NIADA News NIADA’s Master of Ceremonies Marks 20 Year Milestone

By Jeffrey Bellant

Over the last 20 years, the country has had four presidents and the National Independent Automobile Dealers Association has had four CEOs.

But the NIADA convention has only had one master of ceremonies in that time: Michael York.

He’s been the guy who sets the tone for the National Quality Dealers Award event and he’s a pro’s pro.

But this milestone wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for a few bad jokes and an NIADA CEO’s show business instinct 20 years ago during an NIADA convention.

“I was sitting in the audience with (then NIADA) CEO Mike Linn and he had hired five different masters of ceremonies in five years,” York said. “And the guy doing that night was trying to be funny and mak- ing fun of…car dealers! Talk about not knowing your audience. So as Mr. Linn got more and more upset, he leaned over and said, ‘Can you do that?’ ‘Do what?’ ‘THAT! Up there on stage, master of ceremonies?’

“I told him it wasn’t really what I did but I had done it a few times over the years. He said next year I would be the emcee for NQD (National Quality Dealer). That was 2004.”

Linn told the same story, adding he told York if he “goes up there and bombs, I can’t help you.”

“We’ve laughed about that so many times over the years” York said.

But it was 2005 when the stakes were raised. Linn, a former movie producer, turned the NQD into a live broadcast over the Internet.

“Way before anyone was streaming media or had even heard of it,” York said.

“That was largely due to Mr. Linn’s entertainment background and (then producer/director) Michael Marashlian who was so far ahead of what would soon come along in the area of production and online access to content in the car business.”

York made it look easy. Before each live broadcast, he warmed up the audience, explaining how it would go. He prompted them with cues as the show went in and out of breaks, with his trademark subtle hand gesture, asking for louder applause.

The audience stayed engaged and entertained through the two-hour event.

Linn said York had experience doing education presentations in the past.

“I knew that he could keep the crowd with something interesting,” he said. “That’s kind of what I saw. He’s always done an excellent job. The rest is history.”

York then joined Linn on the next big project.

“We also created NIADA TV and had hours of content up on that site

Continued on page 6 for dealers all across the country to access for years,” York said. “It was just a great time working with the same circle of people year after year for probably ten years or more.”

Did York ever consider that the impromptu request to emcee the show would lead to a two-decade commitment?

“Oh, no. I never really thought about it, maybe until the last few years,” he said. “But it’s been one amazing ride and my great pleasure to do it for all these years. That’s really one of the big differences between a ‘speaker’ doing a session or keynote and a host/master of ceremonies. No matter how good a speaker you are, you’re probably not coming back twenty years in a row. But as a host or emcee you become a part of the show, and that makes a big difference, I think.”

Indeed, York has become a fixture at NIADA conventions.

But for York, the NIADA is really an old variation of the side hustle.

“I’ve had a speaking, coaching, consulting business since 2000,” York said, “I do a lot of writing. Books, columns, lots of content created for dealers and selling professionals.

“I do lots of leadership talks/sessions and working with lots of selling organizations across many industries from insurance companies to media companies to paper and janitorial companies, but mostly helping them grow their people personally and professionally, become better leaders, and sell more stuff.”

He also uses his skills for the benefit of car dealers.

“I’ve produced a dealer education program called CETV in the Carolinas in conjunction with the Carolinas Independent Automobile Dealers Association (CIADA) all the way back in 2003,” York said. “I had spoken for the association a few times and when the N.C. legislature mandated six hours of continuing education for dealers (CIADA) wanted me to be the ‘trainer/instructor’ for live training. I told them I couldn’t do that with all the other work I was doing.”

Instead, in 90 days he created a program to train their dealers on video. CETV was created, first with VHS, then DVD and – over the past five years – online.

“It’s six hours of content I write, host, interview and help produce, and that’s been a great project to have worked on over all these years,”

York said. “I’m grateful to CIADA Executive Director John Brown for having the vision that allowed us to bring that online with a new Learning Management Platform that makes it easy for dealers to take their CE when and where it works for them. And for believing that I was the guy to do it. John is one of the great leaders I’ve had the pleasure of knowing and working with over the years.”

York said he enjoys all of his different roles and projects and is grateful for those who have helped him, starting with Linn, now CEO Emeritus for NIADA.

In fact, York’s first speaking gig for NIADA was an education session in 2000 called “Women Rule.” Again, it was Linn who hired York to speak at that education session.

York was asked what he likes about the car business.

“So many things,” he said. “Like so many in my generation I grew up around cars. Dad loved cars. Working on them, always trading, buying, selling. Never any new cars, they were all used vehicles. One of the jobs I had in my twenties was at a newspaper in the classified ads department. And many of my accounts were car dealers.”

York considers himself an entrepreneur, like the dealers he’s spoken in front of.

“It’s one of the things I speak and coach on ‘Thinking Like an Owner.’ It’s just a different mindset. And I’ve always referred to independent dealers as ‘Captains of Enterprise.’ They are a special class of entrepreneur.”

NIADA has helped him connect with a lot of people over the years.

“So many connections and relationships created over the years,” he said. “Friends and relationships all across the industry.”

But the NQD event is something special.

“As host and master of ceremonies of the National Quality Dealer Awards, I’ve also had the opportunity to interview over 300 of the top dealers in the country,” York said. “Sitting down one-on-one and hearing their stories, hearing about people who were important in their life and helped them in their business, and many of those interviews turned into longtime friendships.”

Does York expect to celebrate a silver anniversary in five years?

“Ha. I’d be OK with that, I think. But I’m also OK if it ends today,” he said.