Evans Leaves Both AIADA and AutoNation

After serving only four months of his term of Chairman of the American International Automobile Dealers Assn. (AIADA), Jim Evans Jr. has resigned effective this August.

AIADA Chairman-Elect Don Hicks will replace Evans and serve an extended term through January 2007. Vice Chairman Don Beyer will serve as Chairman-Elect for the association. The board is expected to hold an election to fill the vacant vice chairman post.

The move comes because Evans is leaving his position as market president for AutoNation Inc.'s 14 Florida luxury dealerships to pursue more “entrepreneurial opportunities.”

Evans' election as AIADA chairman marked the first time a representative of a publicly owned dealership chain headed a national dealers association. He has been with AutoNation since he sold his dealerships to the country's largest automotive retailer in 1998.

Hicks owns Shortline Automotive which sells Subarus, Hyundais, Kias and Suzukis. based in Colorado. He acquired the Colorado dealership in 1987 after working in sales at Courtesy Ford of Denver for 15 years. Hicks has been on AIADA's board of directors since 2001 and also is the president of the Metro Denver Auto Dealers Assn.