28th Annual National Corvette Homecoming Seminars Featuring: John Ballard, David Burroughs, Wil Cooksey, Paul Graham, Gordon Killebrew and Rick Montgomery David Burroughs 2008 NCH Grand Marshal (As our first Grand Marshal, David will appear in our parade, conduct two seminars, take part in our Vettetastic 2008 kick off party, sign autographs with other celebrities and will pick his favorite car from among the participants in our shows.)  The Man Behind Bloomington Gold David Burroughs has spent much of his life in command of high-powered machines. Whether it’s a 560-horsepower L88 Corvette, a new C6, or a 4000-horsepower B-17 Bomber, Burroughs feels most at home at the controls of high-powered machinery. His beginnings were humble.  However, as he awakened his thirst for high-speed motoring early in life racing go-karts and his affection for flight was nurtured in the pilot’s seat of neighboring farmers’ airplanes, his focus narrowed. It didn’t matter that nine-year-old David could hardly reach the rudder pedals, he still managed to get airborne. Now, 51 years later, Burroughs is a four-time national Boeing Stearman aerobatic flying champion and a seven-time national formation flying champion. He’s also a passionate connoisseur of the Chevrolet Corvette, America’s sports car; the CEO of Bloomington Gold, the founder of Gold Certification®, and the newest phenomenon, Survivor®. Tired of watching cars win awards simply because they had the flashiest paint, Burroughs defined the concept of Certification® judging in 1978. This new idea rated vehicles on high levels of authenticity and accuracy compared to the day they left the factory, rather than ranking them based on the random personal tastes of judges or against other vehicles that happened to be there that day. He believed his methodology would “inspire people to preserve historically accurate cars in a quest for historic perfection, not cosmetic perfection.”  Thirty years and nearly 6,000 Certified Corvettes later, his belief has become a reality. Dozens of other automotive clubs and organizations have followed Burroughs’ lead not only in how judging is conducted today, but how car shows have become formatted in general.  Car collectors, dealers, and reproduction parts businesses have all become more discriminating over the years in large part due to Burroughs’ influence on such a wide segment of the collector car industry. As one of America’s first experts on ’63-’67 Corvettes, Burroughs completed nearly a dozen museum quality restorations between 1975 and 1993. One of those restorations became the centerpiece of a restoration bible known as “Corvette Restoration, State of the Art.” Published in 1981, this book is still is used as the benchmark guide for extreme restoration accuracy. Burroughs has been involved with more than a half-dozen other books and has authored numerous articles on restoration and collecting. His specialties are 1967 L88 Corvettes. Once as an owner of three of these historic vehicles at the same time for nearly 20 years, Burroughs probably has had more personal exposure in and around factory-original L88s than anyone else in the country. When asked what his best memories of Corvettes have been, he describes two: “First, creating something that has influenced or inspired many people to not just consume these great cars, but also to preserve them. Second, meeting and working with people like Zora Duntov who built the Corvette and more importantly, the hundreds of other people who built the Corvette industry. And I got to be a part of it.  I was a very lucky kid who grew into a very lucky man.” Gordon Killebrew was the first UAW hourly employee to ever work in an engineering salary position in the Corvette plant's Action Center, which was started by Chief Engineer, Dave McLellan. The Action Center received calls from GM's Tech Center, Chevrolet Dealers, and  Corvette Owners regarding problems with the Corvettes that they couldn't fix. Not only were they told by Gordon how to fix the problem, but the feedback from them helped to correct a lot of  problems before the next Corvette left the plant. Gordon answered calls from all over the world! In 1990, Gordon designed and wrote the program, Corvette Specialist Seminar, he used in Phoenix, AZ for nine weeks teaching two classes a week for a total of over 400 dealer technicians. Gordon also became a proof editor of the Service Manuals before the final print was sent to the dealers. He did the same with the Owner's Manual, also helping with the photos and instructions. The GM Tech Center sent all Bulletins and Campaigns (recalls) to Gordon to edit before they were sent out to the Chevrolet dealers. Prior to doing all of the above while working in the Action Center of the Corvette Plant, Gordon was a mechanic at the end of the assembly line doing all electrical and air condition repairs on the new Corvettes as they came off the line. Gordon not only knows how to work on the C4 1984-96 Corvettes, but he can tell you the part numbers used for the different years. He knows the harness wires by color, and breakout points and pin cavities. He has been referred to as the "Guru of the C4 1984-96 Corvettes" because he can