AALA 2008 Annual Meeting
September 15-16, 2008

Dr. Larry Sabato, distinguished professor of political science and director of the University of Virginia Center for Politics, will keynote the opening session of AALA’s 2008 Annual Meeting. Probably the most quoted college professor in the land, Dr. Sabato brilliantly bridges the gap between the ivory tower and the real world on issues of critical importance to American democracy and the challenges facing our political process.

The AALA Annual Meeting will be held September 15-16 at the Hotel Monaco in Washington, DC. Information about how to make your hotel reservations will be emailed directly to you. To help with your travel plans, we have included the following outline for the meeting:

Monday, September 15
1:00 PM – AALA Board of Directors Meeting (closed session)
6:00 PM – Opening Reception (all attendees and guests)
7:00 PM – Dinner – Keynote Speaker: Dr. Larry Sabato

Tuesday, September 16
(All sessions open to all attendees)
8:00 AM – Business Session
8:30 AM – General Program – Timely presentations focusing on the economy, energy & fuel efficiency, legislative challenges, political developments, and much, much more!
2:00 PM - Adjourn

Additional information and details will be sent to you very soon. In the meantime, if you have any questions, please contact Traci Peters at peters@aalafleet.com or Holly Walker at walker@aalafleet.com.

Click here for the Registration Form – Members Only

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2007 AALA Annual Meeting
The Hotel Monaco
Washington, DC
September 10-11

AALA is pleased to announce Mr. William Bennett as the keynote speaker for the 2007 Annual Meeting. To see a copy of our press release, please click here: William Bennett.

For more information regarding this meeting please contact Holly Walker or Traci Peters at 703-548-0777.

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2006 AALA Annual Meeting

Keynote speakers for the Annual Meeting included the Honorable J.C. Watts and Dr. Fred Bergsten. J.C. Watts is a former four-term Congressman from Oklahoma and member of the GOP leadership in the U.S. House of Representatives. He is currently chairman of the J.C. Watts Companies, a professional firm specializing in business development, communications and public affairs strategies. Dr. Bergsten is the Director of the Institute for International Economics, the only major research institution in the United States devoted to international economic issues. He has been the most widely quoted think-tank economist in the world. USA Today says that "[he is] one of the 10 people [in the world] who can change your life."

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2006 AALA Board of Directors Meeting

The AALA Board of Directors held its winter meeting March 12-14, 2006 at the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Las Vegas in Henderson, Nevada. Approximately 50 people representing the commercial fleet leasing industry and its affiliate industries attended the event. AALA President, George Kilroy, presided over the two-day meeting. Opening the meeting and providing the Keynote Address was Robert A. Lutz.

Robert A. Lutz, Vice Chairman, Global Product Development, General Motors Corporation.

The General Session program included a presentation by Grover Norquist, President, Americans for Tax Reform, entitled "Outlook for Taxes and Spending: Where are we? Where are we going?". Following Mr. Norquist's presentation there was a panel discussion featuring Ken Gear, VP State Relations, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM) and Ralph Petta, VP Industry Services, Equipment Leasing Association (ELA). The panel focused on gaining strength and credibility through effective partnerships with industry allies to achieve positive results for shared industry and legislative goals. AALA then enjoyed a presentation by Rayola Dougher, Manager, Energy Market Issues, American Petroleum Institute (API). She provided an outlook and assessment of the petroleum industry, specifically relating to the auto industry. Brett Smith, Assistant Director, Manufacturing, Engineering & Technology, Center for Automotive Research (CAR), followed with an in-depth look at the restructuring of the North American automotive industry. The session ended with an entertaining panel discussion featuring top CEO's and Presidents from some of AALA's leading fleet management companies. The lively interaction between the fleet companies and the manufacturers covered current business issues and trends.

