Archive for the ‘News’ Category
Mercedes-Benz USA President and CEO Steve Cannon at the Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce Luncheon on Oct. 20
Mercedes-Benz USA President and CEO Steve Cannon (left) with Jim Fitzpatrick, CEO of CBT Automotive Network, at the Oct. 20 Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce luncheon at the Westin Atlanta Perimeter North hotel.
On October 20, the Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce luncheon was held at the Westin Atlanta Perimeter North hotel. Mercedes-Benz USA President and CEO Steve Cannon answered questions from Jim Fitzpatrick, CEO of CBT Automotive Network, a Sandy Springs-based automotive industry news outlet. Cannon talked about the car industry and his own background, including service as a U.S. Army Ranger.
CBT provided a comedic video about the top 10 reasons for buying a Mercedes here, including use of “exclusive Mercedes HOV lane” and a self-driving car that would pilot itself to Sandy Springs’ forthcoming City Walk apartments.
Mercedes recently purchased naming rights to the new Falcons football stadium, but another, lesser-known corporate move was a donation to Hands On Atlanta, an umbrella organization of local charities.
Tamara Carrera, executive director of the Sandy Springs nonprofit Community Assistance Center, thanked Cannon for Mercedes’ recent donation of a van.
Community is paramount to Mercedes-Benz USA. “We’re finding ways to give back,” Cannon said.
Donta L. Wilson, Group/State President of BB&T checking in at the Oct. 20th Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce luncheon.
Steve Cannon, president and CEO of Mercedes-Benz USA greets Tom Mahaffey, president and CEO of Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce.
The friendly Westin Atlanta Perimeter North staff ensured all ran smoothly.
The food was divine.
Councilman Ken Dishman chats with Mayor Rusty Paul.
Bill Mulcahy, president of Mulcahy Consulting with Dunwoody Mayor Mike Davis.
Tom Mahaffey escorts Steve Cannon to his seat.
Chris Burnett, chairman , Sandy Springs/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce welcomes everyone.
Donta L. Wilson of BB&T with Steve Cannon of Mercedes-Benz USA.
Tom Mahaffey with Karen Trylovich of A Classical Affair.
Rusty Paul, mayor of Sandy Springs with city council members.
2016 Washington Auto Show to Feature ART-of-Motion: A Visual Art and Fashion Exhibition in January
The Washington Auto Show® announces the first “ART-of-Motion” exhibit, an avant-garde design experience that befits the culture of Washington, D.C., as it hosts a tier-one show on the global auto show circuit.
In cooperation with Automotive Rhythms, the trendsetting urban automotive media group, the cutting-edge live art car display will feature a 5,000-square-foot exhibit of experiential graphic backdrops consisting of bikes, fashion, autos and murals. Nationally celebrated illustrator, Demont Pinder aka “Peekaso,” will be painting at the art display and at least 10 manufacturers will exhibit specially commissioned art cars for the occasion. Meanwhile, fashion models posing as picturesque statues and entertainment will an inventive fusion to delight the senses.
“ART-of-Motion promises to thrill auto enthusiasts and art lovers alike,” said John O’Donnell, president of the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association, producer of The Washington Auto Show. “This partnership expands the Washington Auto Show’s niche as a host of connective and innovative exhibits that, quite literally, put a new perspective on the auto industry.”
“Undeniably an enticing attraction for a tier-one auto show, this spectacle will finally portray automobiles as we understand them: works of impressive beauty and innovative design,” said Kimatni Rawlins, president and CEO of Automotive Rhythms.
The ART-of-Motion feature will be located on the lower level of the two-level Walter E. Washington Convention Center. On Saturday, Jan. 23, from noon – 4 p.m., GM’s young designers will be painting a Corvette in real time for showgoers to experience. Toyota will host an interactive art installation Sunday, Jan. 24, from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. with the new Prius while Mazda, Dodge, Kia, GM Diversity and Lamborghini will also feature specially painted art cars. In addition, there will be an artful mix of two-wheel excitement representing the world of sportbikes as well as cruisers.
The Washington Auto Show® has become a beloved annual tradition among Washingtonians, who marvel at the growing display of stars and cars, mobility technologies, contests, giveaways and mascots. More than 700 new vehicles from over 42 domestic and import manufacturers will fill the 750,000-square-foot space with two levels of advanced exhibits.
The show runs from January 22 – 31. Hours are noon - 9 p.m. on Monday through Thursday, noon – 10 p.m. on Fridays, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. on Saturdays, and from 10 a.m. – 7 p.m. on Sundays. The show will close at 6 p.m. on its final day, Jan. 31.
For more information, visit www.washingtonautoshow.com or visit www.automotiverhythms.com.
