Hogarty, Richardson to again lead ABPA in coming year

HONOLULU--For the first time in more than a dozen years, there is an influx of new blood on the ABPA Board of Directors.

But, the leadership at the top remains the same as Charlie Hogarty and Dolores Richardson will continue to serve as chairman and president, respectively.

Among the Board, there were some changes. One seat, that vacated by Bob Petty, was won by Danny Morrissey of LKQ-Keystone in Lithicum, Md.

Morrissey was part of the official ballot submitted by the Nominating Committee headed by Nick Scheid. Petty was ineligible to run having served three successive three year terms which began when he was first elected to the Board in 1999.

Others on the official candidacy list were incumbents Dolores Richardson of AtPac Auto Parts in Montreal and Jackson Kwok of Genera/TYC.

As he was required to do, Scheid called three times for nominations from the floor. There were none which allowed the official candidates slate to be accepted by acclamation.

The new blood came in the form of Board replacements. Both Steve Bollander, the national secretary and a former president of ABPA, as well as Dan Earley, submitted their resignations to Chairman Charlie Hogarty prior to the convention.

Under the association bylaws, Hogarty can appoint individuals to fulfill unexpired terms. Now in those seats are Kim Hicks of Micro Rim of Michigan and Eric Taylor of Richmond/Tidewater Bumper in Virginia.

Those seats will be up for election in 2009 as both Bollander and Earley were initially elected in 2006.

Said Hogarty in announcing the appointments, “We sought out individuals who we knew had this industry at heart and who have shown a willingness to work for the Association in the past.”

Both Hicks and Taylor were instrumental in previous conventions and/or Ed-Tech conferences when those meetings were held in their respective areas.

Hicks works out of Highland Park, Mi., in the Detroit area, and Taylor has for many years been the right hand man to Norm Seay, owner of Richmond/Tidewater Bumpers and a former ABPA board member also.
Towards the conclusion of the meeting, the Board members met to elect the officers of the Association for the coming year.

All terms begin July 1, 2008, and last for a year.

Elected Chairman of the Board was Charlie Hogarty of Superior Collision Parts, who will be assisted by Dolores Richardson who for the fourth consecutive year will serve as the president of the Association.
Nick Scheid of API/Cornerstone was elected vice president and the new national treasurer, replacing Petty, is Jim Smith.

Danny Morrissey was elected national secretary.

Besides the five elected officers and the two appointees, remaining Board members include Jack Grundfast, Jackson Kwok and Mike Dolabi.

ABPA operates with a 10 man board and has two meetings annually, one at the convention and the other in the beginning of November at NACE.