ACPN Opens Applications for Leadership 2.0 Scholarship
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By Counterman
NAPA announced the promotions of
link hidden, please login to view to Vice President, Procurement & Sourcing, link hidden, please login to view to Vice President, Commercial Products, and link hidden, please login to view to Senior Vice President of Pricing and Procurement. These leaders will take on expanded responsibilities across the NAPA merchandising organization, reinforcing the company’s commitment to building deep internal talent and strengthening its product and supplier strategy. Pérez brings two decades of experience leading P&Ls across the automotive aftermarket, retail and consumer products industries. She most recently served as Senior Director of Category Management at NAPA, where she led a portfolio spanning brakes, undercar and heavy duty, driving growth through sourcing strategy and supplier partnerships. Prior to NAPA, she held merchandising leadership roles at HD Supply, SPANX and The Home Depot.
“Cristina has played a pivotal role in transforming category management and sourcing at NAPA Auto Parts. Her strategic mindset, deep merchandising expertise, and ability to build high-performing teams have strengthened our capabilities and positioned us for continued growth. This promotion recognizes both her leadership and the meaningful impact she has made across our organization,” said Danny Huffaker, SVP, Product & Marketing,
link hidden, please login to view. Griffiths has been with NAPA for four years, growing from Director of Category Management to Senior Director, Underhood, where she onboarded strategic brands to diversify the NAPA portfolio. In her new role, she will lead the category team responsible for Hard Parts and Applied Parts, including Brakes and Undercar. Prior to NAPA, she held senior category management roles at White Cap.
“Laura is an exceptional leader who has played a critical role in advancing our category management capabilities at NAPA Auto Parts. Through strong cross-functional collaboration and trusted supplier partnerships, she has helped build a more strategic and customer-focused organization. This promotion recognizes her leadership, her results, and the meaningful impact she continues to have across our business,” said Huffaker.
Portera joined GPC nearly four years ago as Vice President of Finance before moving over to NAPA where he has spent the last three years, first as Vice President of Corporate Development and then as Vice President of Financial Planning and Analysis. He most recently served as the Vice President of Pricing and Procurement. His recent outstanding achievements include successfully navigating the First Brands bankruptcy and launching the new direct import program for NAPA rotors, the company said. Prior to GPC and NAPA, he had a successful 10-year career at FedEx, which included roles in SEC reporting, FP&A, Treasury and an international expat leadership assignment.
“Will has been a steady and trusted leader within our organization, bringing clarity, discipline and strategic thinking to some of our most complex challenges,” said Jamie Walton, EVP, Merchandise & Stores, NAPA. “This promotion reflects the significant impact Will has made at NAPA and our confidence in his continued ability to drive value for our customers and supplier partners.”
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By Counterman
The
link hidden, please login to view (ACPN), a community of the Auto Care Association, is now accepting applications for its Leadership 2.0 Scholarship, which will award one ACPN member the opportunity to attend the University of the Aftermarket’s Leadership 2.0 Program. “This scholarship reflects ACPN’s commitment to developing strong leaders within the content community,” said Joe Thomas, scholarship chair of the ACPN Council. “By supporting participation in Leadership 2.0, we’re helping members grow personally and professionally while advancing the industry as a whole.”
About the Leadership 2.0 Program
The Leadership 2.0 Program is a postgraduate-level leadership and business education experience designed to support the development of auto care industry leaders. Leadership 2.0 offers a two-week curriculum that blends theory with real-world application of leadership principles specific to the auto care industry.
Eligibility Requirements
To be eligible, applicants must be:
A current member of the ACPN community; and Employed by an Auto Care Association member company. CEUs and Scholarship Coverage
Graduates of the Leadership 2.0 Program will receive 7.0 CEUs toward their Automotive Content Professional (ACP) and Automotive Aftermarket Professional (AAP) designations. The scholarship is valued at $6,650 and covers tuition, course materials and meals. The scholarship recipient is responsible for their own travel and hotel accommodations.
Program Sessions and Locations
The first session of Leadership 2.0 is scheduled for Aug. 9–13, 2026, at Northwood University in Midland, Michigan. The second session will take place in March 2027 in Raleigh, North Carolina.
Application Information
For more information about the ACPN Leadership 2.0 scholarship, including a complete list of eligibility requirements and the application, visit the
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By Counterman
The Young Auto Care Network Group (YANG), an under-40 community of the Auto Care Association, announced its 2026 Next Step Program scholarship recipients for YANG programming at Auto Care Connect. The Next Step Program offers young automotive aftermarket professionals an opportunity to establish lasting involvement in the auto care industry.
