Along with the seventh annual Diversity Volume Leadership Awards (DVL), last week’s annual NAMAD Conference in Miami also included Cox Automotive, in partnership with the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers (NAMAD), awarding two Rising Star Awards.

The 2022 award recipients were Jarryd Carver, chief executive officer of Winners Circle Automotive Group, headquartered in Hampton, Va., and Michael Lee, dealer principal of Freedom Kia of Morgantown in West Virginia.

Recipients were chosen based on nomination criteria, including being under the age of 45 and a NAMAD member, operating within the automotive industry and demonstrating a strong commitment to their local community and/or minority populations along with contributing to the automotive industry.

Cox Automotive marketing director Sherrie Tanner joined NAMAD president Damon Lester to honor the recipients during an awards dinner at the 42nd annual membership meeting.

Tanner said: “On behalf of Cox Automotive and in partnership with NAMAD, I am honored to recognize Jarryd Carver and Michael Lee as the 2022 Rising Stars. Jarryd and Michael truly exemplify the words ‘rising star’ as well as the core values of Cox and the Cox family — building a better community and a better world.”

Cox Automotive is donating $5,000 to The Sharon Carver Foundation, which was created in 2016 and named after Jarryd Carver’s late aunt, Sharon, who was a victim of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

The foundation honors Sharon Carver’s commitment to mentorship by creating opportunities for underserved communities to afford education and through scholarships for students in need at Hampton University, one of the top historically Black universities in the world, located in Hampton.

On behalf of Lee, Cox Automotive is donating $5,000 to Chestnut Mountain Ranch, a faith-based retreat for boys who are experiencing challenges in life located in Morgantown.

The children live on the ranch’s 225-acre grounds and focus on healing and family reunification. In addition to donations, Chestnut Mountain Ranch is funded by The Ranch Quick Lube, a Valvoline Express Care owned by Chestnut Mountain Ranch, as well as The Ranch Community Store, a high-end thrift store that provides gently used merchandise to the community.

Diversity Volume Leadership Awards

The Seventh Annual Diversity Volume Leadership Awards (DVL) were presented by NAMAD and S&P Global Mobility (formerly IHS Markit). The awards program celebrates brands that are driving sales leadership with ethnic consumers.

Officials said that U.S. Census statistics predict that by the year 2045, ethnic minorities will be the “future majority.”

This year, NAMAD and S&P Global Mobility honored Toyota Motor North America’s RAV4 with the Top Overall Future Majority Award.

“The ‘Future Majority’ reality was echoed throughout this year’s awards ceremony and showcased the tremendous impact ethnic car buyers have on the economy, and brought awareness to the lack of diversity that still remains in the automotive industry,” NAMAD president Damon Lester said.

During the awards program and conference, NAMAD and S&P Global Mobility partnered to celebrate brands that are driving sales leadership with ethnic consumers, while also addressing and educating the industry about the necessity of a dealer body that reflects the United States’ increasingly diverse population.

Winners of the prestigious DVL Awards demonstrated the highest new vehicle registrations with ethnic consumers. This year’s awards were based on an analysis of data from S&P Global Mobility representing the 2022 model year.

“The initial goal of the DVL Awards was to create awareness within the U.S. auto industry of the top vehicles purchased by ethnic consumers,” said Marc Bland, chief diversity officer of S&P Global Mobility.

“But now the game has changed, and the ‘Future Majority’ designation is real. We’re honored to recognize these top models and their respective manufacturers in support of their efforts to reach increasingly diverse consumer groups,” Bland continued.

This year, NAMAD and S&P Global Mobility honored Toyota Motor North America’s RAV4 with the “Top Overall Future Majority Vehicle” DVL Award, one of 11 awards presented to Toyota and Lexus during the program.

Top Overall Ethnic Vehicle is the most sought-after DVL Awards honor for automotive brands dedicated to driving sales leadership with Asian, Native American, Hispanic and African-American car buyers.

Following is the complete list of this year’s DVL Award-winning manufacturers:

NON-LUXURY AWARDEES

Sub-Compact: Nissan Versa

Traditional Compact: Toyota Corolla

Mid-Size: Toyota Camry

Traditional Full-Size: Dodge Charger

Sub-Compact Utility and Utility Plus: Honda HR-V

Compact CUV and SUV: Toyota RAV4

Lower to Upper Mid-Size CUV and SUV: Toyota Highlander

Sport and Mid-Size Sport: Dodge Challenger

Mid-Size Van: Toyota Sienna

Compact to One-Ton Van: Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

Compact to Mid-Size Pickup: Toyota Tacoma

Three-Quarter to One-Ton Pickup Truck: RAM 2500/3500

Half-Ton Pickup Truck: Chevrolet Silverado

Full-Size SUV: Chevrolet Tahoe

LUXURY AWARDEES

Luxury Sub-Compact: Lexus UX

Luxury Compact: BMW 330

Luxury Mid-Size: Lexus ES

Luxury Full-Size: Mercedes-Benz S-Class

Luxury Exotic, Prestige Full-Size and Sport: Chevrolet Corvette

Luxury Sub-Compact CUV: Audi Q3

Luxury Compact CUV: BMW X3

Luxury Mid-Size CUV: Lexus RX

Luxury Mid-Size SUV: Mercedes-Benz GLE

Luxury Full-Size SUV: BMW X7

Top Overall Future Majority Luxury Vehicle: Lexus RX

Top Overall Future Majority Vehicle: Toyota RAV4