ATAES REMEMBER COLLEAGUE, ELECT OFFICERS

ATAE meeting: State and metro auto trade execs elect officers and remember their colleague.

February 9, 2008—Automotive trade executives paid tribute to late friend and colleague Stephen Gabriel Friday morning at the ATAE Annual Meeting at the Fairmont San Francisco. ATAEs remembered Gabriel—who was executive vice president of the Connecticut Automotive Retailers Association—with a poem and a toast. Gary Adams, president of the Greater Cleveland Automobile Dealers Association, and Roberts Weaver Jr., executive vice president of the Tennessee Automotive Association, shared memories of Gabriel, calling him “a wonderful friend” and leader.

The meeting’s guest speaker was incoming NADA chairman Annette Sykora, who outlined her goals for 2008, which include positioning NADA as a leader in the fuel-economy debate and recruiting more talented workers to dealerships. Emphasized Sykora, “One of the best investments a dealer can make is finding the right employees.”

Friday morning’s agenda also included the election of 2008 officers. Immediate past chairman Gary Thomas of Iowa cast a unanimous ballot on behalf of all ATAEs to elect Kevin Mazzucola of the Automobile Dealers Association of Greater Philadelphia chairman for 2008. Denise Brennan of the Greater Pittsburgh Automobile Dealers Association became immediate past chairman. Tim Doran, executive director of the Ohio Automobile Dealers Association, was elected vice chairman, and Bill Wolters, president of the Texas Automobile Dealers Association, was elected secretary/treasurer.