Panel Discussion - "Working with Industry Partners"
Participants (left to right): Ken Gear - VP State Relations, Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers (AAM); and Ralph Petta - VP Industry Services, Equipment Leasing Association (ELA); and Pamela Sederholm, AALA Executive Director.

Panel Discussion - "Ask the CEO"
Participants (left to right): Moderator Brock Austin - Sr. VP & Legal Counsel, GE Fleet Services; Gary Rappeport - President & CEO, Donlen Corporation; David Dahm - President & CEO, LeasePlan USA; and George Kilroy - President, PHH Arval.

Enjoying the reception (left to right) are Patrick Dougherty - Director, Commercial/Government Sales, DaimlerChrysler Corporation; Joe Gholston - Senior Manager Global Commercial Sales, DaimlerChrysler Corporation; and Sherb Brown - VP Group Publisher, Bobit Publishing.

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"AALA Celebrates 50th Anniversary"

The American Automotive Leasing Association (AALA) celebrated its 50th Anniversary recently at the Hotel Monaco in Washington, DC. The milestone event was held September 19-20 in conjunction with the organization's 2005 Annual Meeting.

More than 90 members and guests attended the gala black tie reception and dinner hosted by AALA President, George Kilroy. Included among the guests were many of the organization's distinguished alumni and industry personalities, all of whom enjoyed the opportunity to reminisce and reacquaint with many industry colleagues and friends.

As a highlight of the evening, Mr. Kilroy read a letter from President George W. Bush who congratulated the organization on its landmark achievement: "I applaud the dedication of your members and all those who promote integrity and excellence within your profession. Your years of service have contributed to our Nation's tradition of success. Laura and I send our best wishes. -- George W. Bush."

Capping off the evening was a presentation by the Capitol Steps, a musical comedy troupe who provided a humorous and timely review of the current political scene.

Norman Ornstein, Resident Scholar, American Enterprise Institute

Panel Discussion - "A Critical Look at the Country's Energy and Fuel Supplies: Demand, Availability, Access, Security."
Participants (left -to-right): Kipp Coddington - Alston & Bird; Bryan Hannegan - Chief of Staff, White House Council on Environmental Quality; The Honorable Phil Sharp - President, Resources for the Future; George O'Connor - Ryan, Phillips, Utrecht & MacKinnon; Rick Karp - Washington Representative, American Petroleum Institute.

Panel Discussion - "Responsibilities and Expectations in the New World of Sarbanes-Oxley." How fleet leasing companies are meeting customer needs as both a vendor and supplier under new requirements of Sarbanes-Oxley legislation.
Participants (left-to-right): Joe Weikel - General Counsel, PHH Arval; Brad Howatt - VP and Controller, PHH Arval; Mary Ann O'Dwyer - Sr. VP Finance and Operations, CFO, Wheels, Inc.; Justin Zubrod - Booz Allen Hamilton; Tim Messick - Partner, Ernst & Young.

Congressman Sam Graves (R-MO) - Sponsor of the federal vicarious liability preemption language recently enacted into law.

Panel Discussion - "AALA at 50," a light-hearted and meaningful "look back" at some of the high-points in AALA's history, featuring several of the industry's leading personalities.
Left-to-right: Gary Tepas - Chairman, President & CEO, Emkay, Inc.; Jim Frank - President & CEO, Wheels, Inc.; Sam Wright - Sr. VP, Government Relations, Cendant Corp.; Doug Brown - Enterprise (ret.); Ed Bobit - Bobit Publications.

AALA Board of Directors Meet in Orlando

The AALA Board of Directors held its winter meeting March 13-15 in Orlando, Florida. More than 45 people representing the commercial fleet leasing industry and its affiliate industries attended the event. AALA President, George Kilroy, presided over the two-day meeting. Opening the meeting and providing the Keynote Address was Mr. Jim Padilla, President and COO of Ford Motor Company. The General Session program included an economic presentation by John Montgomery, CIO of Montgomery Brothers, Inc., a spirited examination of the automobile industry by nationally recognized analyst, Maryann Keller, Maryann Keller & Associates, and two very timely panel presentations, one exploring the future of hybrid vehicles and their utilization in the fleet leasing industry, and another examining current bankruptcy laws and how their application can significantly impact the business and financial operations of fleet leasing companies.

