Michele Wright, Director of Sales
Autotrader/KBB, Cox Automotive
Tariffs, Montana Specific Information, and the Ever-Changing Consumer
Michele is a 20-year sales and marketing expert and has held senior roles in telecom, digital marketing and real estate before finding her home in automotive. She came to Cox Automotive eight years ago and is the director of sales over the Mountain States region, covering eight states. Her team is consistently ranked highest in customer satisfaction, and they have created an in-store training program to help better partner at a local level.
Watch Michele’s video.
Katie Meyer, Senior Director of Media and Digital Solutions, Business Development
Cars Commerce
How Audiences Drive Efficiency in Advertising
With over a decade of experience at Dealer Inspire/Cars Commerce, Katie has partnered with thousands of dealerships, providing expert education and consultation on the Cars Commerce platform. As the second sales associate ever hired at Dealer Inspire, Katie has played a pivotal role in the company’s transformation — from a 30-person startup to a thriving organization of more than 1,800 employees. She has contributed to the launch of every OEM program in the company’s history, making her a cornerstone of its continued growth and innovation.
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April Nettles
Cars Commerce
April has spent the last 25 years in enterprise sales for companies such as Twitter, Nielsen, Time Inc. and Cox Automotive with focus almost exclusively in the automotive sector. Today, she leads the Western territory at Cars Commerce, which is the merger between cars.com and Dealer Inspire. Here she consults dealers in the Western Region about their website and digital advertising strategies and represents the full spectrum of the Cars Commerce ecosystem. April’s real value is shown in her ability to drill complex situations down into action items for a marketer’s benefit. With a deep understanding of the automotive market at all levels (Tier 1/2/3) and strong relationships across media, marketing, sales, research and tech.
Todd Smith, CEO
QoreAI
Todd is the CEO of QoreAI, pioneering AI-driven solutions at the intersection of automotive retail and technology. With 30+years of industry experience and a track record of successful startups, Todd is transforming how dealerships approach customer data security and operational efficiency. His innovative work with QoreAI is setting new standards for identity verification and fraud prevention in automotive retail.
Michael Hayes, Director
NADA Academy
Top 20 Best Practices
Throughout his 40+ years in the automobile industry, Michael’s greatest satisfaction has come from helping build teams and sharing tools to promote growth and success. As a franchised auto dealer, he supported a team that led the market in sales penetration as well as Distinguished Service Awards, culminating in the coveted Chairman’s Award. Michael has been honored by TIME magazine and served the Vermont dealers as their president, legislative and NADA PAC director and on the National Auto Dealer Association (NADA) Board of Directors. Working in the remarketing industry as COO of the National Auto Auction Association and as VP of dealer development with an electric vehicle startup has given Michael unique perspectives on opportunities for dealers. As academy director, he supports 15 instructors, delivering education solutions for all our members.
Watch Michael’s video.
Tom Castriota, 2025 Chairman
NADA
NADA Updates
Tom Castriota, along with his wife, Anita, are owners and dealers of Castriota Chevrolet, Inc. in Hudson, Florida. He started in the automotive business in 1979, working in his family’s dealership in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Tom is the 2025 chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association and represents Florida’s franchised new-car dealers on the board of directors. (Term: January 2016-January 2025)
Tim Sheehy
U.S. Senator for Montana
Tim was elected to serve the people of Montana in the U.S. Senate on Nov. 5, 2024. Tim is committed to serving Montana by fighting for a strong economy, a secure border, American strength on the world stage and greater opportunity for all Montanans.
Ivette Rivera, Senior Vice President, Legislative Affairs
NADA
As senior vice president of NADA’s Legislative Affairs group, Ivette works to develop NADA’s overall legislative strategy and oversees day-to-day operations of the association’s Capitol Hill office. A longtime NADA employee, Rivera has been involved in many critical dealer issues. She played a key role in getting dealers exempted from Consumer Financial Protection Bureau oversight and developing the Cash for Clunkers program. She was instrumental in helping to obtain Congressional passage of two dealer-specific public laws, including a measure to ensure that dealers are not forced to waive their rights under state law in a dispute with their manufacturer.
Andy Graff, Chief Operating Officer
ComplyAuto
Andy, a 33-year veteran of the retail car business exclusively with Galpin Motors, has excelled in nearly every position within the variable side of the dealership. Beginning his automotive career as a lease caller in 1990, Andy rose through the ranks to become the vice president of sales, a position he held for nearly 10 years, starting during the recession. In this role, he demonstrated remarkable leadership and resilience, ultimately advancing to become the chief technology officer for the Galpin enterprise by 2019. He joined ComplyAuto as the chief operating officer in March of 2023, where he oversees sales, customer experience and customer support.
Watch Andy’s video.
Debra “Debbie” Letcher, Dealership Management Consultant
20 Group, NADA
NADA 20 Group Vital Health Checks
Debbie has over 35 years of experience leading operations, finance, technology, customer service and staff management. She steadily advanced through the ranks of controller, service manager, finance manager and general sales manager to leading dealer operations as general manager. She led operational processes that bolstered profitability, guided dealer rankings to top performance in the region and oversaw a multimillion-dollar remodel. Known for her people-centered approach to business and leadership, Debbie has gained a reputation for generating business results while growing and inspiring high-performing teams. She is a hands-on professional who provides an environment of quality, progress and professionalism while focusing on improving customer engagement as a driver of business growth in better and smarter ways.
Watch Debbie’s video.
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