Lacey’s journey reminds us that the future of collision repair is being built by anyone bold enough to pick up the tools and get to work.
“I’m only here, doing what I love, because I was willing to step outside my comfort zone,” Lacey says.
Lacey, a Collision Repair Technician at Chesapeake Collision, walks back into to her workstation and takes in the familiar sight almost without thinking—her toolbox, organized with care, every tool exactly where it belongs.
The jobs waiting for her are hers to own. Each one represents trust, responsibility, and a long way traveled from where she first stepped into the world of collision repair.
For Lacey, this space is proof of what happens when you’re willing to learn, listen, and take a leap of faith.
The road that led here
Cars have always been part of Lacey’s life.
She grew up surrounded by engines and adrenaline. Her mom rode motorcycles. Her dad raced at Cecil County Raceway. Ocean City cruise weeks were a family tradition. Being around cars and the people who loved them felt natural long before she ever stepped into a body shop.
As a junior in high school, Lacey got her first taste of the collision repair world working part-time in the wash bay at Chesapeake Collision. Her job was simple but important—making sure every repaired vehicle left the shop spotless and ready for its owner.
Even then, she was seeing something few outsiders notice: the pride technicians took in their work and the level of care required to bring a damaged vehicle back to life.
After graduating high school, Lacey returned to the shop full-time. What began as helping organize parts and assist technicians quickly turned into something more.
She watched. She asked questions. And when opportunities came to learn something new, she had a simple response:
“Show me how to do it, and I’ll do it.”
That attitude quickly made her someone the team could rely on.
Shaped by high standards
Much of Lacey’s growth came from her participation in Chesapeake Collision’s Apprenticeship Program and working closely with her mentor, whose expectations in the shop were clear: precision, discipline, and accountability.
His toolbox had a place for everything. Every tool had a purpose. Over time, Lacey learned that system inside and out, eventually adopting it as her own.
What she gained from those long days working side-by-side wasn’t just technical knowledge. It was an understanding of what Chesapeake Collision stands for: craftsmanship, consistency, and ownership of every repair that leaves the shop.
Those lessons stuck.
As Lacey developed her skills, one area in particular captured her attention—welding. What started as another technique to master quickly became something she genuinely loved.
Welding demands patience and precision, and Lacey’s natural attention to detail made it a perfect fit. Small gaps, subtle dents, and alignment issues stood out to her instinctively. The work rewarded focus and care, and she embraced the challenge.
Before long, welding became something she pursued even outside of work, continuing to practice and refine her skills on her own time.
That commitment is part of what makes her such a valuable part of the Chesapeake Collision team today. The standards she learned weren’t just taught to her—they became part of how she works every day.
Restivo once gave her a piece of advice that stuck:
“You can do anything. You just need to find the right tools.”
At Chesapeake Collision, that philosophy runs deeper than the equipment in a toolbox. It’s about preparation, problem-solving, and approaching every repair with confidence and care.
And Lacey now carries those same principles forward in her own work.
A trusted part of the shop
The moment Lacey realized she had truly found her place at Chesapeake Collision didn’t arrive all at once. It came gradually—with each repair she was trusted to handle and each job handed to her without hesitation.
Today, she is someone the shop depends on.
Every completed repair contributes to the reputation Chesapeake Collision has built with its customers. And the consistency and care Lacey brings to her work help ensure that reputation continues.
One repair stands out in particular.
One summer, her grandfather’s cherished 2013 Mustang was in an accident in the rain. When it came time to choose who would repair it, there was no debate.
He wanted Lacey to do the work.
For her, it meant more than fixing a car. It was a moment that reflected years of hard work and the trust she had earned—not only from her family, but from the people who work alongside her every day.
Tools for the future
She gravitates toward activities that require presence and determination—martial arts, dirt bikes, snowboarding, and even building a drift car.
Outside of work, Lacey brings the same focus and discipline to everything she does.
She gravitates toward activities that require presence and determination—martial arts, dirt bikes, snowboarding, and even building a drift car. At the same time, she balances that intensity with quieter moments, like crocheting a blanket after a long day.
The same mindset that drives her in those pursuits carries into the shop: stay curious, keep learning, and keep improving.
When young women ask about entering the collision repair industry, Lacey keeps her advice simple.
Don’t be intimidated by what you don’t know.
“No one knows everything in this industry,” she says. “Learning never stops.”
With the right mindset—and the willingness to put in the work—anyone can build a career in this field.
Lacey’s story reflects what Chesapeake Collision believes in: craftsmanship developed through mentorship, pride in every repair, and people who grow into the responsibility of carrying those standards forward.
Every morning when she walks back to her stall, her toolbox waiting where she left it, she’s reminded of how far she’s come—and of the role she now plays in the future of the shop.
