Staff

John Rickard - Owner

Founding Black Forest in 1975, John has passionately offered San Diego the highest level of support to the local Porsche community. With a passion for racing, John has been a key component in the Porsche community, offering owners in San Diego the best dealer alternative. Hobbies: Sailing, Autocross, POC racing, and Mountain biking

Steve Grosskemper - Shop Manager

Steve Grosskemper came to Black forest in 2014 and has brought a level of attention to detail to the team that is unmatched in the Porsche world. Being a California Air Resource Board Certified Smog repair technician, Steve is a key component when it comes to the PCA San Diego Region. In addition to repairs, Steve has been key component in the DE/TT and Autocross events for DECADES.

Hobbies: Working, Racing, and thinking about how the fuel injector on a 1985 Porsche 911 Carerra optimal injector flow is 240 cc/m

Office

Chris Phillips - Office/Service Manager

Chris is a dedicated service writer at Black Forest, where he brings his passion for precision and customer care to every interaction. When he’s not helping clients keep their vehicles in top shape, you can find him shredding the slopes on his snowboard, tinkering with old Cougars to bring them back to life, or relaxing on a boat with a bag of unsalted chips. His love for adventure and hands-on problem-solving makes him a perfect fit for the Black Forest team.

Stephen Peterson - Service/Parts Manager

Stephen joined the team in mid 2022, since joining our service management team, he has brought his parts knowledge, hands on experience and a passion for cars into the office.

Outside of work he will either be found with his family or working on some sort of BMW he believed he got a good deal on.

Technicians

Anthony Dilanzo - Technician

Starting as a technician before water cooled Porsches were even thought about, Anthony Dilanzo has been a Porsche Technician with Black Forest for over 25 years! When it comes to replacing a clutch on a 997TT to 911 engine rebuilds and even 944 repair, Anthony has earned his place in being one of San Diego's best Porsche technicians.

Hobbies: Glamis Dunes and Cruising in the Manx

Donny Vinkleman - Technician

Donny is a dealer trained Volkswagen Audi Group technician. Over 25 years in the automotive world Donny joined our team in 2022. He has been a key component in offering suspension upgrades and repairs with an attention to detail that will give you the confidence that your setup can handle the road or track. Known for bringing Porsche SUV knowledge to the next level, his understanding of the drive trains have set him apart.

Hobbies: RC Racing and Camping

Elias Ramirez - Technician

Elias built his background early with high end brands like Jaguar and Land Rover. Adapting to the Porsche and BMW lineup has been an easy task. Suspensions, Check engine lights, and oil leaks are no challenge. Elias provides consistency and quality service that keeps our customers on the road and track with confidence.

Hobbies: Music and Project Cars

Antione Miller - Technician

Antione has been work with Porsche for over 20 years. Starting as a dealership certified technician in Florida, he worked his way to San Diego and joined our team in 2022. Known to take on the tasks others may hesitate, with his understanding of vehicle software and diagnostic tools, no repair is too complex.

Team Assistants

Logan Whatcott - Team Assistant

From Utah to CA, Logan is the newest addition to our team. A background of automotive detailing and other specialties, Logan fits right in with our hard working team

Hobbies: Race cars and Online gaming

Jake Stone - Shop Assistant

Spending his weekends at the track driving his 986 race car, Jake became a key part of the team, fitting in quickly. A ture 986 wheel bearing expert.

Ben Smith - Shop Assistant

Ben Smith drives the life out of his Spec 944 race car. He came to us as a dealer service technician. He has since shown his skills and earned his title of being the best tire guy in the world.

Meet the staff