GM Minority Dealers Association Elects New Board Members

The General Motors Minority Dealers Association (GMMDA) has elected three (3) new members to its Board of Directors. Milton Barnes, President of Classic Chevrolet (Anaheim, CA), Frank Navarette, President of Navarette Pontiac GMC (Elgin, IL), and Hassan Nurmohamed, President of Frontier Chevrolet (Amherst, NY) will each serve a two-year term on the board.

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Contact: Delisha Upshaw
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GM Minority Dealers Association Elects New Board Members

SOUTHFIELD, MICHIGAN (PR WEB) Thursday, April 25, 2003 -- The General Motors Minority Dealers Association (GMMDA) has elected three (3) new members to its Board of Directors. Milton Barnes, President of Classic Chevrolet (Anaheim, CA), Frank Navarette, President of Navarette Pontiac GMC (Elgin, IL), and Hassan Nurmohamed, President of Frontier Chevrolet (Amherst, NY) will each serve a two-year term on the board.

The GMMDA has made great strides under the excellent leadership of our current board of directors," said GMMDA president Gregory Jackson. I believe each of these new members has the appreciation for diversity, the experience and enthusiasm to help lead the association into a future of even greater success."

Milt Barnes began his career in the automotive industry in 1966 as an assembly line worker for General Motors in his hometown of Cincinnati, Ohio. Barnes received degrees from the University of Cincinnati and Xavier University and held several positions with GM in many different locations prior to enrolling in the NADA Academy in 1995. He graduated in May of 1996 and purchased his first dealership in Yorba Linda, CA. In 1999, Barnes moved Classic Chevrolet to a new facility in Anaheim Hills, California. Barnes says he desires to use the knowledge he gained while working for GM to help strengthen and improve dealer relations."

Hassan Nurmohamed, born and raised in East Africa, moved to the United States in 1972. He began his career in the automotive industry in 1980 after studying at Northwestern Michigan University and Ferris State University. Hassan moved through the ranks at General Motors, eventually transferring to Chicago, Illinois. In December of 1997, Nurmohamed acquired Sun Chevrolet in Amherst, New York. Nurmohamed says he is excited about the opportunity to serve on the board and help to make the GMMDA the best it can be."

Frank Navarette began his career in the automotive industry in 1963 as a porter in his hometown of Chicago. By 1973, he had worked his way up to a service manager position and in 1978, he transferred to an Oldsmobile store where he was promoted to General Manager. In 1985, Navarette used private capital to acquire Star Chevrolet Buick Pontiac in Momence, IL and later became the owner of Jenkintown Pontiac GMC in Philadelphia. Today, Navarette owns and operates Naverette Pontiac GMC in Elgin, IL and is an active member of the Illinois Auto Dealers Association (IADA) and the Chicago Automotive Trade Association (CATA). He looks forward to serving on the board and working toward a vision of unity and oneness."

The following GMMDA members were also re-elected to serve two-year terms: Trevor Duhaney of Duhaney Pontiac Buick GMC (Miami Lakes, Florida), Desmond Roberts of Advantage Chevrolet (Hodgkins, Illinois), Henry Ware of Southaven Pontiac Buick GMC (Southaven, Mississippi), and Ray Wilkinson, Jr. of Wilkinson Buick Cadillac (Racine, Wisconsin).

The GMMDA is a non-profit organization that represents the interest of hundreds of minority owned General Motors dealerships across the country. The mission of the GMMDA is to promote, protect and encourage the viability and profitability of all existing General Motors minority dealers, and to encourage, through cooperative efforts with General Motors, the installation of new minority dealers in viable and profitable opportunities.