak passed away on October 4, 1994 and is greatly missed by his many friends in the collision repair industry.

Inducted March, 31, 2001

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