Kathleen Schmatz, MAAP, president and CEO of AAIA, Bethesda, MD, has been named the 2012 recipient of the Automotive Warehouse Distributors Association (AWDA) Leader of the Year Award. Each year, AWDA bestows this prestigious honor on an aftermarket professional who has contributed to the industry in a unique and significant way.

Schmatz, an industry veteran with more than 40 years in the aftermarket, was named AAIA president and CEO in 2004. Prior to joining the association, she spent 30 years with Babcox Media, a leader in aftermarket communications services.

Her broad industry experience notwithstanding, it was her signal accomplishment of leading the successful campaign to pass Right to Repair legislation in Massachusetts that earned Schmatz AWDA’s highest honor.
“I can’t begin to tell you how many people insisted that it couldn’t be done,” said Bob Egan, Federal-Mogul vice president, sales, North America, and immediate past chairman of AAIA. “But Kathleen never lost hope and her will never cracked. This summer, our industry triumphed. Kathleen deserves a ton of credit for her leadership in continuing the relentless pursuit of this groundbreaking legislation. I am so proud to have fought alongside her in this battle.”

“Against incredible odds, Kathleen continued to lead the fight, year after year, federally and state-by-state, until our industry emerged with an eleventh-hour agreement that will go a long way toward ensuring the continued viability of the aftermarket, nationwide,” said 2011 AWDA Leader of the Year Award winner Denny Welvaert.

“While I am flattered and overwhelmed by the recognition, this victory would never have happened without the incredible support of so many people, from our talented and hardworking professional staff to our dedicated volunteer leaders,” Schmatz said. “The car companies had tons of money and legions of lobbyists, but we had a loyal and highly motivated coalition of independent shops, parts suppliers and manufacturers. We also had the one thing the car companies didn’t have: the support of thousands of Massachusetts motorists who demanded that they be allowed to have their cars serviced wherever and by whomever they choose.”

Schmatz received the 2009 Women Who Advance Excellence in Associations Award by the American Society of Association Executives (ASAE) and the Center for Association Leadership’s Greater Washington Network.

In 2007, Schmatz received an honorary doctor of laws, honoris causa, from Northwood University. In 2006, she was named to the prestigious Committee of 100 by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. The committee is comprised of the leading association chief executives.

In 2006, she received the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network Woman of the Year. Other recent recognitions include: the Martin Fromm Lifetime Achievement Award from AWDA, the Aftermarket Woman of the Year Award from the Women’s Board of the Car Care Council and the Distinguished Woman’s Award from Northwood University.

Schmatz is a Trustee of the Industry Fund; a board member of the Aftermarket Foundation; and a board member of the Coalition for Auto Repair Equality. She has served as an officer of the Auto International Association, the Automotive Communication Council and was founding president of the Car Care Council Women’s Board. She has also contributed as a curriculum advisor to Northwood University and as chair of AAIA’s Marketing Communications Committee.

Schmatz received her master’s degree in mass media communications from The University of Akron and her bachelor’s degree from Kent State University.