table of CONTENTS NJ CAR BOARD OF TRUSTEES BY REGION NORTHERN REGION I (Bergen, Essex, Hudson, Passaic, Sussex) Mark Abaid (Alt.) Joseph Agresta, Jr. (Alt.) Timothy Allocca Jeffrey Brown John Fette Matthew Haiken (Alt.) William Kundert, Jr. Brian Lam Reneé P. McGuire Richard Selman Todd Van Duren NORTHERN REGION II (Hunterdon, Morris, Somerset, Union, Warren) Gregg Ciocca, Jr. William Feinstein David Ferraez Chris Gilbert (Alt.) John Johnson, Jr. Sean Lyons Mark Montenero Chris Preziosi, Jr. (Alt.) Edward J. Rossi William Strauss, III Stephen Tilton CENTRAL REGION (Middlesex, Monmouth, Ocean) Dan Chuhinko Robert Ciasulli Lisa Ocasio Devivo Kevin DiPiano (Alt.) Garry Foltz Adam Kraushaar Robert Larson Shelly Locascio Tyler Schmelz Anton Semprivivo Robert Sickel SOUTHERN REGION (Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Mercer, Salem) Doug Burke Allen Eastlack (AJ) (Alt.) Jason Elkins Jeremy Fisher Thomas Hessert, III Steven Kindle Stacey Lilliston Marcy Maguire Mark Miller Robert D. McCormick NJ CAR Executive Committee and Board of Trustees 2026 A. Andrew Shapiro...........................................................................Chairman Ed Barlow, III............................................................................Vice Chairman Michael P. DeSilva............................................................................ Secretary David Kull. ......................................................................................... Treasurer Jordan Wright.........................Regional Vice President (Northern Region I) Michael DiFeo.......................Regional Vice President (Northern Region II) Richard Malouf, Jr........................Regional Vice President (Central Region) Russel Abate.............................Regional Vice President (Southern Region) Ronald E. Baus, Jr................................................................Budget Chairman Eric Nielsen..........................................NJ CAR Insurance Co. Ltd. Chairman Richard A. DeSilva, Jr.....................................NADA Director for New Jersey Robert Larson...............................................NJ CAR Services, Inc. President Frank M. Pezzolla...............................................Truck Committee Chairman Judy Schumacher-Tilton..................................................CAR-PAC President Thomas DeFelice, III........................................................NextGen Chairman Laura C. Perrotta. ............................................................................. President PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE 6 The Fight Against Direct Sales Reignites in New Jersey BY LAURA PERROTTA CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE 8 Teamwork Is More Important Than Ever BY A. ANDREW SHAPIRO NADA DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE 10 NADA Advocacy Update BY RICK DeSILVA, JR. 12 Why Every Dealership Needs a Safety Committee BY CHARLES RUSSO 14 From Pilot to Pipeline Building New Jersey’s Automotive Technician Workforce BY BRANDON JURAKHAN 18 Driving Forward What Governor Sherrill’s Leadership Lens Could Mean for New Jersey’s Auto Retail Sector BY GUILLERMO ARTILES, CHRISTIAN CALLEGARI, AND AZREEN REHMAN 20 What to Expect from the Sherrill Administration BY KEVIN P. HAGAN 22 Lessons from the 700Credit Data Breach Understanding Dealer Obligations When Vendor Systems Are Compromised BY BRAD MILLER 24 NJ CAR & Dealers Making a Difference Philanthropy, Highlights, and Grassroots 30 NJ CAR Recognizes Dealerships That Have Contributed to CAR-PAC 33 Thank You to Those Who Contributed to NADA PAC 34 Every Dealership Should Be a Member of NJ CARPOOL ©2026 New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers (NJ CAR) | MBR Connect DBA The newsLINK Group LLC. All rights reserved. New Jersey Auto Retailer is published four times per year by The newsLINK Group, LLC for NJ CAR and is the official publication for this association. The information contained in this publication is intended to provide general information for review, consideration and education. The contents do not constitute legal advice and should not be relied on as such. If you need legal advice or assistance, it is strongly recommended that you contact an attorney as to your circumstances. The statements and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the individual authors and do not necessarily represent the views of NJ CAR, its board of directors or the publisher. Likewise, the appearance of advertisements within this publication does not constitute an endorsement or recommendation of any product or service advertised. New Jersey Auto Retailer is a collective work, and as such, some articles are submitted by authors who are independent of NJ CAR. 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