BETHESDA, Md. – Richard Beirne of United Auto Supply in LaCrosse, Wis., has been named treasurer of the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA). Beirne follows in the footsteps of longtime treasurer Tim Lee of Lang Distributing, who will remain on the AWDA Executive Committee as treasurer emeritus.
 
Prior to becoming treasurer, Beirne served for many years on the AWDA Board of Governors, including a term as chairman when AWDA was transitioning to its current status as a leading segment of the Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA). Most recently, Beirne served as advisor to Rusty Bishop, Federated Auto Parts Distributors, when he was AWDA chairman in 2008-2009.
 
As treasurer, Beirne, along with an Investment Committee, will be responsible for overseeing the association’s investment portfolio. He will also assist the association’s staff and board in allocating financial resources to the various distributor-focused projects that AWDA supports either independently or in concert with AAIA.

“Richard was the first chairman that I worked with when I came on board with AWDA in 2004,” said AWDA staff liaison Larry Northup. “He is a wise, honest and thoughtful person who was absolutely the right man to lead AWDA during that complex period in the association’s life. I have always highly valued his input and know he will make an outstanding treasurer. I look forward to working with him again.”
 
The AWDA treasurer is appointed by the board to an open-ended term. Beirne’s predecessor, Lee, served for more than 12 years.