At the February Leadership Meeting, the CAWA Board of Directors elected Mike Mohler of the Automotive Parts Services Group as their 2018 Secretary to the Board of Directors. Mr. Mohler is Executive Vice President, Vendor Relations and Product Strategy, at the Automotive Parts Services Group, which is a collaboration between the National Pronto Association and Federated Auto Parts Distributors. In his current position, Mohler is responsible for the overall management of The Group's vendor relationships and overall product/brand strategy. Mohler is also actively involved in many other corporate activities, including marketing, training, data-warehousing and strategic planning. 

"We are pleased to have someone of Mike's caliber step up to an officers' position within the Association and we look forward to his many years of service and contributions to CAWA", commented Jack Gosnell, Chair of the Board of Directors upon Mr. Mohler's election. "I am honored to have been selected as Secretary to the CAWA Board of Directors. Upon considering CAWA's distinguished track record of staunch member support and their utter devotion to local, state, and national industry advocacy, I am delighted to continue my service, as Secretary, in the Association's continued race for member and industry relevance - not only for today but for all of the tomorrows yet to come", Mohler commented upon his election.

In other election news, the CAWA Manufacturers Advisory Council (MAC) elected Jeanette Lorenzo of NAME, Inc. as 2018 Chair and Bob Leone of ADVICS NA as the Vice-Chair for the year. "These two individuals have served in the past and do an excellent job in facilitating the MAC's agenda and work", commented the Association's President & CEO, Rodney Pierini. "We look forward to the participation and contributions of all our volunteer leadership and anticipate a stellar year for CAWA", continued Pierini.

CAWA would also like to thank the following companies for their sponsorship of the February Leadership Meeting:

Lead-acid batteries are the most recycled consumer product, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. At a 99 percent recycling rate, that is more than paper, glass and cardboard. In fact, the typical new lead-acid battery contains 60 to 80 percent recycled lead and plastic. With more than 1 billion vehicles on the road across the globe, there's a constant stream of batteries in need of recycling. Getting rid of an old car battery isn't quite as simple as throwing the old one away. Each lead-acid car battery contains about 20 pounds of lead - which is a significant amount and is quite valuable. Lead-acid batteries can be easily recycled, and in some cases, you can get paid for your efforts. See recommendations here.

The U.S. Supreme Court's recent denial of a Trump administration bid to expedite a legal challenge to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program means, for the time being, employers can continue to legally employ Dreamers with DACA status. See this link for details. Should you have any questions regarding this information, recall as a member you receive up to ½ hour per month of FREE legal consultation. See www.cawa.org to find the CAWA attorney in your state. Another member benefit. Source: Our Friends at the California Chamber of Commerce