NextGen: Building the Next Generation of Dealer Leaders
Every dealership eventually faces the same question - who runs this next? NOADA NextGen is built to answer it, developing the next generation of dealer leaders across Northeast Ohio: the general managers, F&I directors, department heads, and family successors who will lead these stores in the years ahead. NextGen blends leadership development, cross-functional dealership knowledge, advocacy exposure, and peer networking so the people stepping up build both the skills and the relationships to lead well. NOADA has served the Akron and Northeast Ohio dealer community since 1927, and NextGen is how that community invests in its own future.
This page explains what NextGen is, who it is for, what members do, and how to get involved. It is its own program - not a footnote buried in a benefits list - because the future of every member store depends on it.
Why a NextGen program matters
The dealership business is in the middle of a generational transition. Founders and long-tenured dealer principals are handing stores to the next generation; managers who grew up in one department are being asked to run an entire operation; and the skills that built a great salesperson or a great F&I manager are not automatically the skills that run a profitable, compliant, well-led dealership.
A NextGen program exists to close that gap before it becomes a crisis. The strongest dealer associations in the country - in California, Virginia, New Jersey, and beyond - run NextGen or emerging-leader programs precisely because a prepared bench protects the business, the jobs it supports, and the franchise itself. NOADA brings that model home, where the relationships actually matter: among the dealers who share the same market, the same regulators, and the same customers.
Who NextGen is for
NextGen is designed for the rising leaders inside NOADA member dealerships - typically people who hold or are moving into a management role. That includes:
- Family successors - the next generation of a dealer-owning family preparing to take the reins
- General managers and assistant GMs - running or learning to run the whole store
- Department heads - sales, F&I, fixed operations, and office/controller leaders
- High-potential managers - people their dealer principal is intentionally developing
NextGen is open to rising leaders at current NOADA member dealerships. To confirm whether someone on your team is a fit, contact NOADA at (330) 272-9011.
What NextGen members do
NextGen is active, not passive. Programming is built around three things rising leaders need: knowledge, relationships, and a stake in the industry’s future.
Leadership and dealership education
NextGen members go beyond their own department - learning the parts of the business they will be responsible for as leaders: financial literacy and dealership economics, operations across departments, compliance and risk, HR and people leadership, and the strategic decisions a dealer principal makes. This ties directly into NOADA’s broader education program, including seminars and webinars and the on-demand library.
Peer networking
The relationships built in NextGen last a career. Members connect with peers across other Northeast Ohio dealerships - people facing the same transitions, the same challenges, and the same market. Those relationships become a sounding board, a referral network, and a source of ideas that no classroom provides.
Advocacy and industry exposure
NextGen introduces rising leaders to the policy side of the business - how state and federal decisions shape what a dealership can and cannot do - and connects them to NOADA’s advocacy work. Connecting rising leaders to that work helps them see firsthand why the franchise system is worth protecting.
Community and events
NextGen members participate in NOADA events and may organize their own gatherings, service projects, and social functions - building camaraderie while strengthening the dealer community’s presence in the region.
What NextGen builds - for the member and the store
| For the rising leader | For the dealership |
|---|---|
| Cross-functional knowledge beyond one department | A more capable, better-prepared bench |
| A peer network across Northeast Ohio dealers | Reduced key-person and succession risk |
| Exposure to compliance, finance, and operations | Leaders who understand the whole business |
| Understanding of advocacy and the franchise system | A next generation invested in protecting the franchise |
| Confidence and visibility in the dealer community | Stronger retention of high-potential talent |
Developing a successor or a future GM through NextGen is far cheaper than recruiting one cold - and far less risky than discovering a leadership gap when the dealer principal is ready to step back.
For the current NextGen schedule, format, and how to take part, contact NOADA at (330) 272-9011.
How to get involved
- Confirm your dealership is a NOADA member. NextGen is a member program. If your store is not yet a member, start at Join NOADA.
- Identify your rising leaders. Dealer principals and GMs: nominate the people you are developing. Rising leaders: raise your hand.
- Enroll or apply. Contact NOADA at (330) 272-9011 to get your rising leaders into the program.
- Show up. The members who get the most from NextGen are the ones who attend, connect, and contribute.
Frequently asked questions
What is NOADA NextGen? A program that develops the next generation of dealer leaders in Northeast Ohio - GMs, F&I directors, department heads, and family successors - through leadership and dealership education, peer networking, advocacy exposure, and community events.
Who can participate? Rising leaders employed by NOADA member dealerships, typically in or moving into a management role. To confirm a fit, contact NOADA at (330) 272-9011.
Is NextGen included in membership, or is there a separate cost? Contact NOADA at (330) 272-9011 for details on how NextGen participation works for your dealership.
How is NextGen different from regular NOADA education? NOADA education is open to all member staff and covers specific skills and compliance topics. NextGen is a leadership-development track and community aimed specifically at the people who will run dealerships next - combining cross-functional learning with a lasting peer network and advocacy exposure.
Does NextGen help with dealership succession? That is a core purpose. By preparing successors and high-potential managers before a transition, NextGen reduces key-person risk and makes succession smoother for dealer-owning families and corporate stores alike.
How do I nominate someone or join? Dealer principals can nominate rising leaders, and individuals can enroll directly. Join NOADA if your store is not yet a member, or call NOADA at (330) 272-9011 to get your team into the program.
Develop your next leaders
- Join NOADA - membership unlocks NextGen and the full education program
- See education, seminars & webinars - the learning NextGen builds on
- Explore advocacy - the policy work NextGen leaders help carry forward
- Questions? Call NOADA at (330) 272-9011