CARY, N.C. — It has become an annual tradition for Auto Remarketing to encourage our readers to recognize and nominate some of the top leading ladies of our industry. 

While responsibilities and companies represented vary, this year's ladies have one thing in common — they stand out for their dedication to excellence and their commitment to furthering the industry. 

We realize that there are many women doing good work throughout the nation, even though we can only recognize a few each year. We tried to select ladies who represent some of the various facets of the marketplace. 

Thank you to all our readers who took time to send in nominations. Unfortunately, due to the space constraints in the print publication, we could not honor all the women nominated; however, we hope you will stay tuned as next year we will put the word out again to honor another round of ladies. — Jennifer Reed, Automotive Group Editor 

Sue Boehlke

Senior Vice President, Manheim Products and Processes 

Boehlke's duties entail overseeing several of the company's groups that are engaged in helping to transform Manheim's core business into one that seamlessly incorporates an expanding online strategy with a brick-and-mortar footprint of more than 130 worldwide operating locations. 

"Over the past year alone, Boehlke has spearheaded important new online product launches, such as Manheim Direct, a new wholesale vehicle program that saves dealers significant time by letting them sell inventory online without having to transport the vehicles to Manheim operating locations. She also directed the recent launch of a new mobile-optimized Manheim Market Report after a customer survey pointed out that 77 percent of dealers accessed the Internet via a mobile device," explained Dean Eisner, Manheim president and chief executive officer. 

"As a member of Manheim's executive leadership team, Boehlke has been a critical navigator in setting the course for ensuring that core businesses seamlessly incorporate online strategy. And, of course, she's making sure that the entire team has fun on the journey," Eisner added. 

Jeannie Chiaromonte

Bank of America 

Jeannie Chiaromonte is vice president/national remarketing manager of Bank of America Dealer Financial Services, which provides comprehensive financial services to the automotive, recreational vehicle, marine and personal aircraft industries throughout the United States. 

Jeannie manages all aspects of the auction remarketing operations and is responsible for developing all strategies associated with the remarketing process and result tracking. 

She joined the bank on Oct. 1, 1991, and has held a variety of positions, including auto lease and termination officer, collateral recovery officer and auction remarketing representative. She is a member of Manheim and ADESA Client Advisory Boards and the International Automotive Remarketers Alliance, involving herself in special projects and conference panel discussions. 

Megan Haley

Director of Remarketing Strategies for Fiserv 

Megan's responsibilities include the day-to-day management of remarketing operations and client relations. She is also a member of Manheim and ADESA's Client Advisory Boards. 

"I have had the honor of working with Megan for 20 years in the remarketing arena. During that time she has built strong working relationships with all of our auction partners as well as her peers in the industry. Her willingness to share her insight with fellow remarketers has earned her tremendous respect within the industry," said Craig Carrow, vice president of auto strategy at Remarketing Services of America/Fiserv. 

Meanwhile, Sal Terranova, national remarketing manager for Carolina Auto Auction, added, "Megan wears many hats at her place of employment and has been effective in all of them. However, Megan is also a very effective voice in the remarketing industry at large and is often involved with industry initiatives that evolve from the various client advisory boards that she is a part of. Megan will settle for nothing less then a 'job well done' either from herself, or from anyone that she works around." 

Alexis Jacobs

President, Columbus Fair Auto Auction 

According to Ruth Lemmon, president of the West Virginia Auto & Truck Dealers Association, "Alexis is a dynamic leader in the automotive industry. She has built her auction into one of the largest independent operations in the country. She is vital to her industry and the growth of the auction business. She has served as the chairman of the National Auto Auction Association. Jacobs has served in virtually every capacity of leadership for her industry and community.  

"I have know Alexis for almost 30 years and watched as she has grown her business from a small auction to a large enterprise. I have had the pleasure of working with Alexis in both the automotive industry as well as the political arena. I can not recommend anyone more highly. We, as women in this wonderful industry, would be honored to have her represent us," Lemmon added. 

Mary Ann Pipes

Auction Sales Representative, CitiFinancial Auto 

Pipes has been an auction sales representative for Trans South and CitiFinancial Auto for the last 15 years.  

"Mary Ann is our specialist for setting up new locations and frequently used as a trouble-shooter to help improve underperforming locations. She does all this in addition to maintaining her assigned territory and producing superior results. Mary Ann has served as an industry resource for the National Auto Auction Association and been highly involved in developing auction policies such as the current arbitration rules. She is highly respected in the industry for her professionalism, vehicle knowledge, block presence and integrity. This is a difficult challenge for any individual but much more difficult for a female in a predominately male profession. Yet Mary Ann does this with ease," indicated Layne Weber, CitiFinancial Auto vice president of national remarketing sales. 

Terranova, of Carolina Auto Auction, added, "Mary Ann is constantly challenging the status quo in our industry and is always looking for innovation and improvement. Now, you would expect this as it relates to her own job responsibilities, but, Mary Ann can often be found challenging and encouraging others, even in other work areas and other companies. She never says no to a request for help, and is a very effective teacher and trainer."  

Debbie Vaughn

Executive Sales Director, ADESA 

"In 2002, Debbie organized the industry's only educational and networking conference that recognized the influence women have in the auto remarketing industry. In fact, Women of Remarketing was the first conference of its kind. And, during the past eight years, Debbie has continually built upon the success of WOR. She not only provides a format for top women executives in the remarketing industry to exchange ideas, but she has also incorporated a charitable element to the event (Donating to Dress for Success)," explained Bob Rauschenberg, ADESA vice president of sales and marketing. 

"It has truly been Debbie's insight and leadership that has made WOR such a successful event that grows from year to year. She lends this same dedication and passion to her role as executive sales director, where she successfully handles some of the company's largest accounts — gaining the greater percentage of their sales volumes year after year," he continued. 

"When I first met Debbie many years ago (she joined ADESA 11 years ago), I was immediately impressed by her dynamic personality, her attention to detail and her perseverance. When Debbie is not leading major customer events or providing top-notch service to her clients, she may be napping on the back of a Harley Ultra Classic during a long bike ride with husband, David. Debbie carries this same sense of adventure and humor into her personal life," Rauschenberg said. 

Angela Yarborough-Williams

Assistant General Manager, Rawls Auto Auction 

Scott France, executive vice president of Windsor Equity Group, explained, "I have known Angela for years. I used her sale when I was at AmeriCredit and they did a marvelous job earning the Auction of the Year Award in 2005 or 2006. Although Angela continued to pursue our business (after I moved to Triad), she never had a bad thing to say about her competitor. 

"One thing that I and many in the industry respect about Angela is her integrity. Angela keeps everything on the up-and-up and does nothing that would jeopardize her reputation or that of her employer. Angela is extremely conscientious and makes each of her clients feel like they are the only client, and the results from the sales justify her efforts," France pointed out. 

Dan Heinrich, AmeriCredit's vice president of asset remarketing, added, "Angela is a person of high integrity and dedication to this industry. Rawls Auto Auction was our Auction of the Year again this year."