CELEBRATING A LIFETIME OF LEADERSHIP The Lifetime Achievement Award is the highest honor NCADA gives. It is presented when the association believes a career has genuinely earned it, recognizing decades of leadership, dedication and service to North Carolina’s franchised dealer community. This year, NCADA honored two recipients: Senator Harry Brown and Linda J. Leith. Senator Harry Brown Harry Brown is a longtime North Carolina business leader, public servant and community advocate whose career spans nearly five decades in the automotive industry and state government. He began his automotive career in 1976 and became dealer principal of National Dodge in 1987, a position he continues to hold today. Throughout his career, he has also owned or served as dealer principal for several dealerships across North Carolina. A respected industry leader, Brown served on the Chrysler Dealer Council, was elected president of the North Carolina Automobile Dealers Association in 2000 and was named one of four national finalists for the 2008 TIME Dealer of the Year award. Beyond the automotive industry, Brown has dedicated his career to public service and community leadership. He served in the North Carolina State Senate from 2005 to 2020, including as Senate majority leader and chief budget writer, and currently serves on the UNC Board of Governors. His leadership has earned numerous honors, including the Golden Eagle Man of the Year award, the Fabric of Our Community Award and the dedication of Senator Harry Brown Highway in 2023. Brown earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business management from Campbell University. He and his wife, Lisa, have a blended family, including his son, Ryan, who works alongside him in the automotive business, two stepdaughters and seven grandchildren. Linda J. Leith Linda J. Leith graduated from the University of North Carolina in 1981 with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, concentrating in accounting, and passed the CPA exam that same year. After beginning her career with Deloitte Haskins & Sells, she returned to her family’s business, Leith Inc., where she helped strengthen the company’s accounting systems, financial reporting and operational performance. Her leadership responsibilities steadily expanded, and in 1997, she became president and dealer CONVENTION RECOGNITIONS 14
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