We're at the halfway point of the Virginia General Assembly session, and the VADA legal team is breaking down exactly what the "Crossover" deadline means for your dealership. Join VADA Live host Dan Carrigan as he sits down with Anne Gambardella, Executive Vice President and General Counsel, and Mimi Perka, Director of Legal and Legislative Affairs, for a Capitol "vibe check."

From dodging unexpected solar canopy mandates to navigating new employment laws and surveillance pricing, Anne and Mimi share behind-the-scenes accounts of VADA's defensive wins. Tune in to find out which bills survived, which ones died, and how you can make your voice heard at the upcoming Dealer Day.

Chapters:

00:00 - Welcome & General Assembly "Vibe Check"

03:27 - What is "Crossover" and why does it matter?

09:48 - Bullets Dodged: Predictive Scheduling & Surveillance Pricing

12:21 - The unexpected legislative fight over Solar Canopies

15:58 - Broad workplace initiatives: Minimum wage & Paid Family Leave

19:18 - Dealer Modernization Bills & prepping for Dealer Day

22:51 - Right to Repair updates & defeating the tax on repair services

27:30 - The ultimate takeaway for Virginia dealers

About VADA Live: VADA LIVE is the official podcast powered by the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association, offering rich insights and information about the automotive industry in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Join VADA staff, members, and partners for behind-the-scenes accounts of our efforts in the legislature, regulatory, and industry worlds, and stay equipped with everything you need to know to be a successful and competitive automotive dealer in Virginia.

We know the stats: turnover in the automotive industry is hovering near 46%, and for service advisors specifically, it's nearly 49%. Why are dealership struggling to keep their best people?

This week on VADA Live, host Dan Carrigan sits down with Christopher Craig – Author, Fixed Ops Expert, and U.S. Army Reserve Officers – to answer that question. Christopher argues the industry is full of "Managers" who managers, but lackss "Leaders" who lead people.

In this conversation, we move beyond the spreadsheets to discuss the human side of service operations. Learn to establish a communication "rhythm" that eliminates friction for customers, structure KPIs that don't pit your team against each other, and why the next generation of technicians care about more than just a paycheck.

Can a used Nissan with over 100,000 miles and a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) survive the salt flats of Bonneville and the rock crawling trails of Moab? In this episode of VADA Live, host Dan Carrigan sits down with Tim Pohanka, Executive Vice President of the Pohanka Automotive Group, to discuss his hit new YouTube series, "Tour Detour: The Good, The Bad, & The CVT." Tim and two fellow dealers set out to bust the myths surrounding Nissan's CVT reliability by taking three high-mileage vehicles on a punishing 1,500-mile road trip across the American West. From river crossings to desert sand dunes, they wanted to prove that these cars could handle conditions no engineer ever intended. Watch the "Tour Detour" Series here: https://thetourdetour.com/episodes

The 2026 Virginia General Assembly session is officially underway, and for the retail automotive industry, the stakes remain as high as ever.

Join VADA Live host Dan Carrigan for our Season 2 premiere as he sits down with experts Mimi Perka, VADA Director of Legislative & Legal Affairs, and Ralston King, President of RivCo Government Affairs and VADA Lobbyist.

With 18 new members entering the House of Delegates, VADA's mission this year is focused on education, relationship-building, and protecting the franchise system. As the saying goes: "If you are not at the table, you're on the menu." Now is the time for every member of the Virginia automotive community to engage, stay informed, and make their voices heard. Register for Dealer Day 2026 (Wednesday, January 28): https://vada.com/event/dealerday26

In this conclusion to our special end-of-year series, VADA President and CEO Don Hall shifts the focus from external threats to the internal dynamics that will define dealership success in 2026. Hall shares candid takeaways from his recent time at the NADA Academy, specifically highlighting the critical, often undervalued role of service technicians. He argues that the service drive touches far more customers than the sales floor and that building a culture where employees feel valued is the only sustainable way to protect the business. Hall also issues a warning about upcoming regulatory attacks targeting processing fees and spot deliveries, urging dealers to prepare now rather than later. He challenges owners and general managers to "lead from the front" by being visible and engaged in the daily grind of their stores. With the 2026 legislative session and Virginia's 250th anniversary on the horizon, the message is clear: your presence—whether in the dealership or at the General Assembly—has never mattered more.

VADA's Don Hall sat down for a candid, two-part interview on the threats facing the franchise system–from manufacturers like VW and Scout pushing for direct sales to the new political landscape in Richmond. In Part 1 Don delivers a message to dealers who think they can coast through 2026: "Manufacturers have made it clear... they would love to be able to take off certain vehicles and sell them direct. We need to care and we need to get engaged. This is a big deal. It's not going to go away."

Join the VADA leadership team—President Don Hall and legal experts Anne Gambardella, Barry Beatty, and Mimi Perka—for an essential briefing on the 2026 political and regulatory landscape. This session covers everything from Virginia's new administration to aggressive FTC enforcement and critical franchise rights updates.

The "Party Crashers" have returned, and the stakes are higher than ever. To celebrate our one-year anniversary of VADA Live, host Dan Carrigan welcomes back our very first guest, Brian Finkelmeyer of Cox Automotive. In this deep dive, Brian analyzes the massive $30 billion tariff impact hitting automakers and explains why the industry is seeing a "perplexing" shift in consumer behavior. From the normalization of new car inventory to the "bottom valley" of used car acquisitions and the sunsetting of EV incentives, this episode provides the roadmap dealers need for 2026. Brian also breaks down the "Two Americas" economy and how dealers must evolve their service and AI strategies to meet the needs of today's most affluent buyers.