FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. -

AutoNation’s stockholders on April 18 elected Thomas Baltimore Jr. and Steven Gerard to the auto retailer’s board of directors.

Since January 2017, Baltimore has been chairman, president and chief executive officer of Park Hotels & Resorts Inc., a lodging real estate investment trust. Gerard was chief executive officer of integrated business services and products provider CBIZ Inc. from October 2000 until his retirement in March 2016. Gerard continues to serve as CBIZ’s chairman of its board of directors, and he has been in that position since October 2002.

 The election of Baltimore and Gerard took place at AutoNation’s 2019 annual meeting of stockholders.

Baltimore was president and chief executive officer of the planned Hilton Real Estate Investment Trust between May 2016 and January 2017. From May 2011 to May 2016, he was president and chief executive officer of RLJ Lodging Trust, a real estate investment company, and he was co-founder and president of RLJ Lodging’s predecessor company, RLJ Development LLC, from 2000 to May 2011.

Between 1994 and 2000, Baltimore served in various management positions with Hilton Hotels Corp. and Host Marriott Services. He also serves as lead independent director of Prudential Financial Inc.

From 1997 to October 2000, Gerard served as chairman and chief executive officer of Great Point Capital Inc., which provides operational and advisory services. He was chairman and chief executive officer of Triangle Wire & Cable Inc. and its successor Ocean View Capital Inc. from 1991 to 1997.

Gerard worked for 16 years with Citibank N.A. in senior corporate finance and banking positions, and he also served seven years with the American Stock Exchange, where his last position was vice president of the securities division. He also serves on the board of directors for Lennar Corp. and Las Vegas Sands Corp. Gerard has been recognized as an NACD Board Leadership Fellow.

“With their extensive corporate executive and board experience, we welcome the valuable experience and insight Tom and Steve will bring to the AutoNation Board,” AutoNation’s executive chairman Mike Jackson said in a news release.