At its annual convention last week, the National Auto Auction Association officially transitioned to its executive board for 2014-2015.

The trio leading the board is:

• Manheim North Carolina general manager Ellie Johnson, who is now president
• Manheim San Antonio general manager Mike Browning, who is now president-elect
• Brasher’s Portland Auto Auction general manager Jerry Hinton, who is now vice president

“It has been my pleasure to serve NAAA for over a decade and I’m grateful for the membership’s support in my past capacities and appreciate their confidence in me to continue making contributions as their president,” Johnson said. “I eagerly look forward to doing much more for both our members and the industry.”

As she leads NAAA, legislative advocacy will be a major priority for Johnson: “Staying abreast of changing laws and fighting legislation that hinders our industry is very important to me.

“We’re already seeing the value of strength in numbers in the positive results of our advocacy efforts and strategic industry partnerships. Cooperation is key to our ongoing success. I am committed to working together to be a strong voice on the issues that can impact our members.”

Auto Remarketing recently published a profile piece on Johnson and her goals for the association in our NAAA Special Convention Issue. 

Browning, meanwhile, spent the past year as vice president of NAAA, and now moves into the president-elect role. Previously, he held several leadership roles within the NAAA Southern Chapter and is currently its chairman. Additionally, Browning has been a member of the NAAA Board of Directors.

"During my time spent in these various positions, I have come to understand NAAA's mission and the vital role it plays in our industry," Browning noted. "Education, training, ethics, advocacy and community are all important to me, but I am very passionate about membership involvement as crucial to maintaining and strengthening the association for the future."

Hinton takes on the VP role for NAAA. 

 “It is an honor to be chosen by my colleagues for this leadership role and I look forward to serving our members and our industry. Working in the auto auction world has allowed me to use my interests, education and experience in business, finance and law in a broad range of challenges,” Hinton said.  “But even more importantly, an auto auction is a personal business and I enjoy the opportunity of building relationships with the wide variety of people — sellers, dealers, vendors — who make up the diverse remarketing community.”