California Civic Leader Elected AAA Chairman

    PALM DESERT, Calif.--May 1, 2001--Robert J. Cardoza, California business and community leader and former banking executive, has been elected chairman of the AAA Board of Directors at the 98th AAA Annual Meeting here today.
    Approximately 1,000 delegates and club officials, representing the federation's 81 affiliated clubs in the United States and Canada, also elected Willis B. Wood, Jr. of Los Angeles, vice chairman, and re-elected Marilyn M. Pfaltz of Summit, N.J., secretary.
    Cardoza, who served as vice chairman of the AAA board the past two years, has been a director of the California State Automobile Association, the second largest AAA-affiliated club, since 1979 and is a past chair of the club's board of directors.
    He retired as chairman, president and CEO of Pacific Valley National Bank in Modesto, Calif., and currently is active in numerous central California business, charitable and public service organizations. He resides with his family in Modesto.
    Wood has been a member of the Automobile Club of Southern California since 1993. He held a variety of operating and senior management positions in the Pacific Enterprises group of companies and retired as chairman and CEO in 1998 when Pacific Enterprises merged.
    Pfaltz has been a director of the AAA New Jersey Automobile Club since 1977 and served as chairman from 1995-97. She is a founding partner of P&R Associates of Summit, N.J.
    Re-elected to new three-year terms on the board of directors were: Charles E. Allen of Detroit; William I. McKenzie of Portland, Maine; Thomas V. McKernan of Los Angeles, Calif.; Robert B. Sharp of Tampa, Fla.; and Pfaltz.
    Debra A. Dinnocenzo of Wexford, Pa. was elected to a new three-year term on the board and Charles H. Podowski of Dearborn, Mich. was elected to a one-year term to fill a vacancy.
    AAA provides its 44 million members with travel, insurance, financial and automotive-related services. Since its founding in 1902, the not-for-profit, fully tax-paying AAA has been a leader and advocate for the safety and security of all travelers.

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