American society tends to celebrate and award individual achievement. However, most great successes, in business, sports, and life, can be attributed to a team effort. Few people in the auto retail industry have understood and incorporated that outlook in their careers as deeply as Jim Appleton.
When I was hired at AIADA, Jim was one of the first ATAEs to reach out to me. He was enthusiastic, supportive, and made it clear that we were on the same team, working toward similar goals for our members. A lot of people talk-the-talk when it comes to inter-organizational cooperation, but Jim walked-the-walk. In all the years we worked together, he never hesitated to offer his support or his friendship, and for that I am certainly grateful.
As a mentor, Jim was a straight shooter. It didn’t take me long to realize that his unfiltered opinion was always worth listening to, or that his direct approach to challenges facing New Jersey’s dealers was worth emulating. As an ATAE, Jim was all-in for his members, and he put his whole heart into defending their interests. He didn’t care if something was easy or popular — he wanted to ensure that the automotive policies of his state made sense and worked for both dealers and consumers.
That attitude translated into a long and fruitful career at NJ CAR. Jim is beloved in New Jersey for his tenacity, his kindness, and his occasionally wicked sense of humor. He was a wonderful ambassador for the state at national events, and helped transform New Jersey’s dealer community into an efficient and effective model for other states to model themselves after.
Through Jim, I got to know a number of Jersey’s finest dealers, several of whom went on to serve as chairmen of AIADA. These men would always step up to serve their industry, even when the timing was inconvenient or difficult. Jim modeled for his members a sense of civic responsibility to the industry as a whole — something I am confident will continue to flourish among New Jersey’s dealers long after his retirement.
Today, New Jersey’s dealers, and the broader national dealer community, are far better off for his service. It’s hard to imagine going on our regular circuit of events and conventions and not seeing him, but I know he will be in a better place — maybe running another marathon or playing golf. I wish him and his wonderful family the best as they embark on this new adventure, and I hope he knows how much we in the auto industry will miss both his guidance and his good humor in the years ahead.
