Lynn Weaver has been named the first-ever executive director of the Independent Auction Group.

Weaver is the former owner of Harrisburg Auto Auction, which he sold to Americas’ Auto Auction in December 2014 and then remained general manager until he retired from daily operations on Jan. 1

He was previously the volunteer co-chair of IAG, which is made up of the 195 National Auto Auction Association members that are independent auctions.  

Weaver’s responsibilities in the newly created executive director post include “advancing initiatives to address the needs of the organization’s membership,” according an NAAA news release on the position.

“We felt that Lynn was the perfect person for this new executive leadership role because he has been involved with both NAAA and IAG for more than two decades,” said IAG co-chair and former NAAA president Charlotte Pyle.

“He helped build the group to represent and promote the interests of independent auctions and has been instrumental in planning this change of direction for us,” said Pyle, who owns the Capital City and Mountain State auto auctions.

IAG launched in the mid-1980s as the Independent Auctions Advisory Committee, with a goal to “unify, protect and promote independently owned auctions as a single voice in the NAAA and provide support services for owners, managers and staff,” the news release said.

IAG co-chair and DAA Seattle general manager Dave Blake said the organization has been planning a restructuring for nearly two years that would move IAG from being a public relations and resource entity to become more policy- and issue-oriented.

“Our new mission is broader and more proactive, to take the lead in addressing the needs of independent auctions and make an impact on the challenges we face as we move forward into the future, such in the areas of training and technology,” Blake said.