---

Charles Allen Re-Elected As AAA Chairman At 97th Annual Meeting

9 May 2000

Charles Allen Re-Elected As AAA Chairman At 97th Annual Meeting

    BOSTON, May 9 Charles E. Allen, chairman, CEO and co-
founder of the Graimark family of companies in Michigan, was re-elected
chairman of the AAA Board of Directors at the 97th AAA Annual Meeting in
Boston.
    Nearly 1,000 delegates and club officials, representing the federation's
85 affiliated clubs in the United States and Canada, also elected Robert J.
Cardoza of Modesto, Calif., vice chairman, and Marilyn M. Pfaltz of Summit,
N.J., secretary.
    The two-day meeting for the 43 million-member, Orlando-based federation is
being held at the Boston Marriott Copley Place.
    Allen is a past chairman of the AAA Michigan/Wisconsin Board of Directors.
The Detroit-based Graimark company consists of a real estate development firm,
a full-service investment banking firm and the Domino's Pizza master franchise
in South Africa.
    The Atlanta native began his career in banking and in 1981 he was
recruited to run First Independence, Detroit's original minority-owned bank
which was near collapse.  During his seven-year tenure there, First
Independence became the nation's sixth largest minority bank as its assets
more than doubled from $39 million to $87 million.
    Allen also serves on several corporate and civic boards in the Detroit
area.  Cardoza has been a director of the California State Automobile
Association since 1979 and is past chairman of the club.  He retired as
chairman, president and CEO of Pacific National Bank in Modesto and currently
serves in a number of California business, charitable and public service
organizations.
    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: Raymond
A. Cadieux of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada; Robert J. Cardoza of Modesto,
Calif.; Duane J. Crandall, St. Paul, Minn.; Dr. John DiBiaggio, Medford,
Mass.;  Kenneth A. Johnson, St. Louis, Mo.; Dr. Robert H. Kirk, Knoxville,
Tenn.; and James P. Molinelli, San Francisco, Calif.