Congratulations again go to Jack Fitzgerald of Fitzgerald Auto Malls who received the NADA/USA Today Dealer Innovation Award for Region II at a special ceremony at the New York International Auto Show early this month.

Fitzgerald won for a comprehensive program of child safety seat inspections, which is ISO certified and transferable to dealerships across the country. This is the second Innovation award for Fitzgerald, who was the first national winner in 2001.

The national winners this year were Rick and Rita Case, Rick Case Honda, Davie, FL. To cut down on auto-related drowning deaths, the dealership designed and manufactured emergency escape hammers and distributed them to the public free through Case dealerships. Other regional finalists were:

Region I: Mark Carrow, general manager, Saturn of Orchard Park and Saturn of Clarence, NY., for creating a grassroots automobile safety program for local scout troops.

Region III: Ronald R. Czalbowski, general manager, Saturn of Naperville, IL., for the Safe Wheels of America school/business partnership program promoting safe driving habits to students enrolled in driver’s education classes.

Region IV: Mike and Bob Bickford, Bickford Ford Mercury, Snohomish, WA., for creating excitement around a program stressing safe driving among teens by entering students’ names in a lottery to drive a new Mustang during their senior year.