First-ever New York Urban Dealer Awards & Auto Show Preview Drives Diversity at New York International Auto Show

First awards ceremony in history to honor diversity practices of greater New York's automobile dealerships premieres at time of historical construction of Harlem Auto Mall

NEW YORK, March 23 -- On Wheels, publisher of African Americans On Wheels and Latinos On Wheels magazines, and Forbes will honor the diversity practices of members of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association (GNYADA) during the First Annual New York Urban Dealers Awards & Auto Show Preview on April 8, 2004 at 4:30 p.m. at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center at 655 W. 34th St. in New York City. Held in conjunction with the New York International Auto Show, the invitation-only event is part of a series of Urban Dealer Awards ceremonies being held at world-class auto shows across the nation.

The mission of the New York Urban Dealer Awards & Auto Show Preview is to honor GNYADA members for promoting diversity in the following practices: community service, employment, community relations and marketing/advertising. Additionally, the event will maximize exposure for its winners and provide an invaluable networking opportunity for sponsors, industry executives, local leaders and media.

Based on preliminary nominations from automobile dealerships, individuals and third-party vendors, an independent panel of judges consisting of industry executives and journalists representing mainstream and minority media will select winners in the following Urban Dealer Awards categories: Community Service, Workforce Demographic, Customer Service, and Marketing and Sales. The dealership that demonstrates the strongest commitment to diversity in all of these categories will be named Urban Dealer of the Year.

The judges include Warren Brown, Washington Post; Earle Eldridge, USA Today; Brian Armstead, Radio Free America; Edward Lapham and Kathy Jackson, Automotive News; Valerie Menard, LatinaStyle; B.J. Killeen, Motor Mouth Productions; Frank Washington, managing partner/editor of AboutThatCar.com; freelance journalists Mary Chapman and Angelica Willard, and Carl Ragsdale, chief operating officer of Dealer Services at the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA).

In addition to serving on the judging panel, world-renowned automotive journalist Warren Brown will lead the Auto Show Preview. The awards ceremony will be hosted by Judge Manuel Franco, star of Telemundo's hit courtroom television show, "La Corte Del Pueblo." Judge Franco, an avid car aficionado, is one of the most prominent personalities on Spanish-speaking television.

Randi Payton, president and CEO of On Wheels, conceived the Urban Dealer Awards as an expansion of the prestigious Urban Wheel Awards held annually at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

"During the past four years, On Wheels has held a Minority Media Preview Lunch and Tour in conjunction with the New York International Auto Show," he said. "By expanding this event into an Urban Dealer Awards & Auto Show Preview ceremony, On Wheels and Forbes are determined to drive diversity practices in dealerships across America.

"We are particularly excited to host the Urban Dealer Awards at such an exciting time in New York, as plans for the Harlem Auto Mall switch into high gear," Payton said. "Greater New York's automobile dealerships are breaking ground, and we are pleased to support their efforts."

For more information, or to RSVP for the event, e-mail cnedd@neddpr.com , or call 248-399-1440. Sponsorship opportunities also are available.

Detroit-based On Wheels is a multicultural multimedia company that publishes "African Americans On Wheels" and "Latinos On Wheels magazines," which are distributed in more than 80 newspapers throughout the United States and have a combined readership of 5 million. Additionally, On Wheels manages the Edward Davis Education Foundation, which provides scholarships to students pursuing technical and college degrees in the automotive industry.

Forbes is the presenting sponsor for the New York Urban Dealer Awards & Auto Show Preview. Major sponsors include General Motors and GMAC.