NOADA Leadership - Governed by Dealers, for Dealers
The Northeast Ohio Automobile Dealers Association is led by the people it serves. NOADA is a member-owned association, and its direction is set by a board of directors drawn from franchised dealerships across Northeast Ohio, supported by an elected slate of officers and a professional staff that runs the association and the Akron BMV day to day. That structure - dealers governing, professionals operating - has kept the association accountable to its members and grounded in the region since 1927.
This page explains how NOADA is governed, who serves on the board, and how the board and staff fit together.
How NOADA is governed
NOADA’s governance follows the standard, well-tested model of a dealer trade association:
- The membership - franchised new-vehicle dealerships in Northeast Ohio - are the owners of the association. Members elect the board and set the broad direction.
- The board of directors - active dealer principals and general managers - sets policy, approves the budget, and represents the diversity of brands, store sizes, and communities across the region.
- The officers - typically a Chair/President, Vice Chair, Treasurer, and Secretary, elected from the board - provide executive oversight between full board meetings.
- The professional staff carries out the association’s work and operates the Akron BMV agency day to day.
This separation matters. Dealers bring the lived experience of running stores in Northeast Ohio; the professional staff brings continuity and the operational capacity to advocate, deliver services, and run a public BMV counter every business day.
Board of directors
NOADA’s board of directors is composed of franchised dealers and dealership leaders from across Northeast Ohio. The board’s job is to keep the association pointed at what its members actually need - sound advocacy, useful services, and credible representation - while ensuring the organization remains financially healthy and true to its mission.
The board reflects the makeup of the membership: dealers from established dealership groups and family-owned stores across the region. Members of the 2024 board of directors include:
| Board member | Office / role | Dealership |
|---|---|---|
| Russ Toth | President | Toth Buick GMC |
| Jerry VanDevere | Vice President | VanDevere |
| Pat Primm | Director | Cascade |
| Cody Huff | Director | Fred Martin |
Directors serve defined terms and rotate through officer positions over time. The slate is reviewed by the membership; contact the NOADA office at (330) 272-9011 for the current board.
Staff and the Akron BMV team
Behind the board sits the professional staff that makes the association run and keeps the Akron BMV open to the public. Broadly, the staff covers:
- Association management - membership, events, communications, and the AUTO KNOW market feature.
- Member services - title and registration processing for member dealers, HR-hotline coordination, background checks, document shredding, and compliance support.
- Akron BMV operations - the deputy registrar clerks who serve the walk-in public. These clerks are the front line of the agency’s core responsibility: accurate identity verification on behalf of the State of Ohio. They review source documents, issue plates and stickers, renew licenses and IDs, produce REAL IDs, and notarize documents, work that demands precision because errors carry real consequences for the people they serve.
NOADA invests in training and retaining skilled clerks precisely because the responsibility is so high. If you are interested in joining the team, see Careers.
For general questions, you can reach the NOADA office at (330) 272-9011 or email tim@neodealers.com.
Leadership that stays local
The thread running through NOADA’s leadership is local accountability. The board members are dealers whose stores are down the road. The clerks live in the communities they serve. That is the practical advantage of a member-owned regional association over a distant, for-profit operator: the people making decisions have to live with them, in the same region as the dealers and drivers they answer to.
Frequently asked questions
Who leads NOADA? NOADA is governed by a board of directors made up of Northeast Ohio franchised dealers and run day to day by a professional staff that also operates the Akron BMV (Agency 7731).
How is NOADA governed? As a member-owned association, NOADA is governed by a board of dealer directors who set policy and budget, and a professional staff that runs daily operations and the Akron BMV.
Who is on the NOADA board of directors? The board is composed of franchised dealers and dealership leaders from across Northeast Ohio. Members of the 2024 board include Russ Toth (President, Toth Buick GMC), Jerry VanDevere (Vice President, VanDevere), Pat Primm (Cascade), and Cody Huff (Fred Martin).
Is the Akron BMV run by the same organization? Yes. The Akron BMV is operated by NOADA. The association and the agency share leadership and a single address at 688 Wolf Ledges Parkway.
How do I contact NOADA leadership? Call (330) 272-9011 or email tim@neodealers.com; see Contact for department contacts.