Automotive Retailing Today Announces New Chairman

MCLEAN, Va., May 4, 2004 -- Automotive Retailing Today (ART) today welcomed Alan Starling as its new Chairman of the Board during the association's semi-annual meeting in Washington, DC. Starling succeeds Jim Willingham, who served as chairman for the past three years.

Starling, president of Fairway Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge and Holiday Chevrolet of St. Cloud, Florida, is the immediate past chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association; serves on the board of directors of the Florida Automobile Dealers Association; and is a past president and past director of the Central Florida Auto Dealers Association.

"Jim Willingham has made a tremendous contribution to our industry with his long tenure of volunteerism. His leadership with ART will be missed," said Starling. "I look forward to working with our member organizations and continuing the progress Jim has made."

A new car dealer since 1975, Starling's past volunteer positions include: past president of the Kissimmee Chamber of Commerce; past chairman of the United Way; and past foundation president of both the University of Central Florida and Valencia Community College. He has also served as a gubernatorial appointee on the board of directors of the Greater Orlando Aviation Authority.

Under Willingham, ART conducted biannual research on consumer, media and dealer perceptions of the auto purchasing experience. In addition, Willingham recently headed up the launch of two recruitment strategies to attract returning military veterans and tech-savvy students to rewarding, high-paying automotive-related jobs. The first, Hire the Heroes, links auto dealers with separating members of the armed forces to tap into a rich talent pool of skilled workers. The second, Auto Jobs Today (www.autojobstoday.org), is a new online resource for understanding auto technician training requirements and career paths.

ART is a coalition of all major automobile manufacturers and dealer organizations. It works to promote a better understanding of the industry and to build stronger customer relationships. For more information, visit www.autoretailing.org.