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John Yark Wins National Recognition for Community Service and Industry Accomplishments at NADA Show (New York, NY, October 22, 2018) – The nomination of John Yark, president of Yark Auto Group of Toledo in Toledo, Ohio, for the 2019 TIME Dealer of the Year award was announced today by TIME. Yark is one of a select group of 51 dealer nominees from across the country who will be honored at the 102nd annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Show in San Francisco on January 25, 2019. The announcement of this year’s 50th annual award was made by Jorg Stratmann, publisher, TIME, and Doug Timmerman, president of Auto Finance for Ally Financial. The TIME Dealer of the Year award is one of the automobile industry’s most prestigious and highly coveted honors. Recipients are among the nation’s most successful auto dealers who also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to community service. Yark, 61, was chosen to represent the Ohio Automobile Dealers Association in the national competition – one of only 51 auto dealers nominated for the 50th annual award from more than 16,000 nationwide. “I find it very rewarding that our automotive group has provided stable employment and given our employees the resources necessary to have successful careers,” nominee Yark said. A 1975 graduate of St. Francis de Sales High School in Toledo, Yark earned a B.S. in accounting from Ohio State University in Columbus, where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. He started out in the car business at Papenhagen Oldsmobile in Toledo, a store that his older brother, Jim, managed and eventually acquired. “I started by mowing the lawn at the dealership when I was 15 years old and worked in various positions throughout high school and college,” he said. “Having tackled the most menial jobs, I was able to see the importance of everyone's role at a dealership.” Those insights served him well when his brother took over the business in 1981. “We knew that our success would be largely determined by our employees, so we focused on hiring the best and giving them the resources necessary to succeed,” Yark said. His brother passed away in 2013. Over the years, their auto group has grown from a small Oldsmobile store to seven Ohio dealerships, representing brands Alfa Romeo, BMW, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, Nissan, Ram, Subaru and Toyota, and employing 450 people. Yark’s son, two nephews and a niece are the next generation to join the family enterprise. Yark is proud that his stores have been recognized multiple times on the annual 100 Best Dealerships to Work For by Automotive News, with Yark Subaru topping the list in 2016. “I am very gratified with the growth of our organization and the relationships we have developed with our employees,” he said. “Many of the people we started the business with are still employed with us or have retired from it.” An active member of his state and local dealership associations, Yark sees the power of galvanizing forces to solve industry problems. “Whether on a local or national level, my role was to educate elected officials about our industry and what needed to happen so that dealerships could have a positive business environment and create more jobs,” he said. He also brought car dealers together for a good cause when he was involved in creating Auto Dealers United for Kids (ADUK), the charity arm of the Toledo Automobile Dealers Association, for which he has served as chairman. The group raises money each year by holding a charity preview gala before the Toledo Auto Show, with the proceeds donated to area organizations. “We have given almost $2 million to children’s charities since 2004,” he said. “In several instances our contributions have kept services going for smaller charities and we have also funded entire programs for larger charities. Making a difference in people's lives, particularly the lives of children, is the greatest reward.” Yark currently serves on the boards of the American Red Cross of Northwest Ohio and the Toledo Regional Chamber of Commerce. He supports more than 70 charities, including the American Red Cross; Alzheimer's Association of Northwest Ohio; Toledo Zoo & Aquarium; Toledo Museum of Art; Rotary Club of Toledo; Metroparks Toledo; The First Tee of Lake Erie (introduces golf to young people); The Arts Commission (Toledo); Toledo Symphony, as well as several area schools. “Reflecting back on my start in the business, my deceased brother and I were very excited just to have jobs at a car dealership,” Yark said. “At this point in my career, I am thankful for what our company has been able to give back to the community.” Dealers are nominated by the executives of state and metro dealer associations around the country. The award is sponsored by TIME in association with Ally Financial, and in cooperation with NADA. A panel of faculty members from the Tauber Institute for Global Operations at the University of Michigan will select one finalist from each of the four NADA regions and one national Dealer of the Year. Three finalists will receive an additional $5,000 for their favorite charities and the winner will receive an additional $10,000 to give to charity. In its eighth year as exclusive sponsor, Ally will recognize dealer nominees and their community efforts by contributing $1,000 to each nominee’s 501(c)3 charity of choice. Nominees will also be recognized on AllyDealerHeroes.com, which highlights the philanthropic contributions and achievements of TIME Dealer of the Year nominees. “It’s an incredible honor to recognize these dealers for their business accomplishments and their unwavering commitment to ‘Do It Right’ by helping others in their communities,” Timmerman said. “They are extraordinary auto leaders who care and go the extra mile to give of themselves to make their communities stronger. Ally is proud to support and celebrate their achievements.” Yark was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by Zach Doran, president of the Ohio Automobile Dealers Association. Yark and his wife, Karen, have three children. About TIME TIME is a global multimedia brand that reaches a combined audience of more than 100 million around the world. A trusted destination for reporting and insight on the people, places and issues that matter, TIME captures the events that shape our lives. TIME’s major franchises include the TIME 100 Most Influential People, Person of the Year, Firsts, Best Inventions, Genius Companies, World’s Greatest Places, and more. With 45 million digital visitors each month and 40 million social followers, TIME is one of the most trusted and recognized sources of news and information in the world. About Ally Financial Inc. Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) is a leading digital financial services company with assets of $171.3 billion as of June 30, 2018. As a client-centric company with passionate customer service and innovative financial solutions, Ally is relentlessly focused on "Doing it Right" and being a trusted financial partner for its consumer, commercial, and corporate customers. Ally's award-winning online bank (Ally Bank, Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender) offers mortgage-lending services and a variety of deposit and other banking products, including CDs, online savings, money market and checking accounts, and IRA products. Ally also promotes the Ally CashBack Credit Card. Additionally, Ally offers securities brokerage and investment advisory services through Ally Invest. Ally remains one of the largest full-service auto finance operations in the country with a complementary auto-focused insurance business, which together serve approximately 18,000 dealer customers and millions of auto consumers. Ally's robust corporate finance business offers capital for equity sponsors and middle-market companies. For more information and disclosures about Ally, visit https://www.ally.com/#disclosures. About the NADA Show The annual NADA Show brings together more than 20,000 franchised dealers and their employees, industry leaders, manufacturers and exhibitors to learn about the latest auto industry tools, trends, products and technologies. Contact: TIME Dealer of the Year Hotline (203) 912-1257 Zach Doran Ohio Automobile Dealers Association (614) 766-9100