Standards organization serves OEMs, technology providers, and dealers
MCLEAN, Va., February 12, 2026– The Standards for Technology in Automotive Retail (STAR), the leading automotive IT standards organization, announced the election of its 2026 Board of Directors and Officers. The Board consists of three representatives elected from its member organizations of technology providers- including Dealer Management Systems (DMS) organizations, three representing its retail dealership members and dealer associations, and three from its membership of automotive manufacturers.
The 2026 Board of Directors consists of: JP Garvey, Dealer Principal of the Garvey Automotive Group, Arlene Clements, Vice President of Business Development at Dominion DMS, John Reed, Solutions Leader for the Manufacturing and Mobility Industries at Microsoft, Brendan Ayers, Automotive Business Development Manager for Amazon Web Services, Dan Ruddy, Vice President of Industry Relations for the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), Erik Day, Chief Financial Officer at Warren Henry Auto Group, Gautam Mazumdar, Senior Manager of Sales and Dealer Experience at Nissan North America, Harsha Yarram, Dealer Data and Integration Manager at General Motors, and Anders Puwanant, Head of APIs and Integration Frameworks at Volvo Construction Equipment.
“STAR’s 2026 Board reflects the depth, diversity, and commitment of our membership across dealers, OEMs, and technology providers,” said Steve Zadoorian, Executive Director of STAR. “This group brings a strong mix of technical expertise and real-world retail experience that will help guide STAR’s standards, governance, and strategic priorities as the industry continues to evolve.”
STAR’s 2026 officers are:
- JP Garvey, Chairman
- John Reed, Vice Chairman
- Arlene Clements, Secretary
- Harsha Yarram, Treasurer
STAR holds its Board of Director elections as part of its annual General Session meeting prior to NADA’s annual conference and expo. Each member of the Board serves a rolling three-year term. This provides open slots for one representative from each of STAR’s member classifications to be elected to the Board each year. Elections are competitive- only those member organizations in good financial standing allowed to vote or run for a seat on the Board. Officer elections are held annually once that year’s Board of Directors is installed. Associate members are non-voting members and therefore ineligible to run or vote for STAR’s Board of Directors. STAR’s Board meetings are open to all STAR members, who are encouraged to attend to learn more about STAR’s upcoming priorities and procedures.
About STAR
Standards for Technology in Automotive Retail (STAR) is a nonprofit organization whose members include dealers, original equipment manufacturers, retail system providers, and automotive-related industry organizations. STAR uses non-proprietary technology (IT) standards as a catalyst in fulfilling the business information needs of dealers and manufacturers while reducing the time and effort required to support related activities. Collectively, STAR develops industry standards and emerging technologies for the benefit of retail automotive dealers. Incorporated in 2001, STAR defines industry standards for automotive retail, standard architecture that supports global data interoperability, and standardizes the dealership IT infrastructure. To learn more about joining STAR, please visit starstandard.org or follow the latest updates on LinkedIn.
