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 (AJ) Eastlack (Alt.) Jason Elkins Scott Haldeman 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) Russell Abate .. .. .. ....... Regional Vice President (Southern Region) Ronald E. Baus, Jr. .........................BudgetChairman Eric Nielsen .. .. .. ....... NJ CAR Captive Insurance Co., Inc. 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 Power of Partnership Strengthening New Jersey’s Dealerships with NJ CAR’s Handpicked Providers BY LAURA C. PERROTTA CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE 7 The Value of the Franchise System NJ CAR’s Public Relations Campaign BY A. ANDREW SHAPIRO NADA DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE 9 NADA Advocacy Update BY RICK DeSILVA, JR. 12 How Aged Inventory Quietly Drains Your Front-End Gross BY JAKE RENNER 13 Why Dealerships Need Independent Document Scanning Solutions BY MICHAEL DACHILLE 14 Navigating the 2026 FTC Dealer Advertising Crackdown BY MARK SANBORN 15 Energy Infrastructure Upgrades A Competitive Edge for New Jersey Dealerships BY CHRIS DONNELLY 16 Automotive Dealerships Are Cybercrime Targets BY BRAD BONO 17 Spotting the New Wave of Fraud Before the Car is Stolen BY DOUG FUSCO 19 F&I as the Profit Anchor in an AffordabilityDriven Market BY MEGAN KENARY 20 Protecting Margin in a Softer Market Why Payments Deserve a Second Look BY AMBERLY ALLEN 21 Factory Reset Isn’t Enough to Ensure Vehicle Data Privacy The Hidden Liability Sitting on Your Lot BY SHERRYL NENS 22 New Jersey Energy Costs Keep Rising What Auto Dealers Can Do Now BY JAY THOMSON, JR. 23 Thank You NADA PAC Contributors 24 NJ CAR & Dealers Making a Difference Philanthropy, Highlights, and Grassroots 28 NJ CAR Recognizes Dealerships That Have Contributed to CAR PAC in 2026 30 Every Dealership Should Be a Member of NJ CARPOOL ©2026 New Jersey Coalition of Automotive Retailers (NJ CAR) | MBR Connect™. All rights reserved. New Jersey Auto Retailer is published four times per year 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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