Board of Directors — Georgia
Martin NeSmith, president of NeSmith Chevrolet-Oldsmobile-Pontiac Inc. in Claxton, Ga., and NeSmith Chevrolet-Oldsmobile in Hinesville, Ga., represents the state’s franchised dealers on the association’s board of directors.
NeSmith began his career in the automotive business in 1974 when, with the help and encouragement of his father, he purchased a small Chevrolet dealership from a friend. In 1982, NeSmith added an Oldsmobile franchise, and in 1984, a Pontiac franchise. An active member of numerous industry organizations, NeSmith is currently a member of the Conventions Committee and Finance Committee. He is also state chairman of the Dealers Election Action Committee. Previously he served as chairman of the Georgia Automobile Dealers Association and has participated in various regional dealer-advertising groups.
Active in civic affairs, NeSmith serves on the board of the Medical College of Georgia Health Inc., the Evans County Hospital Authority, and the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia. He is a past chairman of the Evans County Industrial Development Authority, has served as vice president of the Evans County Chamber of Commerce and as president of the Claxton-Evans Rotary Club. NeSmith currently serves as chairman of the Coastal Conservation Association of Georgia, which is dedicated to protecting and preserving coastal Georgia and its resources for future generations to enjoy.
In 2001, NeSmith was selected as TIME Magazine’s Quality Dealer of the Year, which is sponsored by Time, Goodyear Tire and Rubber Co. and NADA to honor professional excellence and community leadership. Georgia Southern University named him the 2000 Alumnus of the Year in Small Business Enterprise, and he was selected as Chapter Honoree of Beta Gamma Sigma at Georgia Southern University in 1998. NeSmith also received the Century Member award from the Boy Scouts of America in 1986, the Paul Harris Fellow Award from the Rotary Club and in 1989, he was selected to participate in the Leadership Georgia Foundation Inc.
The National Automobile Dealers Association, founded in 1917 and based in McLean, Va., represents more than 20,000 new car and truck dealers, holding over 43,000 separate franchises, both domestic and import.
Board, by state
Board, alphabetical by last name