ALEXANDRIA, Va. – The American International Automobile Dealers Association (AIADA) announced Florida and Colorado auto dealer Michael E. Maroone as the recipient of the 2022 David F. Mungenast Lifetime Achievement Award. The award is presented by AIADA’s Board of Directors annually to an industry leader who possesses a similar community spirit and devotion to the international nameplate auto industry as its namesake.

“Mike perfectly embodies the community-minded, forward-thinking spirit of this award,” said AIADA President and CEO Cody Lusk. “The auto retail industry in the United States owes a great deal of thanks to Mike, and dealers like him, who have spent their careers improving the lives of others and raising the bar for how vehicles are sold in the United States.”

Maroone got his start in auto retailing in 1975, where he joined his father, Al Maroone, with the New York and Florida-based Maroone Auto Group. Under their leadership the group grew to nine franchises in six locations with 900 associates. In 1997 he began an 18-year career as president, COO, and director of AutoNation, Inc. a Fortune 500 automotive retailer. In 2017 he returned to auto retailing, founding Maroone USA, where he now serves as CEO, operating automotive franchises in Colorado Springs, CO; West Palm Beach, FL; and Longmont, CO. Today his brands include Chevrolet, Honda, Ford, and Volkswagen.

Throughout his career, Maroone has sought to give back to the communities in which he operates. He is a member of various boards and organizations, including the Cleveland Clinic enterprise board of directors and the board of Cleveland Clinic Florida, which he chairs and where the Maroone Cancer Center bears his family’s name. 

Recognition of his contributions to the automotive industry include being honored by Automotive News as an All-Star and one of the industry’s 50 Visionary Dealers of all time, and receiving Time Magazine’s Quality Dealer Award as well as the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Boca Raton Concours d’Elegance. Florida Atlantic University honored Mr. Maroone as Entrepreneur of the Year and he is a member of the Nova Southeastern University Entrepreneur Hall of Fame.

Maroone will be presented with the David F. Mungenast Lifetime Achievement Award on March 13 in Las Vegas during AIADA’s 52nd Annual Meeting and Luncheon. For more on the event, please visit www.AIADA.org/events.