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On the Move-November 14, 2012
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Bob Bell Honored as 2012 MADAF Hall of Fame Inductee
MADA is proud to recognize Robert L. Bell (1933-2011) as our third inductee into the Maryland Automobile Dealers Association Foundation Hall of Fame. Mr. Bell was born in Alexandria, Virginia and as a teenager was selected to be a Senate page. He proudly served in the Korean War and upon his discharge attended the University of Virginia. Bob married his childhood sweetheart, Rosemarie Carter, in 1951. Their union produced five daughters, 19 grandchildren, and 5 great-grandchildren with two more on the way.
Bob began his automotive career in 1956 as a management trainee at Ford Motor Company upon graduating from college. He worked at Ford as a field manager and retail manager for six years before opening his first dealership, Academy Ford in Laurel, with his friend, Tom Lynch. In 1979, Bob came to Baltimore and opened Bob Bell Ford in Glen Burnie. From that came the Bob Bell Automotive Group that today includes 7 franchises at 4 locations around Baltimore.
Always involved in the Association, he served as a MADA Board member. Bob represented Maryland in 2001 as the TIME Magazine Quality Dealer of the Year nominee and was selected as one of the top five finalists that year. He was a true leader in our local industry.
Famous for playing the piano in a pink tuxedo, Bob became one of the best known automotive dealers in Maryland. He loved high performance cars, was an avid sports fisherman and won the White Marlin Open in 1992.
We are proud to bestow this honor upon Bob Bell. He truly was a remarkable and an unforgettable man!
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MADAF Hosts 3rd Annual Gala
The Maryland Automobile Dealers Association Foundation [MADAF] recently celebrated it's 3rd year in with a black tie gala in Chevy Chase, MD. Guests from around the state joined us for an evening filled with dancing, dinner, and remembering those who made our industry the powerhouse that it is today...
The evening began with a cocktail hour during which guests mingled. After a seated dinner, we then paid tribute to our 2012 Hall of Fame nominee, Bob Bell of the Bob Bell Automotive Group based in the Baltimore area.
Sam Weaver, MADAF Chairman, regaled us with Bob's life story and provided examples of his legacy as a father to five girls, his wonderful philanthropy and his business. Sam then called up Bob's widow, Rosemarie, who accepted an award in his honor-a crystal tablet bearing Bob's image.
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Rosemarie Bell accepting the award in Bob's honor.
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The evening ended with lively music as guests danced to music provided by The Shades of Blue Orchestra. Especially touching was watching Bob's family as three generations took to the dance floor for photos, laughter, and sharing toasts in his honor.
We thank everyone who joined us for this special event and we look forward to seeing you in 2013! Please enjoy a few photos from the evening. We will notify guests when the rest of them are available for viewing online.
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The Bell family.
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Rosemarie with son-in-law, George Davis.
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Guests watch a slideshow of family photos
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Foundation Awards First Two Scholarships
In keeping with the mission of our Foundation, MADA is proud to announce that we awarded the first two of our two year scholarships this past year. Our two recipients for this academic year are Seth Loar, a Frostburg State University student majoring in Business Administration with a concentration in finance, and Brent Horner, a freshman at University of Northwestern Ohio majoring in auto technology and high performance. Seth was sponsored by Thomas Subaru Hyundai in Cumberland and Brent was sponsored by Pohanka of Salisbury. We look forward to their bright future in the Maryland automobile dealer industry.
Many thanks are due to the members of our selection committee: Tom Walls, board liaison; Ethel Biensach, board secretary-treasurer and Dr. Darla Strouse, head of the Maryland Teacher of the Year Program and longtime friend of the Association. We thank Tom, Ethel, and Darla for their diligence in making these selections.
Applications for the 2013-2014 Academic Year are now being accepted and can be found by Clicking Here.
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Save the Date for Two MADA Events
MADA announces the date and location for two of our annual events in 2013...
Join us on Tuesday, January 15, 2013 at the Loews Annapolis Hotel for our Annual Membership Meeting and Legislative Reception.
We also invite our members to join us for the MADA/VADA/WANADA Reception at the 2013 NADA/ATD Convention & Expo in Orlando. The reception will be held on February 9, 2013 at Baterby's Art Gallery located in the Pointe Orlando complex.
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MADA Office Holiday Schedule
MADA's offices in Annapolis will be closed for Thanksgiving holiday on Thursday, November 22nd, and Friday, November 23rd. We will reopen for business on Monday, November 26th. We wish all of our members and their families a safe, healthy, and happy Thanksgiving!
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New Webinars Announced from DealersEdge
Learn the Secrets and Savings of Consolidating Back Office Ops for Multi-Location Dealer Groups
Date/Time: Thursday, November 29 at 1:00 p.m.
Presenter: Jodi Kippe & Mercedes Hendricks of the Crowe
Horwath Dealer Service Group
Cost: $149.00 per person
So many back office tasks are duplicated by each dealership location. All could benefit from economies-of-scale and more efficient use of your most talented staff. But too often the attempted consolidation fails to deliver, or ends up on the scrap heap.
Join us for this Webinar featuring two dealership organization pros from the Dealer Services Group at Crowe Horwath LLP. They will detail how some dealer groups have attained huge savings and improved efficiencies by consolidating many support functions.
This webinar will cover the following:
- How to merge different policies, floor plans and OEM financials...
- Why setting a standard chart of accounts for all locations is essential for improved efficiency...
- How to get the DMS to do more of the work.
- The benefits of having standard report formats
- Way to streamline reporting for financial statements, bank reconciliations, accounts receivables analysis, floor plan payoffs, and vendor payments.
CLICK HERE TO REGISTER TODAY!
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Welcome New Associate Member
TD Auto Finance, providing automotive finance to dealerships. Eric Garber, Regional Sales Director, phone: 443.336.4718 or email: eric.garber@tdautofinance.com. Jon Holloway, Dealer Relations Manager, phone: 443.742.7669 or email: jholloway@tdautofinance.com.
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Maryland Automobile Dealers Association
7 State Circle, Suite 301
Annapolis, MD 21401
(800) 526.7423 (Toll-free)
(410) 269.1549 (Fax)
www.mdauto.org
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Upcoming Events
January 15, 2013 - MADA Annual Membership Meeting and Legislative Reception, Annapolis, MD February 7-10, 2013 - Motor Trend International Auto Show-Baltimore February 9, 2013 - MADA/VADA/WANADA Reception at the NADA/ATD Convention & Expo, Baterby's Art Gallery, Orlando, FL |
Interested in advertising in our quarterly publication, In Gear?
Please contact Don F. Brown with Media Communications for more information: 813.423.1429 or don@spectruminkpublishing.com.
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