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NHTSA Administrator Mark Rosekind to address 2016 Washington Auto Show
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Dr. Mark Rosekind, Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, will deliver the annual government keynote address at the 2016 Washington Auto Show’s Public Policy Day Jan. 21, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
“The Washington Auto Show has long championed the theme of sustainable mobility, and we’re honored that one of the world’s leading safety experts will speak on behalf of the Administration at our Public Policy Day,” said Geoff Pohanka, chairman of the 2016 Washington Auto Show and metro area representative on the board of the National Automobile Dealers Association.
The 2016 Washington Auto Show: The Power of Mobility preview opens Jan. 20 with the first of two Public Policy Days. Geared toward officials in industry, government and media, these events kick off with a Capitol Hill forum on Wednesday, Jan. 20 and continue Thursday, Jan. 21 at the show site, the Walter E. Washington Convention Center, for a full day of press conferences and special events highlighted by Dr. Rosekind’s government keynote.
“As the Washington Auto Show puts it, ‘the power of mobility’ is a force that, literally, transports our lives to new vistas and possibilities,” says Rosekind. “With new technologies from automated driving to improved blind-spot monitoring, we also have the opportunity and responsibility to put safety first.”
The 15th Administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Dr. Rosekind is pursuing NHTSA’s core safety mission of saving lives, preventing injuries, and reducing crashes through all of the tools at NHTSA’s disposal —including enforcement authority, public awareness campaigns, support of technical innovation, and research into human behavior.
Administrator Rosekind is an internationally recognized expert on human fatigue, credited with leading the field in innovative research and implementing programs in all modes of transportation. His work has been widely published, and his awards include NASA’s Exceptional Service Medal, the Mark O. Hatfield Award for Public Policy from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine and two Flight Safety Foundation honors: the President’s Citation for Outstanding Safety Leadership and the Business Aviation Meritorious Service Award.
Before becoming NHTSA Administrator, Dr. Rosekind served as the 40th member of the National Transportation Safety Board from 2010 to 2014. He was the on-scene board member for seven major transportation accidents and participated in numerous NTSB public events on diverse safety topics. Dr. Rosekind advanced the agency’s advocacy goals on substance-impaired driving, fatigue, fire safety, and rail mass transit. Prior to his appointment to the NTSB, Dr. Rosekind founded Alertness Solutions, a scientific consulting firm that specialized in fatigue management, and served as the company’s first president and chief scientist. He launched his professional career as the director of the Center for Human Sleep Research at the Stanford University Sleep Disorders and Research Center. Administrator Rosekind earned his A.B. with honors from Stanford University, his M.S., M.Phil., and Ph.D. from Yale University, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the Brown University Medical School.
The public policy show on the auto show circuit, The Washington Auto Show connects industry leaders with public policy makers, a nexus underscored at the show’s Public Policy Preview Days. Held in advance of the 10-day public show, the preview days convene thought leaders at the intersection of industry and policy to tackle some of the most pressing issues in the automotive sector.
For more information and to register for Public Policy Days, please contact Barbara Pomerance, communications director for The Washington Auto Show, at 800-697-7574 or bp@pomeranceassociates.com.
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Kosher Food & Wine Festival: Blockbuster Event Marks 30 Years of Chabad of Georgia
An avante-garde feast for the senses featuring aerial acrobatics, electronic music and a dazzling array of gourmet cuisine comprised the first annual Kosher Food & Wine Atlanta festival on Thursday, a celebration of the richness and range of kosher food available for local consumers. Royal Wine, one of the largest wine importers in the U.S. supplied more than hundred varieties of international wines for the inaugural event.
Presented by Chabad of Georgia as it marks 30 years of Jewish outreach in the area, the cocktail and dinner party was held at the Historic Georgia Railroad Freight Depot, which was transformed by Track Seven Events into an edgy, trendy atmosphere, presenting multiple floors of food, an elevated D.J. spinning electronic beats and a Cirque-du-Soleil style performance of aerialists twirling through the air.
“This landmark program really shows how far Atlanta’s Jewish community has come,” said Rabbi Yossi New, the Australian-born director of Chabad of Georgia who moved here in 1984 to found the local organization. “We feel a sense of pride and privilege in serving this historic community that’s experiencing unprecedented growth, and one of the keys to providing spiritual nourishment is, happily, through our culture and traditions around food.”
Some 600 people attended Kosher Food & Wine Atlanta, which featured 30 caterers, restauranteurs and grocery chains to beckon tasters into the sensory feast. In addition, the festival honored Chef Sandra Bank, whose catering business has served Atlantans the promise and power of exquisite kosher dining for nearly 20 years. Bank was feted with a hand-blown glass award signaling her creativity in elevating kosher cuisine and, as her slogan puts it, “making the ordinary extraordinary.”
Given the demand for her kosher catering services, Bank added to her Added Touch Catering company three years ago with a second company, A Kosher Touch Catering, focused exclusively on kosher events. Her firm catered the sponsor reception with four elaborate stations, entitled chopped, sliced, smoked and torched in the venue’s Blue Room.