The scholarship recipients will experience and engage in YANG programming at
link hidden, please login to view and Spring Leadership Days, part of Auto Care Connect week, all taking place May 11-14 at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta. 2026 Next Step Program Scholarship Recipients
Tiffany Auyeung, Genuine Parts/NAPA Shelby McLean, CRC Industries Dina Nikocevic, Parts Authority Samantha Schearer-Higdon, Schearer’s Sales & Service Inc. Joseph Pedorenko, TERREPOWER Scholarship Benefits and Networking Opportunities
The scholarship covers the entire cost to attend the 2026 Auto Care Connect week and provides access to networking opportunities for each of the scholarship recipients. The Next Step scholarship recipients can participate in up to 25 meetings and network with more than 450 veteran industry leaders during this three-and-a-half-day program. “Next Steppers” will experience up-close how the association and various aspects of the industry work.
YANG Programming at Auto Care Connect
The
link hidden, please login to view programming at Auto Care Connect is tailored to young professionals in the auto care industry to facilitate building connections with peers, learning from industry experts and coming together as one collective industry by sharing the best of ideas and solutions for today’s automotive aftermarket industry challenges. This in-person event provides industry-focused programming opportunities to enhance leadership skills and knowledge of the industry. The post
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By Counterman
link hidden, please login to view(NMG) announced it has opened a new Arch Auto Parts location in Hartford, Connecticut. The store is at 75 Airport Road, Hartford, Connecticut 06114. The opening marks the continued growth of Arch Auto Parts in the Connecticut market, following the launch of its first location in Bridgeport last year. The company said its performance in Bridgeport reinforced NMG’s commitment to expanding in the region and meeting increasing demand from local repair shops. Scott Weinstein, president of NexaMotion Group
“Our expansion in Connecticut reflects both the success we’ve seen in Bridgeport and the strong demand from customers in the region,” said Scott Weinstein, president of
link hidden, please login to view. “Opening our Hartford location allows us to further invest in our customers’ success by providing the right parts, expertise and support to keep their businesses moving forward.”
link hidden, please login to view provides a comprehensive range of automotive aftermarket parts, supporting professional repair facilities with inventory and service. The post
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By NAPA
Daison Pursley and the
link hidden, please login to view No. 9 team officially kicked off the 2026 High Limit Racing season over the past two weeks, competing in six races across Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Central Arizona Raceway. Following an offseason focused on building chemistry and speed, the Kasey Kahne Racing team entered the year with momentum and immediately showed promise against a strong field of competitors.
The High Limit season opener at Las Vegas Motor Speedway marked the first points-paying events of the year, and the NAPA No. 9 ran consistently inside the top 10 throughout the three-night weekend.
On Thursday, Pursley qualified eighth in Flight A and advanced to a 12th-place finish in the feature after starting 15th. Friday brought one of the team’s strongest performances of the weekend, as Pursley qualified third, ran up front in the heat race, and drove from ninth to sixth in the A-Main.
The weekend concluded Saturday with another solid showing as the NAPA No. 9 qualified third once again and advanced from 13th to 10th in the feature. The consistent results to open the season positioned the team well in the early championship standings and reinforced the speed shown throughout the offseason.
The team carried that momentum into Central Arizona Raceway for the Cactus Classic, where Pursley delivered a standout performance on Thursday night. After qualifying 10th in a stout, 31-car field, Pursley advanced through his heat race and charged from 10th to a third-place finish in the A-Main, earning the first ever podium for the NAPA No. 9 team.
Friday and Saturday presented challenges, as the team continued to show speed but was ultimately sidelined by incidents in both feature events, resulting in a pair of DNFs. Despite the setbacks, the pace of the NAPA No. 9 remained evident throughout the weekend.
The NAPA No. 9 team now turns its focus to the next event at Vado Speedway Park in New Mexico on Tuesday as the 2026 High Limit Racing season continues.
Start / Finish:
Thursday, March 12, Las Vegas Motor Speedway: 15 / 12
Friday, March 13, Las Vegas Motor Speedway: 9 / 6
Saturday, March 14, Las Vegas Motor Speedway: 13 / 10
Thursday, March 19, Central Arizona Raceway: 10 / 3
Friday, March 20, Central Arizona Raceway: DNF
Saturday, March 21, Central Arizona Raceway: DNF
Points Standing / Total: 11th / 281 pts. (-125)
Next Race: Tuesday, March 24, Vado Speedway Park, Vado, NM
How to Watch or Listen:
link hidden, please login to view NAPA:
link hidden, please login to viewDaison Pursley: link hidden, please login to view
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