Longtime OADA President Tim Doran Announces Retirement, Board of Directors Names Zach Doran as New President

Tim Doran, president of the Ohio Automobile Dealers Association for nearly 40 years, has announced his retirement effective July 2016. In a vote held on December 3, the OADA Board of Directors elected Zach Doran to serve as his successor. 

“For nearly 40 years, Tim has been an exemplary leader and advocate for auto dealers in Ohio,” said Jim Keim, chairman of the OADA Board of Directors. “His expertise, insight, and knowledge of the auto dealer industry have been instrumental in creating and maintaining a positive business climate in Ohio for auto dealers and the more than 55,000 Ohioans they employ.”

Tim joined OADA in 1976 and two years later was elected president of the association. Under his leadership, OADA has established a very strong legislative presence in Ohio. In 2009, Tim chaired ATAE (Automotive Trade Association Executives, the national group of his counterparts in other states) during the bankruptcies of GM and Chrysler – this ultimately led to hundreds of dealers seeing their businesses returned after having been taken away in the bankruptcy. 

Tim has been instrumental to creating an environment conducive to success for Ohio’s automobile dealers with the passage of a strong franchise law and tax policies that are not overly-burdensome. During his tenure, the number of dealerships has been consolidated by 50 percent, but the average size dealership has seen growth of four and eight times in revenues, and the number of employees has doubled. Ohio currently has 830 new car, new truck, and new motorcycle franchised dealerships that employ more than 55,000 individuals.

Following Doran’s announcement on Thursday, the OADA Board of Directors elected Zach Doran as the association’s next president.

Zach joined OADA in 2009 as director of dealer services. In this role, he manages OADA’s for-profit sales division which has seen sales increase 500 percent during his tenure. His is integrally involved in OADA grassroots legislative efforts and manages OADA’s marketing partner relationships. Zach also created and oversees OADA’s Next Gen Dealer Program, which has become a model for auto dealer associations across the country.

The Next Gen Dealer Program is designed to engage future dealer principals around the state in association activities while helping them further their knowledge base and grow their dealer peer network. This program is one of many efforts to continue the growth of dealer grassroots in order to remain strong in the legislative, legal, and regulatory environments on behalf of all dealers across the state.

“Zach is a proven leader and innovator within our association and our industry,” Keim said. “He has the knowledge, skills, and vision to take OADA to the next level, and we look forward to continued success under his leadership.”

Zach is a graduate of The Ohio State University Fisher College of Business. He will assume leadership of the organization in July 2016.

OADA provides management services to the Columbus Automobile Dealers Association, the Toledo Automobile Dealers Association, and the Dayton Area Automobile Dealers Association, as well as the Ohio Motorcycle Dealers Association. Those services will not be affected under the new OADA leadership.