The nomination of Dave Perno, president of Loyalty Toyota in Chester, Virginia, for the 2025 TIME Dealer of the Year award was announced by TIME.

Dave is one of a select group of 49 dealer nominees from across the country who will be honored at the 108th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Show in New Orleans, Louisiana, on Jan. 25, 2025.

The TIME Dealer of the Year award is one of the automobile industry’s most prestigious and highly coveted honors. The award recognizes the nation’s most successful auto dealers who also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to community service. Dave was chosen to represent the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association in the national competition — one of only 49 auto dealers nominated for the 56th annual award from more than 20,000 nationwide.

“The ability to help people grow and succeed in the automotive business — including my own sons Shaun and Ryan — has been one of the most rewarding parts of my career,” Dave said.

Dave himself learned the business from the bottom up at his father’s Ford dealership in Chicago, where he started as a porter at age 14. He then washed cars, swept floors and did everything he could to learn the inner workings of the dealership. He attended the Northwood Institute (now Northwood University) and DePaul University while working his way through the departments. He even met his wife, Kathy, when she brought her car in for service.

In 1977, Dave’s parents sold the store and moved to northern Virginia, with Dave and his wife following suit. He worked at various dealerships throughout the region, consistently rising to new levels of management. By 2003, he was a partner/operator at Priority Toyota and Priority Used Car Supercenter in Richmond, Virginia, and in 2014, he acquired 100% ownership of Priority Automotive.

Dave rebranded the group with a new name, Loyalty Automotive, and began to expand his footprint. Today, he oversees five new car stores in Chester and Williamsburg, Virginia, representing brands Cadillac, Chevrolet, Nissan, Toyota and Volkswagen. His sons, Shaun and Ryan, are the next generation to continue his family’s legacy.

“A long time ago, I learned the value and power of loyalty — to my customers, to my employees and to my community,” he said. “That’s where the name of my company originates.”

Dave credits his father with giving him the foundation to launch his successful career. During those early years at his father’s store, he learned everything from accounting to car repair to F&I (Finance & Insurance).

“Understanding those different job functions taught me how to lead and motivate and adapt to the ever-changing world of the automotive industry,” he said. “My father also instilled in me the value of hard work, education and giving back.”

An active member of the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association, Dave has served on the group’s board for the past 10 years and was chair from 2020 to 2021.

“We have worked diligently to advocate for car and truck dealers on the issues and industry challenges that matter most to their businesses,” he said. “And we have made a significant impact by strengthening Virginia’s laws to protect dealers from unfair trade practices.”

Another way Dave supports the auto industry is through his scholarship program with Reynolds Community College in Richmond, Virginia, which he created to address an industry‑wide technician shortage. Students receive scholarship money for the two-year program, and they apprentice in Loyalty Toyota’s service department while studying to become a certified Toyota technician.

“For students, it’s a chance to join the Loyalty service team right out of college,” he said. “And for us, it’s a great way to find new qualified technicians.”

Dave helps young students by participating in the Kids In Need Foundation’s Supply A Student program. Each year, his dealerships fill 400 backpacks with school supplies which are distributed to children in need. He has also donated more than $700,000 over the past seven years to buy state-of-the-art football helmets to protect young athletes at area schools from concussions and head injuries.

Golf tournament sponsorships are another way that Dave gives back. Beneficiaries include Colonial Heights Food Pantry, VCU Massey Comprehensive Cancer Center, American Cancer Society, and Chesdin Landing Women’s Association, to name a few.

He has also donated funds to high school athletic programs, the Virginia War Memorial, Susan G. Komen and many others.

“Everything we do in the communities we serve is done with purpose and a company-wide conviction that we can do more than just sell cars,” Dave said. “We can be a vehicle for change.”

Dealers are nominated by the executives of state and metro dealer associations around the country. 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 $5,000 for their favorite charities and the winner will receive $10,000 to give to charity, donated by Ally.

In its 14th year as the exclusive sponsor, Ally will also recognize dealer nominees and their community efforts by contributing $1,000 to each nominee’s 501(c)3 charity of choice. Nominees will be recognized on AllyDealerHeroes.com, which highlights the philanthropic contributions and achievements of TIME Dealer of the Year nominees.

“At TIME, our commitment to recognizing the exceptional contributions of automotive dealers remains as strong as ever,” said Jessica Sibley, CEO of TIME. “The TIME Dealer of the Year award continues to celebrate those who not only excel in their profession but also make a meaningful impact in their communities. We are thrilled to continue this legacy in partnership with Ally.”

Doug Timmerman, Ally president of Dealer Financial Services, said, “Auto dealers are the backbones of their communities, providing civic support and significant business leadership. Ally is proud to recognize the unwavering commitment these TIME Dealer of the Year nominees are living every day through their volunteerism, sponsorships and support of charitable causes. They are the epitome of community heroes, making important and positive impacts in the lives of the people they serve.”

Dave was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by Don Hall, president and CEO of the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association. Dave and his wife, Kathy, have three children.