SEMA Member News - May/June 2009
The Inside Scoop on SBN Members
By Tracy Teuscher
In each issue of SEMA Member News, “The SBN Insider” will feature good news from SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN) members across the country. Offering a unique platform for SBN members to get to know one another in a more personal way, “The SBN Insider” gives our growing SBN membership of more than 260 professional women a place to celebrate good news about our experience as professional women in the automotive specialty-equipment market.
Marla Moore of Hypertech Chosen as Incoming SBN Chair-Elect
Please join us in extending our sincere congratulations and good wishes to Marla Moore, who was recently selected as our incoming SBN chair-elect. Moore has served the specialty-equipment market for more than 26 years and has been with Hypertech for 22 years. She currently serves on the Select Committee for MPMC and SBN. Congrats, Marla!
SEMA Mentoring Program Seminar at the Hotrod & Restoration Show
The successful SEMA Mentoring Program seminar held at the recent Hotrod & Restoration Show provided attendees with a wealth of knowledge about how to help—and be helped—by this outstanding program. The seminar offered information and updates on the features and benefits of becoming a mentor or a mentee and building relationships, learning new skills, advancing your professional development, getting insider industry news, making lifelong friends and so much more. Find out how easy it is to join this elite group, and get started right away. This program is free and is a SEMA-member benefit available to all SEMA members.
Allen Son Joins Industry
Leslie Allen, SBN Select Committee member and PR manager for The Marx Group, is pleased to announce that her son, Devin Norcross, has joined the aftermarket industry as an account executive with Performance Business magazine, published by NBM. A real enthusiast, Norcross graduated in May 2008 from Colorado State University. He can be reached via e-mail at dnorcross@nbm.com or by phone at 303/469-0424, ext. 284. Congratulations, Devin!
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| An original founding member of the SBN, Linda Vaughn, is remarkable in her dedication to the specialty-equipment industry. After more than four decades of devotion to motorsports, she retains an irrepressible belief that our industry has the expertise and determination to weather these difficult times. |
Member Spotlight: A Walk Down Victory Lane With Linda Vaughn
By Leslie Allen
Linda Vaughn, an original founding member of the SBN, is remarkable in her dedication to this dynamic industry. For more than four decades, Vaughn has devoted the majority of her life to promoting motorsports, SEMA and its member companies. How many women in our industry today can say that in 1966 they attended the predecessor to today’s SEMA Show, the Speed & Custom Equipment Trade Show in Anaheim, California?
At a time when few women were directly involved in motorsports public relations, Vaughn parlayed her love of motorsports, classic cars and her natural curiosity about automotive innovation into a public relations career. As a former racer and beauty queen known as Miss Hurst Golden Shifter, The First Lady of Drag Racing, she toured military bases in Vietnam with Don Garlits and Richard Petty before serving as the spokesperson for Mr. Gasket Performance Group. In the course of her long career, she has been given many honors, ranging from the Ollie Award from Petersen Publishing Company to induction into the Hot Rod Heritage Hall of Fame and the Drag Racing Hall of Fame. In recognition for serving as goodwill ambassador for the entire industry, Vaughn was named SEMA Person of the Year in 1979 and was given the honor of being inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame in 1985.
An avid supporter of American-made products and American ingenuity, Vaughn has an irrepressible belief that our industry has the expertise and determination to weather these difficult times.
“Passion fueled the early era of automotive innovation, and it is alive today,” said Vaughn. “Our passion for the automobile is still inspiring new generations to create vehicles with increasing levels of performance, efficiency and unique design.”
Still as vivacious today as she was when she first started in the industry back in the ’60s, Vaughn is in frequent demand at events across the country. She has already attended six events this year, including the Barrett-Jackson Collector Car event for the unveiling of the 50th Anniversary Hurst/Viper coupe to benefit the Victory Junction Gang Camp, and the Daytona Speed Week for “The Living Legends of Speed” event.
We salute Linda Vaughn for her passion and dedication to the automotive industry!