AALA will next meet September 19-20, 2005, at the Hotel Monaco in Washington, DC, for its Annual Meeting. This meeting will be an especially significant one for AALA as it will celebrate its 50th Anniversary. For more information, contact AALA at (703)548-0777, or sederholm@aalafleet.com.

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AALA 49th Annual Meeting Held September 27 – 28 in Washington

The 49th annual meeting of the American Automobile Leasing Association (AALA) was held on September 27 – 28, in Washington, DC. Prior to the meeting, AALA’s Board of Directors met and unanimously approved the following slate of officers for the 2005 term:

• President – George Kilroy, PHH Arval
• Chairman – Bill McKee, ARI · Treasurer – David Dahm, LeasePlan USA
• Secretary – Joe Weikel, PHH Arval
• VP, Federal Government Affairs – Jim Frank, Wheels, Inc.
• VP, Environmental Affairs – Steve Bloom, Enterprise Fleet Services
• VP, State Government Affairs – Gary Rappeport, Donlen
• VP, Administration – Gary Tepas, EMKAY, Inc.
• VP At-Large – Kathy Marinello, GE Capital Fleet Services

Highlighting the speaker lineup for the annual meeting was the keynote opening-night dinner speaker David Gergen, a former adviser to Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Bill Clinton. Gergen’s remarks focused on the importance of the upcoming presidential debates for each candidate, as well as the sobering world challenges that lie ahead for whomever wins the presidential election this November.

During the next-day session of the meeting, AALA members heard from Sean St. Clair, Senior Manager of Sales for North America for eBay Motors; Rayola Dougher, Senior Policy Analyst for the American Petroleum Institute; Patricia Donoghue, Project Manager and in-house leasing expert for the Financial Accounting Standards Board; Mitchell Greenberg, Manager of the SmartWay Transport Program for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency; a panel of House and Senate tax staffers on the status of business tax issues before the 108th Congress; and Congressman Max Burns (R-GA), who addressed AALA members over lunch on the need for business to become pro-active in the 2004 election cycle and beyond. Following lunch, meeting attendees were treated to a preview of the upcoming presidential debates, when political strategists Frank Donatelli of McGuireWoods Consulting and Joe O’Neill of Public Strategies Washington, Inc., squared off in a mock-debate, touching upon many of the hot-button issues confronting the Bush-Cheney ‘04 and Kerry-Edwards campaigns.

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AALA Holds 2003 Annual Meeting & Elects Officers - Automotive Fleet, December 2003

WASHINGTON, DC – The 2003 Annual Meeting of the American Automotive Leasing Association (AALA) was held Sept. 22-23 in Washington, D.C. Approximately 50 people attended the day-and-ahalf program. The keynote speaker for the meeting was syndicated columnist and TV news analyst, George Will, who spoke on “Public Affairs, Public Policy, and American Society.”

George Will (left), syndicated columnist and TV news analyst, talks with ARI President Bill McKee (middle) and Emkay President Gary Tepas (right) at the American Automotive Leasing Association’s 2003 annual meeting. In the background is Jim Frank, president of Wheels.

Jim Frank, president of Wheels, Inc., moderated a panel of the senior executives from the Washington, D.C. offices of the Big Three auto manufacturers. The panel took a close look at many legislative and regulatory issues common to manufacturers and the fleet leasing industry, with an eye toward building opportunities to coordinate efforts to achieve legislative success.

Another panel discussion reviewed environment and energy trends. During the discussion, Steve Hayward of the American Enterprise Institute and Mark Wenzler of National Environmental Trust, faced off on questions pertaining to the role of government in energy regulation and how such involvement could influence the fleet leasing industry.

