Wise chairs CARE board of directors

Dec. 13, 2005

The Coalition for Auto Repair Equality (CARE) has a new-look board of directors following some changes and additions.

The new chairman is Ted Wise, co-president of O'Reilly Auto Parts. He replaces Art Lottes III, president of CARQUEST, who is retiring from CARQUEST and CARE after serving for the last three years as chairman of the CARE board.

Wise has been with O'Reilly's for 35 years. In addition to being co-president, he is chief operating officer, focusing on store operations, real estate and marketing.

Joining the CARE board are William Rhodes III, CEO and president of AutoZone, and O. Temple Sloan III, CEO and president of General Parts Inc. Rhodes has served in a variety of executive-level roles at AutoZone for 12 years. Sloan joined General Parts in 1993 and is the son of O. Temple Sloan Jr., the founder of the company.

"Both Rhodes and Sloan have high-caliber backgrounds in the automotive aftermarket, and understand what it takes to lead effectively," said David Parde, president of CARE.

Lottes was praised by Parde for the significant role he has played in the formation and development of CARE over the years. "Art is one of the original founding fathers of CARE, helping to establish the organization back in 1991," he said.

"From 1991 to 2002, he served as secretary-treasurer of the board, coming on as chairman in 2003. He's been a stalwart contributor to the achievements we've experienced legislatively in the auto aftermarket during the past decade."

Lottes plans to stay involved with CARE, he added.

Other members of the CARE board include Marc Graham, CEO and president of InstallerEDGE and secretary/treasurer of the board; Tom Gallagher, CEO and president, Genuine Parts Corp.; Maynard Jenkins, chairman and CEO, CSK Auto; Kathleen Schmatz, CEO and president, Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association; and Jim Wade, president, Advance Auto Parts.