by MAGDALENA PADILLA, ESQ., Senior Vice President of Government Affairs, NJ CAR Baseball legend Yogi Berra once famously remarked, “The beauty of life is that it never asks for perfection — only participation.” In other words, it’s essential we participate. NJ CAR’s NextGen Committee provides the opportunity for dealers and dealership employees to connect with others at in-person events and online roundtables. WHAT IS NEXTGEN? NextGen is a networking and professional group that facilitates discussions regarding the most critical issues facing the automotive retail industry. The group consists of individuals dedicated to developing themselves professionally to become the next generation of dealership leaders. The Committee’s vision is to provide opportunities for our members to participate in events that foster peer relations; support education and social engagement; and create opportunities to advocate in front of State and Congressional representatives on behalf of the industry. MEET WITH KEY POLICY MAKERS AND MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD When NextGen members join NJ CAR staff and members of the Coalition’s Board of Trustees to meet with New Jersey’s State and Congressional representatives, we advocate for dealer priorities, aiming to give dealerships a face and story that legislators can identify with. Each dealer has the opportunity to provide them with details about their dealership that demonstrate the value their local businesses bring to the Garden State. Such details often include their store’s total employee count; types of locally-supported charities; how much the dealership contributes to state and local economies; and much more. Congressional meetings are scheduled by NJ CAR in partnership with national trade associations NADA and ATD and an informative two-day conference. The Coalition is also responsible for hosting periodic meetings at the State Capitol. COLLABORATE WITH US AT NEXTGEN SOCIAL EVENTS NJ CAR’s NextGen program offers a variety of ways to participate. In addition to engagement through political events, we offer opportunities to connect at our NextGen Social Events. In 2026, NextGen members were able to take part in two extended Happy Hours, where attendance at both events filled the room to capacity, prompting NJ CAR to identify larger venues for our 2027 events. JOIN OUR RESERVED ONLINE ROUNDTABLES NextGen also offers educational panel discussions to its committee members. This includes the three insightful roundtables we hosted in Be a Part of NJ CAR’s Next NextGen 16 NEW JERSEY auto retailer
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTg3NDExNQ==