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Home » Snell Isle Resident Profile: Bob Gerometta

Snell Isle Resident Profile: Bob Gerometta

April 21, 2016 | Rebecca Malowany

Bob Germoetta pictured with his Olds 442

Bob Gerometta with his Olds 442

Snell Isle Resident Profile:
Decorated Veteran, Bob Gerometta, is on a Mission to Save Automotive History

Snell Isle resident Bob Gerometta is on a mission to save the history of the American automobile. Bob is a co-founder and board member of the Automotive History Preservation Society (AHPS). The AHPS is non-profit organization dedicated to the collection and digital preservation of historic automotive documents, photographs, period advertisements, magazine articles, and auto manufacturer’s published materials. The AHPS is 100% volunteer run and donation driven. The AHPS boasts a membership of over 9,000 individuals from across the globe.

Since 2010, Bob, his fellow board members and volunteers have worked tirelessly to amass this single largest source of historical automotive documentation on the internet. The AHPS’s collection spans over 100 years of automotive history, most every make and model of American automobile and some foreign manufacturers. This information is available free to the public through AHPS’s online digital library containing over 250,000 pages (and counting) of documents. The library is accessible via the AHPS’s website www.wildaboutcarsonline.com.

For Bob, this endeavor is a full-time volunteer occupation. He says that through the AHPS he “hopes to leave an online legacy of automotive history for generations to come.” As Operations Director of AHPS’s website, he spends roughly 60 hours a week contributing to the digital library supervising volunteers, managing acquisitions, and overseeing program development.

Bob’s entire life has prepared him for spearheading the AHPS’s mission. He is a retired Special Forces officer, Vietnam veteran and a recipient of two Purple Hearts and a Bronze Star. Bob earned his Bachelor’s degree from New York University and his Master’s from Harvard Business School. He is an accomplished public servant, entrepreneur and CEO with forty years of experience in information management and computer systems engineering. He is a published automotive author, racing fan, former race car driver, and an avid hot rod collector. Bob has owned 54 performance cars – and counting. Today, his personal hot rod collection includes a 1968 442 Oldsmobile, 1970 442 Oldsmobile, and several Mustangs.

Bob also is focused on developing community outreach programs through the AHPS. As a veteran, Bobbob gerometta close up understands the need to provide a purpose in the life of a soldier returning from war. This is his inspiration for establishing an accredited internship program for recently retired U.S. military veterans through the AHPS. Bob envisions an internship program in partnership with technical schools, colleges and universities. The curriculum would provide the veterans with valuable computer and graphic design training through working with the AHPS’s digital library and website. In return, the veteran would receive a stipend, college credit, and computer and graphic design certification(s). Bob’s goal is to have the AHPS veterans’ internship program up and running within the next five years. “The number one challenge in getting this project off of the ground,” Bob says, “is funding.” So, Bob is looking to both private and corporate sources to help develop this worthwhile endeavor.

For more information on the Automotive History Preservation Society or to access the online library, please visit: www.wildaboutcarsonline.com. To donate materials or volunteer for the AHPS, please email Librarian@AHPSOC.org.

This story originally appeared in the Northeast Journal April / May 2016 edition.

Malowany, Rebecca. “Decorated Veteran is on a Mission to Save Automotive History.” Northeast Journal April/May 2016: 28. Print.

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