During the meeting, AALA’s top officers were re-elected to their posts: Bill McKee of Automotive Resources International (ARI), president; Jim Frank of Wheels Inc., chairman; David Dahm of LeasePlan USA, treasurer; and Joseph Weikel of PHH Arval, secretary.

Other re-elected officers included George Kilroy of PHH Arval, vice president, federal government affairs; Steve Bloom of Enterprise Fleet Services vice president, environmental affairs; Marian Powell of GE Fleet Services, vice president, state government affairs; and Gary Tepas, Emkay, Inc., vice president, administration.

Re-elected as directors were Richard Bertrand of AMI Leasing, Richard Betagole of Mike Albert Leasing, John Leary of Motorlease, Ford Pearson of Wheels Inc., Gary Rappeport of Donlen Corporation, and Patrick Staudt of CitiCapital Fleet.

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Industry Gathers For 2003 AALA Meeting - Automotive Fleet, April 2003

SCOTTSDALE, AZ – Dieter Zetsche, president and CEO of DaimlerChrysler, was the keynote speaker at the opening session of the American Automotive Leasing Association Board of Directors Meeting held Feb. 23-25, 2003. Dr. Zetsche provided an overview on the state of the automotive industry in general, and focused on the interests of the fleet leasing industry in particular.

From left, Dave Hansen, formerly of General Motors Fleet & Commercial Operations, Bill McKee of ARI, Dieter Zetsche of Daimler- Chrysler, Jim Rallo of PHH, and Ray Fisher of DaimlerChrysler socialize during the opening reception of the AALA 2003 Winter Board of Directors Meeting. The meeting was held Feb. 23-25 in Scottsdale, AZ, at the Four Seasons Resort.

Jim Rallo of PHH (left) , Bill McKee of ARI (middle), and Ray Fisher of DaimlerChrysler (right) gather together at the opening reception of the AALA 2003 Winter Board of Directors Meeting.

Dieter Zetsche, President and CEO of DaimlerChrysler, spoke at the opening dinner of the American Automotive Leasing Association Board of Directors Meeting on Sunday, Feb. 3.

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Zetsche Speaks at AALA Board of Directors Meeting - Automotive Fleet, April 2003

SCOTTSDALE, AZ – Dr. Dieter Zetsche, president and CEO of the Chrysler Group, was the keynote speaker at the opening session of the AALA Winter Board of Directors Meeting held Feb. 23-25, 2003, at the Four Seasons Resort at Troon North in Scottsdale, AZ. Zetsche provided an overview on the state of the automotive industry and the fleet leasing industry.

The general business session, held on Feb. 24, featured several panel discussions and presentations by industry experts on issues facing the industry.

One panel discussion – entitled “The Used-Vehicle Market: How Did It Get Here? Where Is It Going?” – featured Gary Tepas, president of Emkay, Inc., as moderator. The panel consisted of the top vehicle remarketing executives from each of the three major manufacturers – Jeff Heichel, director, used vehicle activities for General Motors; Keith Helfrich, director, vehicle remarketing for Daimler- Chrysler; and Linda Silverstein, director of remarketing strategy for Ford Motor Co.

Another panel included energy and environmental groups, who discussed current and potential working relationships and business partnerships between environmental interests and auto industry interests. Featured on the panel were: David Greene, energy and environmental policy analyst for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory; Jessica Holliday, manager for partnership for climate action at the Environmental Defense Fund; and Bill Magavern, senior legislative representative for the Sierra Club, California.

Dr. Dieter Zetsche (left), president and CEO of the Chrysler Group, was the keynote speaker at the opening session of the AALA Winter Board of Directors Meeting held Feb. 23-25 at the Four Seasons Resort at Troon North in Scottsdale, AZ. Pictured with Zetsche is Jim Frank, president of Wheels Inc. Frank is also the chairman of AALA.