Get to know: Max Umbs
Auto technician, Van Horn Kia of Sheboygan
Even in high school, Max Umbs knew he could never work an office job. He excelled at working with his hands, particularly in the automotive field.
After high school, Umbs earned an associate degree at Milwaukee Area Technical College and landed a job at a local dealership as an auto technician. Twenty-five years later, Umbs has gained international recognition for his attention to detail and passion for automotive maintenance.
This year, Umbs, who has 17 years of Kia experience, was awarded first place at the Kia Skill National Cup in Irvine, California, beating out 14 of the top-ranked Kia technicians in the United States.
The Kia Skill National Cup, which was held in April, evaluates technicians on their ability to diagnose and fix vehicles in five different areas: electrical systems, body network, drivability, engine mechanical and transmission.
“I was absolutely shocked and flabbergasted,” Umbs says of his win. “I didn’t feel like I’d done well in the competition. Halfway through, I was thinking about getting up, quitting and going to sit on the bus.”
While this was Umbs’ third time qualifying for the national cup, it was his first time securing a spot at the Kia Skill World Cup held May 21-23 in Seoul, Korea.
“The senior manager for training who was doing the announcements looked right at me and congratulated me on first place by one and a half points,” Umbs says. “It took a couple days for it to really sink in that I was going to Korea.”
The World Cup gathered 42 national winners from 40 countries to compete in the finals, which took place over two days, challenging technicians to diagnose a single vehicle with multiple failures.
While Umbs didn’t secure a medal in Korea, he did receive the excellence award for outstanding performance. He says the experience has impacted his day-to-day work at Van Horn Kia of Sheboygan.
“Seeing what the fault was on the vehicle diagnosis at the world cup event reminded me that sometimes I need to take a step back and look at the basics,” Umbs says. “That’s helped me adjust how I diagnose vehicles when they come into the shop.”
— Amelia Compton Wolff
Free tuition
Ripon College announced that, starting in fall 2025, it will offer free tuition to Wisconsin students whose families earn less than $75,000 a year. The private liberal arts college announced “The Ripon Commitment” last month; it applies to incoming, first‑year or transfer students who are Wisconsin residents. Qualifying students will receive scholarships and grants to completely cover all tuition and fees. Incoming first-year students are eligible for eight consecutive semesters of free tuition and fees; new transfer students can receive four semesters of free tuition and fees. “The Ripon Commitment opens doors for students in Wisconsin who may have thought higher education at a private school was out of reach,” said Ripon College President Victoria N. Folse.
Feat of fundraising
The 39th annual U.S. Venture Open Aug. 14 raised $4.8 million to end poverty in Northeast Wisconsin. The nation’s largest one-day charity event brought in nearly 1,300 attendees and more than 900 golfers who joined guest of honor JJ Watt. Since its inception, the event has raised nearly $70 million and granted $56 million to end poverty in Northeast Wisconsin through the Basic Needs Giving Partnership. This year the U.S. Venture Open and Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region announced a $797,245 legacy gift to housing solutions nonprofit Pillars, marking the largest single donation in the event’s history. “Year after year, hosting the U.S. Venture Open and seeing the lasting impact it has on our community is incredibly rewarding,” said Greg Vandenberg, director of giving and community engagement at U.S. Venture.
Soaring success
EAA AirVenture Oshkosh experienced record attendance in 2024, drawing approximately 686,000 individuals representing 99 countries. More than 10,000 aircraft arrived at Wittman Regional Airport in Oshkosh and other airports in east-central Wisconsin. At Wittman alone, there were 16,780 aircraft operations in the 11-day period from July 18-28, which is an average of approximately 113 takeoffs/landings per hour when the airport is open. The annual AirVenture fly-in results in a $170 million total economic impact for Winnebago, Outagamie, Fond du Lac, Calumet and Brown counties. “Over the past decade, and especially since 2020, we have seen AirVenture move to another level, as we maintain the heart of the event while adding programs and activities that appeal to aviation enthusiasts of all interests,” said EAA CEO and Chairman Jack Pelton.
