DIAMOND BAR, Calif. — Wade Kawasaki, president and COO of Coker Group, has been elected chairman-elect of the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), putting him in line to be the group's chairman starting in 2017.
Mr. Kawasaki was named president of Coker Group in April 2014, after having joined the Chattanooga, Tenn.-based marketer of vintage tires and wheels in 2010.
Mr. Kawasaki has 37 years of industry experience, including 22 as founder/CEO of Avanche Corp.
Mr. Kawasaki succeeds Doug Evans of Luken Communications, who will take over the chairmanship in July. He was elected to SEMA's Hall of Fame in 2013.
Other newly elected board members are: Susan Carpenter of JR Products, Laurel Dasher of Powerteq and Dan Kahn of Kahn Media Inc.
Jim Bingham of Winner's Circle Speed & Custom Inc. and Nick Gramelspacher of Meyer Distributing were re-elected and will serve another term. The immediate-past chairman/secretary is Nate Shelton, chief marketing officer, Driven Performance Brands
Other board members are:
- Greg Adler — CEO, Transamerican Auto Parts
- Jeff Bates — Partner, Bob Cook Sales
- Kyle Fickler – Director of Business Development, Aeromotive Inc.
- Tim Martin – Chief Operations Officer, K&N Engineering
- Tim Watts – President, Superlift Suspension
John Johnson of Spartan Group will continue as treasurer, and Russ Deane of Trainum, Snowdon & Deane continues as general counsel.
The newly elected board will be recognized during the SEMA Installation Gala on July 24 at the Millennium Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles.
Also during the banquet, outgoing board members Scooter Brothers of COMP Performance Group, Luanne Brown of eTool Developers, John Hotchkis of Hotchkis Performance LLC and Russell Stephens of MSD Performance will be recognized and honored for their service and contributions to the industry.
The event will also feature a special tribute to the 2015 SEMA Hall of Fame Inductees — Joel Ayres, Jim Bingham and Dennis Gage.
