MenuMENU
SearchSEARCH

Advocacy Must Extend Beyond NADA’s Washington Conference

Each dealer has a pivotal role to play in our advocacy. Now that the 2020 Washington Conference has come and gone, our advocacy and grassroots work must continue.

by Rhett Ricart, 2020 NADA Chairman
October 1, 2020
Advocacy Must Extend Beyond NADA’s Washington Conference

Each dealer has a pivotal role to play in our advocacy. Now that the 2020 Washington Conference has come and gone, our advocacy and grassroots work must continue.

2 min to read


NADA – Despite the unpredictable disruption we’ve faced this year, dealers, like you and I, are standing tall and stronger than ever. Our doors are open, customers are safely back in our showrooms and our employees are back to work. While we have been busy navigating operations during this tumultuous year, NADA has been behind the scenes tackling every single dealer issue—big and small—to keep America’s dealerships alive and running. I have never been prouder.

Each dealer has a pivotal role to play in our advocacy.

NADA moved at the speed of light advocating for the auto retail industry throughout the coronavirus pandemic. Early on, we were able to ensure that auto dealers were declared an ESSENTIAL business. When most of America was shutting down, our service centers stayed open for our customers to keep America safely rolling, and we were able to get our sales offices open almost everywhere over the critical next weeks. We advocated for the Paycheck Protection Program and for dozens of measures to keep our businesses thriving, as well as interrupted dozens of federal regulations. Dealers were always front and center.

Last week, I was able to speak to many of you about our advocacy efforts at NADA’s first-ever, all-virtual Washington Conference. While the event didn’t look like it has in past years, one thing is clear: The dealer voice matters in Washington, now more than ever before.

For generations before us, the new automobile dealer titans have been advocating for our industry. Their advocacy efforts laid the groundwork for us today and we must provide the stewardship in our industry for the dealers that will follow us.

Each dealer has a pivotal role to play in our advocacy. Now that the 2020 Washington Conference has come and gone, our advocacy and grassroots work must continue. In fact, this is when we need to kick it into higher gear. We need you to get more involved by having more virtual meetings with your elected officials in Washington and hosting more Congressional members for dealership tours, when appropriate. The tours are easy, I’ve done them for years. Contact your state or metro organization for details.

We are greater than the sum of our respective dealerships. NADA is stronger and more united than ever! NADA can get us through these challenges, but not without your help.

Let’s go out and passionately advocate for the industry that supports our families, our employees and drives our local economies forward!

Read: How to Keep Remote Customers Engaged

More Showroom

Salesby StaffJanuary 21, 2026

Black Book: Weekly Market Update

Could it be an early spring when it comes to used-vehicle sales? Black Book analysts think so based on recent weeks' auction activity.

Read More →
credit card, cash, toy car, car keys on top of laptop
Showroomby Lauren LawrenceJanuary 14, 2026

Buyer Satisfaction Up Despite High Prices

Auto consumers reported greater satisfaction last year despite higher prices and rising tariffs, due to an omnichannel approach blending online and in-person shopping, Cox Automotive research found.

Read More →
Industryby Hannah MitchellJanuary 5, 2026

Late-Year Auto Sales Off

Purchases of new and used vehicles were down in December despite several positive market turns for consumers, whose optimism didn’t match their big-ticket spending.

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Industryby Hannah MitchellDecember 10, 2025

November Underlines Have-and-Have-Not Market

ATPs, asking prices stay elevated as affordable model sales languish and pricey ones flourish

Read More →
Industryby StaffNovember 26, 2025

Black Book: Weekly Market Update

Midsize luxury and subcompact luxury crossover segment depreciation quickened last week amid overall declines.

Read More →
Salesby Hannah MitchellNovember 17, 2025

October Brings Used Sales Turnaround

Still-pricey market nonetheless sees healthy volume

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Salesby Hannah MitchellNovember 12, 2025

New-Car Market Tips Further Toward the Wealthy

Average October prices barely skipped a beat from September’s records.

Read More →
ShowroomNovember 3, 2025

Today’s Pricing Challenge

It’s wise to know your sweet spots in a volatile market.

Read More →
Industryby Hannah MitchellOctober 22, 2025

Tesla Gets Slower in Golden State

The EV maker continued to lose market share in the state in Q3

Read More →
Ad Loading...
Salesby Hannah MitchellOctober 22, 2025

October Sales Down

Expected decline in EV deliveries not as bad as some might have expected

Read More →