Welcome to the inaugural Las Vegas Compliance Summit! Our series of regional events has made stops in Miami, Chicago, Austin and Tampa, and we can’t wait to share our program with you here at Paris Las Vegas.

Compliance Summit was designed to deliver a crash course in federal regulations and enforcement actions and help you build sustainable sales and F&I processes without sacrificing productivity or profitability. If that sounds like a tall order, it should, but our speakers know how to get it done. Here’s what we have in store:

Welcome Address

Our first speaker is Andy MacKay, executive director of the Nevada Franchised Auto Dealer Association (NFADA). He is a fourth-generation Nevadan who previously served as chairman of the Nevada Transportation Agency and as a partner in several private enterprises. MacKay is charged with protecting the interests of more than 100 new-car dealers in his state, and we are grateful that he has agreed to share his thoughts and kick off our event.

F&I Products, Regulators and the Presidential Election

Attorney and compliance expert Aaron Lunt of The Warranty Group will touch on a number of hot-button issues in his opening keynote address. He believes increased compliance and regulation is the most significant pressure point for dealers today, and he will explain the roles federal agencies and state attorneys general — and, yes, even our next president — will play in shaping the compliance landscape in the years ahead.

The Buck Stops Here: Dealers, Compliance and Enforcement

Few compliance experts command as much respect as Terry O’Loughlin, a former regulator with the Florida attorney general’s office who now serves as director of compliance for Reynolds and Reynolds. He will explain why dealers, not managers nor staff, bear the onus of compliance, and how having the right policies, tools and best practices in place is the best way to protect your operation.

Knowledge Is Power

Our first panel session will be led by compliance expert and attorney Michael Maledon and staffed by Bob Balak of Compli, Alpha Warranty’s Darin Ramos,  Steve Roennau of EFG Companies, and Timbrook Automotive Group’s Dina Wilson. Maledon and his experts will sort through the complex maze of rules and regulations to identify and focus on the best practices dealers are using today to keep up with changes and withstand scrutiny.

Luncheon Address

Our luncheon speaker is Jim Radogna, a San Diego-based compliance expert and trainer. Before founding Dealer Compliance Consultants, he served as compliance officer for a large auto group, the apex of a 15-year retail career that also included roles in F&I and sales management. Radogna will offer his views on the state of dealer preparedness and discuss compliance issues unique to the Western states.

Compliance Traps Your Store MUST Avoid

Attorney Jim Ganther of Mosaic Compliance Services is a dealer advocate and a Compliance Summit mainstay. His address will cover the common mistakes made by dealers in a highly regulated environment, how to avoid them, and how to train managers and staff to ensure your sales and finance processes remain up to code.

Leadership, Teamwork and Accountability

I have the honor of leading our second panel discussion, which will focus on the individual roles owners, managers and staff — and, in particular, your appointed compliance officer — play in protecting your dealership and your customers. I will be joined by Justin Gasman, the award-winning finance director at McCaddon Cadillac Buick GMC in Boulder, Colo., and compliance experts Michael Tuno and Max Zanan of ARMD Resource Group and Total Dealer Compliance, respectively.

The Paper Trail: A Dealer’s Best Defense Witness

Compliance expert and trainer Gil Van Over, founder and president of gvo3 & Associates, will take the stage to discuss your documentation program — or lack thereof. In a sales and finance process that requires the customer to sign their name 80 times or more, you need to establish and enforce a set of rules that can serve as a defense against litigation claims and government inquiries. With your operation on the line, every signature counts, and consistency is the key to your paper trail.

Where the Rubber Meets the Road

Our final panel discussion will be helmed by United Development Systems (UDS)’s Brian Crisorio, who will be joined by Erika Ahern of CNA National, Doug Fusco of Dealer Safeguard Solutions, F&I Express’ Brian Reed, and Iris Spiegel of Miller Automotive Operations. This esteemed group will turn our discussion from the theoretical to the practical, detailing the simple, actionable processes and controls dealers are implementing in F&I offices nationwide.

Is It Compliant? 

Day One ends with a bang as our master of ceremonies, Bob Harkins of American Guardian Warranty Services, will facilitate “Is It Compliant?,” an open-forum discussion among Compliance Summit speakers and attendees. This is your chance to pose your toughest questions to our experts and share the challenges you have faced in your dealership and market. So don’t hold back, and remember: Compliance Summit is your event!

Certified Automotive Compliance Specialist Review and Exam

Day Two brings your opportunity to earn Certified Automotive Compliance Specialist status following the successful completion of a four-hour review session and a satisfactory score on the exam that follows.

The review session is divided into two parts: Part 1 runs from 8:00 a.m. to 9:45 a.m. and will cover such topics as ethics, vocabulary, Reg Z and M, adverse actions, ECOA, FCRA, credit applications and more. After a break, Part 2 starts at 10:00 a.m. and ends at noon; this session will include Magnusson-Moss, the Used Car Rule, Red Flags, Safeguards, OFAC, Unfair, Deceptive or Abusive Acts and Practices (UDAAP) and more.

After a half-hour lunch, the exam itself will begin at 12:30 p.m. and end at 2:00 p.m. But the fun doesn’t end there.

Industry Summit

Your Compliance Summit registration also grants you full access to Industry Summit, the auto retail and finance industry’s premier training event. You can drop in on sessions covering topics ranging from needs discovery and objection-handling to lender relations, the used-car market correction and everything in between. Tour the exhibit hall, take advantage of the free meals and join us for evening receptions.

I am so happy you have decided to join us for Compliance Summit. We take great pride in our event and we have been encouraged by all the positive reviews, phone calls and emails that followed our first four conferences. I hope you take full advantage of everything this week has to offer.