Publication1 2021 Issue 1

2 KENTUCKY AUTO DEALER PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE JASON WILSON This was a move for you and your family; what brought this on? It was a bit unexpected. Gay Williams announced her retirement, and Don Hall, with the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association, brought it to my attention and encouraged me to consider applying for the position. I have worked closely with Don for many years, so I felt well-prepared, and I was excited at the prospect of making a contribution to this association. Don is a friend, a mentor, and definitely someone to emulate. I spoke with my wife, Felicia, and we thought it was a good time in our lives for a new adventure. Virginia and Kentucky are neighbors, and while we still have family in Virginia, it’s only an eight-hour drive away. So, we packed up the dogs, and here we are. How are you adjusting to Kentucky? I love it. We’re working on becoming Kentuckians. What are your thoughts about and plans for KADA? The long-term is to be one of the leading associations in the country. I want to model Virginia. I’m very proud of the work I was able to help accomplish with them. KADA may not be the biggest association, but our voice will be heard. We will be out front on the issues that affect our industry. After about 100 days on the job, what’s the KADA path for 2021? Well, within one week of starting the job, I was jumping right into the legislative session. I was active with our lobbyists, Tom and Ryan Underwood, which were extremely helpful and as COVID restrictions lessened, I was meeting with our dealers. It was important for me to hit the ground running. My goal is to be very engaged in the legislative process. I think that is where we, as an organization, can make the most impact on our industry, for our dealers, and the consumers the industry serves. We’re identifying and solidifying our partner relationships. We have three new relationships: MOC Mid-Atlantic, ACV Auctions , and Dealer Merchant Services, so far. When our dealers engage with our partners, it’s so beneficial for everyone. It helps us do what we do and keep our dues low. We’ve been focused on our upcoming convention, and I am very excited – it’s almost sold out. The support we’ve had has been amazing. I think it’s a matter of focusing on the next right thing for the dealers, the association, and the consumers; and success will come. It’s been a busy time, and as we welcome the warmer days of spring and watch the COVID vaccine begin to make a much- needed change, I can’t help but feel positive about the future. First, we’ve seen the close of another successful General Assembly Session. It was an active 2021 session, meeting with legislators in person and via Zoom, as well as countless calls and emails. Thank you to everyone who reached out to their local representatives – we couldn’t have done it without you. Numerous times this past session, we asked for phone calls and emails from you all, and every time, you all answered that request loudly and boldly. Your voices were heard; your voices helped make a difference! It’s hard to imagine that a little over a year ago COVID-19 drastically changed our lives, and began forcing us to redesign and rethink our priorities. We’ve learned a lot about ourselves, our families, the people we work with, and the health and direction of our nation. But in the midst of these difficult times, I watched how dealers – in Virginia and here in Kentucky – rose to the occasion and continued to persevere and adapt to an ever-changing business landscape with shifting customer demands. Although sales slowed initially, many of you saw your most profitable months in years. This essential need to innovate remains, and we must keep pushing forward to improve our processes and facilitate the customer buying experience, both online and in person. We will see more “disruptors” emerge with new ways of doing things. Saying that, I ’m confident that car dealers have learned and grown much over the last year and will continue to be the cutting- edge ambassadors of technology. As an organization, we worked on several issues regarding PPP loans, the trade-in tax credit and electronic registration and titling. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to tune into our brand-new Kentucky Horsepower podcast, where we give a full legislative recap and discuss what the future landscape may look like. We also look forward to the KADA Annual Convention, June 14-17, at the Hammock Beach Resort in PalmCoast, Florida. I encourage you to take advantage of this incredible opportunity to network with fellow dealers – many of whomyoumay not have seen for a while – have fun in the sun with your family and hear from top industry speakers. Engaging with KADA is something everyone will benefit from. This is an industry whose success is collective from the dealers, their voices, their vision and their wisdom. And finally, I am always available for our dealers. I am here as a resource and look forward to working with and serving the needs of KADA for many years. Thank you! KADA spent a fewminutes with our new president, Jason Wilson, on his first 100 days: