Pub. 59 2018-2019 Issue 3

13 SPRING 2019 The new Foundation website — ADAFoundation.org — is the only place where someone who is thinking about becoming a tech can: • Learn where all the training centers are, public and private, in one place REGARDLESS of OEM. • Learn where all the potential scholarships are, in every state, in one place. • Learn from other technicians about what their jobs and lifestyles are like. And we're also going to reach out to military separation off icers, hitting national conferences like the school counselor association, and training the trainers about the benefits of these careers. How is that for scale? If you'd like to give to this effort, visit the foundation website. Or check off an extra contribution to the NADA foundation when you re-up your membership. And ask your OEM partners to support this program too. Many of them are already supporting us. Instead of having every dealership and every OEM doing its own thing, we want the whole industry to back ONE initiative that is critical for all of us. This is an initiative for our future. Alright, so that's the challenge. But I want you to get INVOLVED and DEPEND on us, too . What do I mean by get 'involved?' Well, it's not just up to a select few at NADA. We ARE NADA, right? This is on ALL of us. Like earlier this year: When we feared 25 percent tariffs would be levied across our industry. There hasn't been an issue that united dealers and OEMs as fast! Today, Washington gets where we stand. But it took a whole lot of phone calls and meetings in D.C. so that we'd be heard. We need you to get involved! Meet with your FEDERAL AND STATE representatives and senators. That means seeing them in D.C. And meet with them in your home state. Tell them what you do. Because many of them don't understand our business. Meet with regional and senior management of your OEMs. Develop relationships with them. Meet with your state and metro dealer associations. And I can tell you that: YES, one person can make a difference! You know, the two questions I get asked the most: 1. Do you travel a lot? 2. Why are you doing this? As for the first question: …. Well, I do now! But why am I doing this? I'm doing this because of the passion and drive that the NADA team has for us. And I'm doing this for the industry that shaped my life — and so many lives for the better. You know, I really don't have any hobbies. THIS is my passion — selling cars and being around customers is what gets me up every day. Remember I told you about my partner? You see, he let me buy him out of the Ford dealership in Weatherford, Texas, and for that, he changed my life and my family's life. And I will forever be grateful. He's here today, too! Ken Nichols, thank you for standing by me…encouraging me…and believing in me. As a dealer, my greatest comfort is NADA. Through all our issues, I know they are there. I know I'm not alone. That's why I'm happy to share this with you. It's a card that describes how we are "One NADA": N urture, A dvocate, D eliver, A ccountability. Those are words we embody. And I want you to take the comfort of NADA with you, too. This card was in your registration materials. If you don't have one, let us know! Please keep this card with you. Look at it every day. And ask yourself: "Am I involved?" And if you want to contact us, you can always email me. The NADA team— 190 strong — is here to get us through what we can't alone. To help us navigate through ALL circumstances. And I know there's 16,000 other friends who understand what I'm going through. It's like the biggest "support group" you can find! So, DEPEND on us. Always remember: I AM NADA. Every dealer…every general manager…parts manager…technician…every sales person. YOU ARE NADA. We Are All NADA . 