There is a new chairman at the American International Automobile Dealers Association.

At AIADA’s 50th Annual Meeting and Luncheon on Monday in Las Vegas during NADA Show 2020, Washington state dealer Jason Courter officially stepped into this role for the association.

Courter is the chief executive of Honda Auto Center of Bellevue and Honda of Kirkland.  He has been an AIADA board member since 2012.

“It is my mission to make sure that in 2020, AIADA channels some of the spirit and vision of its original founders from 1970,” Courter said during the luncheon, according to remarks in a news release from AIADA.

“We will fight to protect affordability for our customers,” he said. “We will work to involve new dealers in our efforts, and we will strive to ensure that there isn't a single international nameplate dealer in the United States of America who hasn't shaken his or her congressional representative's hand in 2020.”

In his speech, Courter also prioritized examining the future of dealers and the auto industry.

“The next 50 years will surely see giant leaps in technology, shifts in society’s structure, and changes to our daily transportation needs. But no matter what, dealers will survive. Dealers will thrive. And dealers will continue to serve their customers. We will manage those things because we aren’t afraid to look far into the future and take chances on what we see there.”

The AIADA board’s 2020 leadership also includes:

• Howard Hakes, Immediate Past Chairman (City of Industry, Calif.)
• Steve Gates, Chairman-Elect (Richmond, Ky.)
• John Connelly, Vice-Chairman (Columbus, Ohio)