Since 1972, Northwood University has recognized owners and dealer principals in the automotive marketing field who have made noteworthy, individual contributions to public or private education inside or outside of the industry. This year, Northwood will honor five automobile dealers from across the United States with its annual Dealer Education Award including Chris Saraceno with Kelly Automotive Group in Melbourne, FL.
Chris is a business executive, real estate investor, speaker and leader. He is the founder of the online community DealerElite.com and co-founder of the training company Team Builders Inc. He is a former advisory board member for Autotrader, DealerRater, Hire the Winners, and Cemboo Film Distribution. Saraceno began his automotive career in 1984 and joined The Kelly Automotive Group in 1989. In 2009, he became a partner with the organization.
Chris has been a featured speaker at numerous conventions and has published hundreds of articles both online and in business magazines. One of his pieces is The Theory of 5, created to help individuals of all walks of life identify the five theories that propel them into happiness and prosperity. The Theory of 5 is based on selecting mentors in the five most significant areas of a person’s life: spirituality, marriage, parenting, business and finance, and health. So powerful is this theory that Elgie Bright, chair of Northwood University’s Automotive Marketing/Management Program, incorporates it into his teaching curriculum.
“This marks our 51st year of recognizing outstanding dealers and community leaders who have made significant contributions to the industry and to efforts to create the next generation of automotive leaders,” said Northwood President Kent MacDonald. “We are especially proud of this year’s honorees, and look forward to celebrating them later this month.”
The awards will be presented at a special breakfast on Saturday, January 28, at the Hyatt Regency in Dallas, Texas. Attendees will include students, alumni and automotive guests of Northwood University.