“Today in Atlanta, a kosher lifestyle is not just possible, it’s extraordinary,” said festival director Rabbi Isser New. “We are fortunate to enjoy a vibrant array of palate-pleasing choices and this festival is about presenting and applauding such abundance.”
The first annual Kosher Food & Wine Atlanta was produced by Chabad of Georgia, an affiliate of Chabad-Lubavitch, a Jewish outreach group. Chabad of Georgia encompasses 11 Chabad community centers and 5 Campus organizations: University of Georgia, Georgia State, Georgia Tech, Emory and Kennesaw State.
Chairpersons included Tessa Shaban, Bo Lefkoff, Erin Liss, Dassie New, Rabbis Yossi New, Isser New, Yael New and Levi Mentz. Proceeds from the event will go toward continued Jewish outreach and education.
Vendors include Aaron’s Best, Ali’s Cookies, Avenue K, Cellar Filler, Classic Pita, Coca-Cola, Costco, Cotton Cravings, Dolce Catering and Bakery, For All Occasions and more, Georgia Aquarium, Goodfriend Co., Gourmet Foods Intl, Goza Tequila, Herzog Wine Cellars, Intercontinental Buckhead Atlanta, Keurig, A Kosher Touch, Kosherology, Kroger, Lisan Catering, Pita Modern Tribe, Grille, Publix, The Spicy Peach, Sweetwater Brewing Company, The Kosher Gourmet, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods and Wolfgang Puck Catering.
For more information, please visit www.kfwatl.com and www.chabadga.com.
Sandra Bank with hosts Dassie New and Rabbi Yossi New.
Barbara Pomerance, president and CEO of Pomerance & Associates with Michael Leven, CEO of Georgia Aquarium and philanthropist of The Leven School of Culinary Sustainability and Hospitality at Kennesaw State University.
Sandra Bank accepting her award.
Avante-garde aerial acrobatics.
An attendee is amazed by the live statue.
Kosher vendors shared a bounty of wares.
Salmon tartare from Hotel Intercontinental.
Kosher sushi from Kroger.
The Washington Auto Show® Announces Geoff Pohanka as New Chairman
Geoff Pohanka, President and CEO of Pohanka Automotive Group will chair the 2016 Washington Auto Show
WASHINGTON, D.C. – September 2, 2015 – The Washington Auto Show® (WAS), the automotive industry’s annual public policy show and the largest public show held in Washington, D.C., is pleased to announce that Geoff Pohanka, President and CEO of Pohanka Automotive Group, a long established company of automotive dealerships located throughout the greater Washington region, and member of the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association (WANADA), will chair the 2016 Washington Auto Show.
“Not only is Geoff Pohanka a successful business executive who is passionate about the future of the automotive industry and the Washington D.C. community, he is also an industry leader with the experience and vision to lead the Washington Auto Show into 2016 and beyond,” said John O’Donnell, CEO of WANADA.
As board chairman of WANADA in 1998, Pohanka put Washington on course to become a world premier auto show when he encouraged WANADA leaders to systematically interact with OEM exhibitors at their headquarter locations and at the tier-one industry auto shows in the U.S. and Europe.
“Washington is the only auto show venue in the world with the U.S. Congress down the street, which for better or worse, is the partner of the OEMs in automotive design,” Pohanka said. “Leveraging itself into the “public policy show” on the auto show circuit was as logical as it was natural for Washington, and that affords a thoroughly unique annual opportunity for OEM exhibitors everywhere,” he said.
Committed to public service, Pohanka has returned to the Board of the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) representing Metropolitan Washington dealers. He previously served on the NADA Board for two terms from 2002-2008.
He is a recipient of the American International Automobile Dealers (AIADA) All-Star Dealer Award, the Time Magazine dealer of the year award, and the Community Foundation of Prince Georges County Vision Award. He currently serves on the board of the Prince Georges County Business Roundtable, as a Trustee of Saint James School in Hagerstown Maryland, Honorary Commander of Joint Base Andrews in Clinton MD and as a United States Air Force Air Mobility Command Civic Leader.
SHOW DATES:
Jan. 20: Public Policy Preview Day on Capitol Hill.
Jan. 21: Public Policy Preview Day at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center – daylong schedule of events for government, industry and media capped off by a Sneak Peek Reception
Jan. 22-Jan. 31: Consumer Days – Ten-day show at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center.
About WANADA and the Washington Auto Show
The 2016 staging of the Washington Auto Show in Washington, DC will offer a showcase of more than 700 vehicles from over 42 domestic and import auto manufacturers and a special exhibit of the world’s most luxurious rides. In addition, the Washington Auto Show has been accredited by OICA, the industry credentialing organization for the top auto shows in the world, as one of the five top-tier auto shows in America. The 2016 Washington Auto Show’s Public Policy Preview Days will take place Wednesday, Jan. 20 on Capitol Hill and Thursday, Jan. 21 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center followed by the 10-day consumer show from Friday, Jan. 22 through Sunday, Jan. 31.
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