tell you all about them from memory. That's right, he doesn't need to look up the answer in the service manual, he wrote it!!! Gordon is an honorary member of many Corvette clubs. He has been a Certification Judge at the Bloomington Gold Show for many years, and he is also a Senior Instructor at the Bloomington Gold Restoration Workshops for the C4 Corvettes. Gordon gives seminars at most of the major Corvette shows that he attends. Gordon is Founding Member #0920 and #15 Lifetime Member of the National Corvette Museum. Look for his brick, "Killebrew's For Your Car" in the area in front of the entrance doors. If you would like to become a member of the NCM click on this link NCM  Membership and tell them Gordon Killebrew sent you! Gordon lives in Cross Plains, Tennessee, forty-six miles from the Bowling Green Corvette Plant, with his wife, Chris. See the latest technical articles from Gordon & Chris by clicking below: FOR YOUR CAR, INC. "LATE MODEL CORVETTE SOLUTIONS" Gordon Killebrew was inducted into the Corvette Hall Of Fame in 2007 Visit Gordon’s site here Paul Graham is the current plant manager at the GM Corvette assembly plant here in Bowling Green. Graham began his GM career in 1980 as a college student intern at GM Truck and Bus in Flint Michigan. In 1986, he became an associate manufacturing engineer at the plant, then moved on to become supervisor of production in 1987 at the GM Ft. Wayne assembly plant in Indiana. Graham held several positions at the facility before being promoted to senior manufacturing project engineer in GM’s Truck and Bus Division in Pontiac Michigan in 1989. In 1992 Graham moved on to GM Baltimore assembly in Maryland to assume an assistant superintendent of maintenance position and over the years held positions of increasing responsibility at the plant before returning to GM Fort Wayne assembly to an area manager of body shop position in 1995. In 1997, Graham expatriated to Guanajuato Mexico to assume a platform program manager position with GM of Mexico. In 2000, he returned to the US and was appointed assistant plant manager of the GM Shreveport assembly plant in Louisiana. Graham was appointed assistant plant manager of the GM Oklahoma City facility in 2005. He was then appointed assistant plant manager of GM Bowling Green in 2006 and then plant manager upon Wil Cooksey’s retirement in 2008. Graham holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Kettering University and a master’s degree in project management from John Hopkins University. John Ballard is a research chemist in paint formulation, application, and troubleshooting for 44 years, he is a NCRS Master Judge 400 Level and Bloomington Gold Judge. His Corvette collection contains low mile original cars with several achieving NCRS Bowtie and Bloomington Benchmark status. He speaks at assorted seminars on car show judging, preparation and restoration. Rick Montgomery - Seminar Coordinator The National Corvette Homecoming is pleased to have Rick Montgomery join it’s 2007 event staff. Rick brings a wealth of Corvette knowledge to the NCH with his 33 years of automotive and Corvette experience while working at GM. Rick has been a Corvette owner since 1964 and has owned eleven Corvettes over the years. His oldest Corvette was a 1961 that he acquired after high school and the newest was a 1978 Silver Anniversary. Rick retired from GM after 33 years at the automaker. He worked at the GM Headquarters building in Detroit and the Technical Center in Warren, MI. He personally met many of Corvette’s historical icons such as Zora and Elfi Duntov, Bill Mitchell, Larry Shinoda, Jerry Palmer, Myron Scott, Tony DeLorenzo, Jerry Thompson and many others. He also worked at GM Powertrain in Lansing & Pontiac, MI. He spent eight years at the GM Proving Ground in Milford. While there, he hosted the NCRS Corvette Drive/Tour during the national convention in 1992. Rick has been a NCRS member since 1982 and received a Second Flight Award with his 1966 Big Block Coupe in 2006. He built a replica of Grand Sport #003, personally doing the entire makeover of the 1964 donor car. His replica was displayed at both the GM Engineering and Design Centers in Warren, as well as the Proving Ground. He was also invited to show it at the prestigious “Eyes On Classic Designs” concourse at the Edsel Ford mansion in Michigan. Since his retirement, Rick has relocated to Bowling Green and is assisting our friends at the NCM in various areas. He is currently writing a monthly article called “This Month In Corvette History” for America’s Sports Car, the official NCM magazine. In addition, he is a R8C Delivery Specialist for owners who select that delivery option on their new Corvette. We are pleased to introduce Rick as part of the expanding NCH staff and know that his vast knowledge, skills and Corvette expertise will be a valuable asset to this years event. Wil Cooksey Long time plant manager at the GM Corvette plant in Bowling Green, Wil retired from this position in 2008. He is currently Chairman of The Board of the National Corvette Museum. Wil brings a real depth of knowledge to seminars at the NCH. He will be instructing in a seminar that focuses on the museum this year.