NIADA members elected Don Griffin president of the association Monday during the Annual Membership Meeting.
Griffin is the CEO and founder of CarHop in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Griffin has been on the NIADA Board of Directors since 2021, rising to president-elect last year.
“We have an incredible group of people on the board that support the industry, but I really think for me it’s just wanting to give back to the industry. NIADA is really the best way to contribute and help expand the voice for all independent dealers,” Griffin said.
Griffin brings a unique perspective to the president’s role. After working as the Director of Operations for the South Dakota Attorney General, he began his career in the automotive industry in Lincoln, Nebraska, at a single Byrider BHPH lot. In 1996, he started CarHop with a partner.
“When we started, we were balancing credit cards and had very little money. We washed the cars, cleaned them, sold them and did everything else. It was truly a small business,” Griffin said.
The business has now grown to 33 lots across several states.
“I’ve been a small guy. I’ve been a bigger guy. The challenges of the businesses are essentially the same,” Griffin said. “The way we go out and approach our customers is the same. As you spread across different markets, that creates more challenges for our business. It’s been a great business for us. The best part is the ability to help our customers.”
Griffin begins his tenure as the industry adjusts to a changing regulatory environment in Washington, D.C., and across the nation. Griffin said it’s important for dealers to stay engaged as state attorney general offices and regulatory agencies become more active. He wants to see NIADA continue to grow its voice in advocacy after taking big strides in the past year with the hiring of the lobby firm Hance Scarborough in D.C., and naming Patrick O’Brien the Director of Government Relations and Compliance.
“Regulatory changes and sometimes overreach have been a challenge for the industry. I think that’s why NIADA’s efforts to help legislators and regulators understand the importance of our business and the challenges are important,” Griffin said. “Increasing our advocacy is very important through grassroots lobbying, the political action committee or meeting face to face with legislators.”
NIADA continues to grow its education offerings with new courses and boot camps slated to start and the return of the Certified Master Dealer program. With the new offerings on top of the 20 Groups and the NIADA Convention and BHPH Dealer Forum, Griffin said NIADA remains the best place for dealers to receive valuable education.
Griffin looks forward to the opportunity to represent and meet dealers during his tenure.
“I’ll be listening to the other dealers, the partners, the state affiliates and trying to do the best job of representing their needs and building an association that’s the best voice for dealers,” Griffin said.
The NIADA Board of Directors approved by membership included:
President: Don Griffin
President-elect: Darla Booher
Senior Vice President: Dan Johnson
Treasurer: Bentley Nolan
Secretary: Chris Maher
Region 1 VP: Donald Sullivan, Jr.
Region 2 VP: Jack Carter
Region 3 VP: Otto Hahne
Region 4 VP: Greg Zak
Region 5 VP: Mark Weida
Region 6 VP: Nick Markosian
Chairman of the Board: Michael Darrow
About NIADA
NIADA is a dealer-driven nonprofit association representing more than 13,000 independent auto dealers throughout the nation. For more than 75 years, NIADA has engineered programs and leveraged technology to fulfill its mission to advance, educate and promote the independent used car dealer. Along with its many education programs, including 20 Groups, it lobbies for the industry in Washington, D.C., and at the state level. For information about NIADA programs and educational opportunities, visit www.niada.com.
