WANADA organization highlights from the 2011 Annual Meeting & Luncheon

WANADA organization highlights from the 2011 Annual Meeting & Luncheon

In welcoming attendees to WANADAs Annual Meeting and Luncheon, association CEO Gerard Murphy noted that 2011 was WANADAs 95th year as the Washington area new automobile dealers organization. Looking back on many a membership meeting occurring at the historic Mayflower Hotel, Murphy alluded to composite photos of WANADA dealer meetings from the 1920s, which had been set on display during the networking reception of last weeks Annual Meeting, more than one of which had occurred at the Mayflower.

It is, indeed, great to be here at the Mayflower with a large crowd of WANADA members and industry partners, Murphy observed, noting that a number of past WANADA dealer leaders were in attendance, as were any number of sister dealer association leaders from NADA, AIADA, NAMAD, MADA and the Global Automakers.

Washington area dealers have a rich and vibrant history as a consistently cohesive and successful auto sales market, which were proud to say WANADA has had a longstanding hand in, Murphy said.

Commencing the agenda of the meeting part of the program, George Doetsch of Apple Ford & Lincoln gave his Chairmans Report to the membership. Following that was an election of Board leaders and association officers, presided over by immediate past chairman Tamara Darvish, DARCARS.

2010 -11 Chairmans Reflections: George Doetsch looks back ten years on the car business, WANADA and The Washington Auto Show

His service on the WANADA Board corresponds with the first decade of this new century, which outgoing WANADA chairman George Doetsch put in perspective for attendees at WANADAs Annual Meeting Luncheon last Wednesday, Dec. 7, 2011 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington when he compared and contrasted todays car business with that of 2001.

It was a different industry ten years ago when 17 million new vehicles were sold as opposed to 11.5 million last year, with 20% fewer dealers, Doetsch said. Other striking differences were The Detroit Three selling 64% of all new vehicles in the U.S. in 2001as opposed to 45% last year. Similarly, the Internet was a relatively new phenomenon ten years ago, and globalization far from the reality it is for international business today.

I was grateful to be coming in as chairman of WANADA as I did at the end of 2009, with the economy starting to emerge from The Great Recession, with the automobile business remaining and continuing as a bright spot, he said. Yet despite the uncertainty at home and abroad, Doetsch praised NADA and the Automotive Trade Association network for its success, with important things like keeping dealers out of the regulatory overreach of Finance Reform and establishing the fairness that ensued from the successful Dealer Rights legislation for Chrysler and GM dealers that WANADA leaders Tamara Darvish and Jack Fitzgerald played leadership roles in bringing about.

But it was The Washington Auto Show which Doetsch said had been some of his proudest moments in WANADA; looking back as he did on four auto shows he chaired commencing with the one that opened the new and greatly expanded Washington Convention Center. With world class facilities and dates when Congress is in town, weve seen The Washington Auto Show become The Public Policy Show on the global industry circuit, which has been an important development for Washington area dealers and this association, Doetsch concluded.

Incoming chairman Chip Lindsay commended his predecessor for his leadership, particularly on The Auto Show, on which, ironically, Mr. Lindsay preceded Mr. Doetsch as chairman in 2004.

While you clearly learned a lot about The Auto Show from me, Lindsay said of his successor turned predecessor, you went on to get us moved into the new center and did a yeomans job getting the status of Washington changed for the better with the OEMs, which has been good for everyone.

Chip Lindsay becomes first third generation WANADA chairman

Chip Lindsay became the new chairman of WANADA at the Annual Meeting and Luncheon last week, and, in the process, became a first in the associations history. He is the first third-generation dealer to lead the association in its 95-year history.

Indeed, C.T. Lindsay, III (Chip) follows his Dad, C.T. Lindsay, Jr. (Terry) and Grandfather C. T. Lindsay, Sr. (Tolliver) as president of Lindsay Cadillac and a principal in Lindsay Automotive. More specifically, Chip Lindsay in 2011 follows Terry Lindsay who headed WANADA in 1977 and Tolliver Lindsay who did so in 1964.

This is not only a momentous occasion for the association, but an historic one, said George Doetsch in a ceremonial passing of the chairmans gavel to Chip Lindsay.

As fate would have it, WANADA has also been led on the staff side by Gerard Murphy, president and CEO of WANADA, who followed his father, Mike Murphy and grandfather, Richard Murphy as chief of staff in a third generation association legacy that began in the 1930s.

New WANADA officers and Executive Committee set

Joining Chip Lindsay on the WANADA Executive Committee are: Danny Korengold, Ourisman of Virginia, vice chairman; Dick Patterson, RRR Automotive, secretary; and Charles Stringfellow, Brown Automotive Group, treasurer. Robert Fogarty, Sport Automotive, will remain as chairman of The Auto Show and Ralph Mastantuono, Mercedes Benz of Alexandria, remains as chairman of the insurance committee, both of whom are Executive Committee members. By operation of the bylaws, George Doetsch, Apple Ford and Lincoln, becomes immediate past chairman and Gerard Murphy, as president & chief executive officer, are members of the Executive Committee, also.

Chip Doetsch and Jamie Darvish join the WANADA Board

Chip Doetsch of Apple Ford & Lincoln and Jamie Darvish of DARCARS have been elected to three year terms on the WANADA Board. They assume positions on the Board that Tamara Darvish, DARCARS, and James Gramm, Safford Automotive Group, are vacating. The elections were concluded at the associations Annual Meeting and Luncheon last week at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington.

Messrs. Doetsch and Darvish join newly reelected Board members Harold Redden, Fitzgerald Auto Malls; Sue Seboda, Congressional Motors; and Tony Santy, Chesapeake Petroleum (Kindred-line).

In any given year, a portion of WANADAs 18 member Board cycle-off, or are reelected to an additional term. Two successive three year terms are the limit for dealer representatives on the WANADA Board, with member balance sought between major jurisdictions and consideration given to the size and brands sold by prospective dealer leaders.

Photos from the Annual Meeting click HERE