Dear Members, As my term as 2025-2026 CATA chairman comes to an end, and I transition to chairman of the 2027 Chicago Auto Show, I would like to reflect on the many challenges we faced and the many achievements we celebrated during this past year. The CATA Standing Committees are the engines that drive the CATA, so I will begin there. The Government Relations and Lobbying Committee, chaired by Emir Abinion, worked vigorously in concert with IADA to advance our legislative agenda. In addition to making almost $200,000 in contributions to state and local legislators and working a phone bank to encourage our dealers to give permission to NADA PAC to solicit contributions, the committee attended numerous events, lunches, golf outings and fundraisers, even hosting a cocktail reception for Illinois Secretary of State Alexi Giannoulias in our headquarters. CATA representatives traveled to Washington in September and to Springfield in May to meet key federal and state legislators, and hosted a dinner in Springfield for many of them. Unfortunately, our two major Illinois legislative proposals this session, an amendment to the Illinois Motor Vehicle Franchise Act restricting direct sales by legacy manufacturers and an amendment to increase the cap on documentary fees by $100, failed to pass. However, we feel this is a temporary setback, and the CATA is committed to advocating for these two measures in forthcoming legislative sessions. The CATA board is also heavily invested in the challenge, as the majority of Volkswagen dealers in the state are challenging Volkswagen for surcharging dealers for lawful warranty reimbursement. The CATA is working with IADA on this matter and has committed to paying up to $150,000 for legal fees. The Auto Show Committee, chaired by Jason Roberts, again put on a truly spectacular Chicago Auto Show. Beginning with our Chicago Drives Electric preview event in October, which achieved a media reach of 462.5 million, the 2026 Chicago Auto Show welcomed 1,200 attendees on Media Preview Day, followed by a First Look for Charity Gala that raised over $2 million for participating charities. The Auto Show itself was attended by over 212,000 visitors. ABC, WGN and CBS each produced TV specials from the show floor, and national coverage was provided on Fox Business Network. All in all, the Chicago Auto Show remains the premier consumer show in the country and a media and public-relations home run for manufacturers and CATA dealers alike. The Civic and Dealer Relations and First Look for Charity Committee, chaired by Jerry Haggerty, not only worked to put on the fabulous First Look for Charity Gala, with a 2026 Chevrolet Equinox and a 2026 Toyota Land Cruiser given away to fortunate winners, but also coordinated CATA support for the Drive for the Troops fundraising that took place in July for the benefit of the USO, raising over $71,000 each of the last two years. Additionally, the committee shepherded the Chicagoland Dealers Care program, which matches dealers’ contributions to their favored local charities. The Employee Relations Committee, chaired by Dan Marquardt, helped guide CATA dealers through negotiations with Local 701, reaching a four-year extension of the CBA without a strike. The committee also worked with SESCO to provide employment advice to our dealer members. The Drive Chicago Committee, chaired by Jared Wickstrom, continually updates and refines the DriveChicago.com website to be the definitive website for vehicle purchases in the Chicagoland area. The Member Benefits Committee, chaired by John Crane, seeks to find vendors who can provide added value to our dealer members. Each of these potential candidates is carefully researched and vetted by the committee before being recommended to our dealers. The Finance, Pension and Audit Committee, chaired by Ryan Kelly, continually monitors CATA revenue Looking Back on the Past Year A Letter from Ryan Kelly, 2025‑2026 CATA Chairman CATA UP TO SPEED 6
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