CAWA announced David Simms, a NAPA multi-store owner, was elected the 2024 Secretary to the Board of Directors. The announcement was made at the CAWA Leadership & Educational Forum held in June.
Other officers for the 2024 year will be: Chair Tom Ogaz of the Parts Authority; Vice-Chair Wayne Schaack of the Pronto Network; Treasurer Dan Hanson, Jr. of Hanson Distributing Company; and Immediate Past Chair Young Suhr, Jr. of APW-Knox Seeman Warehouse.
Simms joined CAWA shortly after purchasing a small auto parts store 12 years ago, and four years ago he was appointed to the Board of Directors, according to CAWA.
“It’s been interesting to see the industry changes in that time and certainly informative to participate with CAWA as we’ve all navigated our businesses through legislation, the growth in electrification, COVID, supply chain challenges, and inflation,” Simms said. “As a two-store owner of parts stores, I’m proud to provide whatever perspective I can bring to CAWA that’s most likely as close to the end user as we get. On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoy the ‘bigger picture’ education I get from many of our members.”
The 2024 officers will be formally installed at CAWA’s annual dinner gala, to be held in conjunction with AAPEX and exclusively sponsored by Motorcar Parts of America, on October 29, 2023, at the Venetian Resort Hotel in Las Vegas.
