The National Independent Automobile Dealers Association reinforced its experience and knowledge base on Monday with a former independent dealer, Sonic Automotive vice president and respected dealer trainer, who will be a senior moderator/consultant for NIADA Dealer 20 Groups.

Coming aboard is Ed Curry, who will moderate retail 20 Groups and will be a strong presence throughout the association’s dealer development program, which includes 20 Groups, dealer education classes and on-site consulting.

“Ed coming to NIADA allows us to solidify and expand on our successful 20 Group program and dealer education offerings,” NIADA chief executive officer Robert Voltmann said in a news release.

“Our board of directors made dealer development and building on the success of the program major tenets of the NIADA strategic plan. Ed is the first of several new additions as we expand the 20 Group program and make it more accessible to more members,” Voltmann continued.

Curry comes to NIADA with more than 40 years of auto industry experience, including 21 years in retail, starting as a salesman while attending college. He’s served in every front-end dealership role from sales to general manager to owner of an independent dealership that included a buy-here, pay-here operation.

Curry held a number of leadership positions in more than eight years with Sonic Automotive, including national used-vehicle director, national sales director, senior vice president of staff operations and vice president of used-vehicle sales.

During his tenure with the publicly traded company, Curry helped create Sonic’s Dealer Academy and wrote much of the curriculum for its first graduating class.

NIADA highlighted Curry also created what the association believes to be an industry first — Sonic University — which provided training to all dealership roles using both live training and distance learning.

Curry then joined NCM Associates and rewrote its used-car boot camp and training program as well as conducting the classes and training other instructors.

He was also a regular contributor to Ward’s Dealer Business magazine.

Curry later held senior positions in the used vehicle operations of Asbury Automotive and Van Tuyl Group, and was executive manager for a franchise dealership owned by Berkshire Hathaway Automotive.

And he was general manager of Atlanta Luxury Motors, an independent operation that was in the initial phases of adding new car franchises to its seven used-car locations.

“I am thrilled to be a part of NIADA and to be able to use my experiences to help elevate independent dealers’ operational performance and education,” Curry said. “I've been training my whole career for this opportunity and can’t wait to get started.”