Contact: Libby Newman
NewmanL@aiada.org
(703) 519-7800
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
November 27, 2018
AIADA Names California Dealer Howard Hakes as 2019 Chairman
San Francisco (January 27) – The American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA) today announced that California dealer Howard Hakes will serve as its 2019 chairman. Hakes, who is the president of Hitchcock Automotive Resources in the City of Industry, CA, officially accepted the position at AIADA’s 49th Annual Meeting and Luncheon, held today in San Francisco, CA. During his remarks, he emphasized the need for dealers to engage in the legislative process that impacts their businesses.
“If we want our stores to survive and thrive in these next crucial years, we need to be involved,” said Hakes. “We need to speak out and let our collective and our individual voices be heard and we have to do so before too much more time passes.”
Hakes is a 28-year veteran of the auto retail industry, an active member of his local community, and an engaged participant in local, state, and national politics. He is a certified drug and alcohol counselor, serves on the board of the California Republican Party, is Vice-Chairman of the Republican party of Los Angeles County, and was appointed by the president to serve on the Department of Health and Human Service’s Drug and Alcohol Prevention Board.
Hakes named threats to global trade as the greatest challenge facing international nameplate dealers today: “Protectionism is the biggest threat to us today and we need people to stand up and do something about it.”
Serving alongside Hakes in leadership positions on the 2019 AIADA Board of Directors are Brad Strong, Immediate Past Chairman (Salt Lake City, Utah); Jason Courter, Chairman-Elect (Bellevue, Wash); and Steve Gates, Vice-Chairman (Richmond, Ky.).
Also during its Annual Meeting, AIADA presented Newport Beach, California dealer Dave Conant, Owner and CEO of the Conant Auto Retail Group, with the 2019 David F. Mungenast Sr. Lifetime Achievement Award.
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About AIADA
Established in 1970, AIADA is and continues to be the only association whose sole purpose is to represent America’s international nameplate automobile franchises that sell and service the following brands in the United States: Acura, Aston Martin, Audi, Bentley, BMW, Ferrari, Genesis, Honda, Hyundai, Infiniti, Jaguar, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Maserati, Mazda, Mercedes, MINI, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Porsche, Rolls Royce, Scion, Smart, Subaru, Toyota, Volkswagen, and Volvo. These retailers have a positive economic impact both nationally and in the local communities they serve, providing over 577,000 American jobs. Visit AIADA online at www.aiada.org.
