ATLANTA -

After the retirement of two of its “most accomplished and admired leaders” in early March, Manheim has promoted several of its veteran team members to Market Center leadership positions.

The company promoted JD Daniels to vice president and general manager of the Manheim Orlando-Central Florida Market Center. Manheim also promoted Emily Decker to Arizona Market Center leader and general manager of Manheim Phoenix.

Manheim also named Mandy Savage as general manager of the North Carolina Market Center that includes Manheim Statesville and Manheim Charlotte. And the company promoted Noel Kitsch to general manager of Manheim Detroit and leader of the Manheim Detroit-Flint Market Center.

The promotions followed the news that Manheim Statesville general manager Ellie Johnson and Manheim Orlando vice president and general manager Butch Herdegen Sr. retired from the company.

Johnson and Herdegen’s retirements come after a combined 65 years of service.

As for the new Market Center leaders, they will work cooperatively across locations that share management and support functions.

The company created Market Centers last year, and they group multiple auction locations under a central leader. That, according to Manheim, enables more collaboration and efficiencies for clients.

Manheim promoted JD Daniels to vice president and general manager of the Manheim Orlando-Central Florida Market Center. He has served as general manager of Manheim Phoenix since 2014, and there he increased volume and profits. In 2018 and 2019, the auction earned back-to-back Auction of the Year awards. For the previous three years, Daniels led Manheim Detroit through business changes and growth.

Manheim also promoted Emily Decker to Arizona Market Center leader and general manager of Manheim Phoenix. She has been with the Manheim family for 23 years, and she will oversee the Phoenix operating location and Manheim Tucson. She will also support Cox Automotive Mobility’s Pivet brand as it grows in the Phoenix market. Most recently, Decker oversaw operations for Manheim Indianapolis and Manheim Cincinnati. She was previously an assistant general manager at Manheim Statesville, and she also has commercial and dealer experience in Florida.

Mandy Savage has been named general manager of the North Carolina Market Center, which includes Manheim Statesville and Manheim Charlotte. Savage started out learning the automotive business from the dealer’s perspective before she became a Manheim manager trainee in 2003. She has served in various corporate and operational roles since then. Some of those roles include sales manager for one of the first OVE sales teams, director of digital best practices and assistant general manager of Manheim Palm Beach. She was most recently general manager of Manheim Detroit for the past six years.

Noel Kitsch is now serving the Detroit market with his promotion to general manager of Manheim Detroit and leader of the Manheim Detroit-Flint Market Center. He has been with Manheim for more than 20 years, starting at Manheim Orlando in dealer sales before becoming assistant general manager in 2013. He was also senior assistant general manager at Manheim Central Florida before he became general manager of Manheim Georgia in 2017.

“While these moves were planned before the industry faced its toughest challenge yet, we know that having strong, seasoned leaders in our locations is critical to navigating the ups and downs of the industry,” said Patrick Brennan, senior vice president, Marketplace, Manheim, in a news release.

Brennan continued, “Working closely with clients, we developed Market Centers to give our teams more ways to streamline processes and find shared solutions to better serve our clients.”

The naming of new Market Center leaders comes as Manheim honors Johnson and Herdegen Sr.

Johnson is a second-generation Manheim leader who started in the front office of her father’s auction, Manheim North Carolina, in 1986. She worked her way up to general manager in 1997, and in 2016, she transitioned to general manager of Manheim Statesville. Johnson has served the industry in various leadership roles throughout her career, including the post of National Auto Auction Association president from 2014 to 2015. She was inducted into the NAAA Hall of Fame in 2019 and is a Barbara Cox Woman of the Year award recipient.

Herdegen Sr. was with Manheim Orlando for nearly three decades, starting in 1991 as lot operations manager. He moved through the ranks before becoming general manager in 2011. In that role, he grew Manheim Orlando into the second largest wholesale auto auction site for the company. In 2014, Herdegen Sr. was named the Florida Independent Automobile Dealers Association’s “Auction Man of the Year.” He has also earned awards and recognition from Manheim and its clients.

“Ellie and Butch have had truly remarkable careers,” Brennan said.

Brennan continued, “Their impact on the industry, our organization and the thousands of team members they have worked with and mentored over the years cannot be overstated. These extraordinary individuals will be greatly missed at Manheim as they begin the new chapters of their lives.”