I wanted to take the opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Jennifer Morand, Co-President of the CATA along with Dave Sloan, who earlier this year announced his plans to retire in spring 2024. I am beyond fortunate for Dave Sloan, our current board members, and outgoing Chicago Auto Show Chairman Kevin Keefe, who have chosen me to serve in this prestigious role. That said, I am not new to the CATA or the automotive industry. Prior to this role, I served as the Director of Public Relations and Social Media for the CATA for more than a decade. I look forward to bringing my background and skills into this new role as President of the CATA and General Manager of the Chicago Auto Show.

I’m thrilled to introduce this new quarterly magazine, CATA Up to Speed, which is designed to be yet another resource to enhance your membership of the CATA. As a CATA dealer member, you and your dealership have access to a variety of vital resources to support your business, including dealer point-of-sale forms, legal services, employee relations and HR consultation, legislative support, educational resources and seminars, fun networking events, complimentary meeting/staff conference and training space, dealership listing and new and used vehicle inventory posting on DriveChicago.com, Chicago Auto Show perks and discounts and in-store signage and materials to help you run your dealership efficiently and effectively. All of this and so much more are available to dealers included in their CATA membership.

Beyond serving this powerful, charitable dealer community, I get the honor and privilege — along with Executive Vice President of the CATA Chris Konecki and seven additional dynamic team members — of producing the largest and best auto show in the country, the Chicago Auto Show. We’ve been hard at work to maintain relevancy in a time where the impact of auto shows is questioned, and I can honestly say that the future is bright for the Windy City show. Needless to say, this is great news for the local dealer community as the Chicago Auto Show directly impacts consumers, piquing interest and — most importantly — driving sales back to the dealership. Heading into 2024, we’re on track to win brands back to the show and hope to maintain, and even add, to the total number of indoor test tracks we had in 2023 (which was a record-breaking seven!).

Leading the way to the 2023 Chicago Auto Show was a new event, Chicago Drives Electric. We launched this event in the fall of 2022 with the intent of enticing consumers to learn about and test drive the latest EVs, hybrids and plug-in hybrids. The event was held at the CATA HQ, and its success was overwhelming. Overnight, we filled up all test drive slots, and media came out in droves to cover the event generating exposure. The branding and excitement carried over to the Chicago Auto Show, in the form of a 100,000 square foot indoor EV track. We plan to hold Chicago Drives Electric once again this fall, September 28-October 1, due to its success.

Another event we were excited about was the 10th year of the USO Barbecue for the Troops. Last year, we hit the $1 million dollar milestone for the total amount raised since the event’s inception. On Saturday, July 15, more than 80 Chicagoland new-car dealers fired up their grills to host USO Barbecue for the Troops fundraisers. All of the funds raised stayed local; it was donated directly to the USO Illinois.

We look forward to another great year. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with an idea, suggestion, feedback or just to say hello. We value you and your membership with the CATA!

Best Regards,

Jennifer Morand
Co-President, CATA