![\"\"](\"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2024\/06\/nqd-solo-767x1024.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\nIn accepting the honor, Sullivan thanked his family, staff and Christ for helping him.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI don\u2019t believe any successful person gets to where they are by themselves. I don\u2019t really believe in self-made men,\u201d Sullivan said. \u201cI believe there is always a community of people around them that helps them get to the position they are at.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He added that he shares the honor with the entire team at Sullivan Auto Trading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cI told them, if I win this, we win this together. There\u2019s no way one person can win this by themselves,\u201d he said. \u201cThey feel that. Not only my family but our whole organization. They\u2019ve worked super hard for this.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By focusing on people, processes and technology, he\u2019s helped build the dealership to two locations in Fredericksburg and Norfolk, selling 150 vehicles per month out of their regular 300-vehicle inventory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
His commitment to the industry stretches well past his dealership. He\u2019s currently the Virginia IADA President and has written a curriculum for the state\u2019s academy. Proceeds of the first-of-its-kind class developed by this certified master dealer, he\u2019s asked to be sent to an organization he founded to help abused, trafficked, abandoned, homeless and disadvantaged children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He gives back to his community as a board member and trustee at his church. He also coaches youth sports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
One of the charitable events his dealership participates in is Single Parent Saturday. More than 100 single parents receive a free oil change and vehicle detail while fun activities are held for the children.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThank you for this award. My name will be written down in the NIADA history books but that is only because of God\u2019s grace and unmerited favor that he has on my life,\u201d Sullivan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The other finalists recognized were:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
- \n
- Alabama: Randy Little, Randy Little, Little\u2019s Auto Sales, Satsuma, Ala.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Carolinas: Michael Threadgill, Triple T Motors, Florence, S.C.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Colorado: Dave Guttenberg, Automotive Imports, Denver, Colo.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Florida: Jason March, March Motors, Jacksonville, Fla.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Iowa: Jeffrey West, Jeff\u2019s Car Corner, Davenport, Iowa<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Indiana: Melanie Goldman, GMG Motors, Morgantown, Ind.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Michigan: Kelly Herb, Tom Stehouwer Auto Sales, Grand Rapids, Mich.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Ohio: Lisa Marshall, North Main Motors, Marysville, Ohio<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Pennsylvania: Danielle Royer, Royer\u2019s 322 Motors, Dubois, Pa.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
- Texas: Armando Villarreal, McAllen Auto Sales, McAllen, Texas<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
At the awards ceremony, New York and New Jersey Executive Director, Paula Frendel, CAE, was named the AEC of the Year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis is the greatest honor with all the amazing executive directors we have in the U.S.,\u201d Frendel said. \u201cIt\u2019s a true honor, especially since it\u2019s voted on by your peers.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
George Karlen received the Mike R. Linn Lifetime Achievement Award.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThere\u2019s probably no more dedicated person to NIADA than Mike Linn. It\u2019s truly an honor to get this award,\u201d Karlen said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Two members received Crystal Eagles for recruiting more than 100 members in the past two years: Jason Reaves, Wayne Reeves Software, Georgia; Chris Maher, Car Credit Nation, Virginia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A second-generation dealer, Donald Sullivan, Jr., never wavered on a career choice. Joining the industry after college, he\u2019s…\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4928,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"csco_singular_sidebar":"","csco_page_header_type":"","csco_appearance_grid":"","csco_page_load_nextpost":"","csco_post_video_location":[],"csco_post_video_location_hash":"","csco_post_video_url":"","csco_post_video_bg_start_time":0,"csco_post_video_bg_end_time":0,"footnotes":"","_links_to":"","_links_to_target":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-4925","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-industry","8":"cs-entry","9":"cs-video-wrap"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4925","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4925"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4925\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4928"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4925"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4925"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/niada.com\/dashboard\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4925"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}