Much like every large gathering scheduled for the last nine months of 2020, WANADA’s Annual Meeting was a fully-online event this year. While the format was different than prior years, attendees still received a thorough overview of the association’s successes in a most-unusual year, and were treated to an informative speech from Howard Kurtz, Fox News’ media reporter.
The event was held on November 5 and hosted by WANADA Board of Directors Chairman Kevin Reilly, who delivered his chairman’s report from his dealership, Alexandria Hyundai. Reilly commended the association, and the members who comprise it, for their tenacity during this unprecedented period of a deadly pandemic and deep economic disruption. Despite all that the world is currently going through, Reilly said, WANADA members have been through crises before and will get through this one.
“Since its’ founding, WANADA’s faced two world wars, another pandemic, a depression, recessions, and yet it has endured,” Reilly said. “WANADA’s dealers will undoubtedly survive and thrive.”
WANADA CEO John O’Donnell also addressed the virtual meeting, in an address filmed at the association’s headquarters in Washington. He said that, despite the pandemic, WANADA has secured several important wins in 2020, including being able to host a successful Washington Auto Show prior to the crisis, growing the Automobile Dealer Education Institute, and securing important legislative victories – an increase in Maryland’s dealer processing charge cap, a rejection of an advertising tax in D.C., and much more.
WANADA would like to thank the event’s sponsors, including Penney Design Group (Registration Sponsor); ACV Auctions; Armatus Dealer Uplift; Councilor, Buchanan & Mitchell, P.C. – CPAs & Business Advisors; Crovato Products & Services; The Keats Group at RBC Wealth Management; Truist Bank (formerly BB&T and SunTrust); and WellNet Healthcare.
The association also thanks Joe Stephens for his hard work in taping and producing the virtual event, and appreciates everyone who joined the event this year, despite the departure from the usual circumstances. If you would like to view the Annual Meeting in its entirety, please click here.
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