Sixth consecutive Assurant donation at annual NADA Show helps drive development of a modern, inclusive automotive service workforce

ATLANTA, Jan. 28, 2025 – Assurant, Inc. (NYSE: AIZ), a leading global business services company that supports, protects, and connects major consumer purchases, including automobiles, today announced the Assurant Foundation’s donation of $30,000 to sponsor the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Foundation’s Workforce Initiative, which promotes the value of dealership roles and facilitates access to educational resources.

Jeff Strickland, executive vice president and president, Assurant Global Automotive, presented the contribution to Annette Sykora, chairwoman of the NADA Foundation Board of Trustees, and Andy Koblenz from the NADA Foundation on the Live Stage at NADA Show 2025, hosted in New Orleans this week.

This is Assurant’s sixth consecutive donation to the NADA Foundation. The donation will support the NADA Workforce Initiative, promoting careers that provide competitive salaries, great benefits, and excellent opportunities for advancement in dealerships nationwide.

“The demand for automotive employees with high-tech skills will continue to grow as new automotive technology, including electric vehicles and greater connectivity, continues to evolve,” said Strickland. “We have stood with our dealers for 60 years, helping them find new ways to thrive as the automotive retail landscape evolves. Through this ongoing support, we’re pleased to help bring up the next generation of service technicians for those dealerships.”

people on stage check Presentation Stage

Assurant, through the Assurant Foundation, donated $30,000 to the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Foundation’s Workforce Initiative, which promotes the value of dealership career paths and facilitates access to educational resources. Pictured left to right: Jeff Strickland, EVP, President Assurant Global Automotive; Annette Sykora, NADA Foundation Chairwoman; Andy Koblenz, Director, NADA Foundation; Enisa Turko, AVP, Strategic Management, Assurant; Gary Bosses, SVP, Assurant Dealer Services, Assurant; Joe Amendola, VP, Business Development & Strategy, Assurant.

The NADA Foundation’s Workforce Initiative was founded in 2018 to address the shortage of service technicians through promotion of the job benefits and improved access to resources about programs, scholarships, and opportunities. In recent years, the NADA Foundation has broadened the initiative to enhance recruitment of all dealership roles and within all departments. The centralized resources offer a brand-neutral tool for recruiting talent and sparking an interest in dealership careers.

"We are encouraged with the positive outcomes we've achieved through this initiative and thankful to our industry partners like Assurant for their support,” said Sykora. “Our dealership teams are the cornerstone of our success as dealers. The tools provided by this program are instrumental in helping us attract, hire, develop, and retain top talent within our dealerships."

Since 2019, the Assurant Foundation has donated $165,000 to the NADA Foundation. For more details, visit nadafoundation.org.

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About NADA

The National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), founded in 1917, represents more than 16,000 light-vehicle and commercial-truck dealerships with 32,500 domestic and international franchises. New-vehicle franchised dealers are directly responsible for more than one million U.S. jobs.

About Assurant Global Automotive 

Assurant Global Automotive is a leading global solutions provider in the automobile and commercial equipment industries. Automotive industry partners span manufacturers, large group and independent dealers, agents, third-party administrators, financial institutions, insurance providers, and vehicle technology companies. With over 60 years of automotive industry experience, Assurant protects 55 million motor vehicles, including heavy trucks and heavy equipment. In 19 countries Assurant provides innovative automotive solutions like vehicle service contracts, guaranteed asset protection, and ancillary products, while providing dealer performance management and training, participation options, and more. Assurant Global Automotive is also a market leader in protection products for the commercial equipment industry, with more than 35 years of equipment protection expertise. Assurant provides a full suite of protection products and services for equipment dealers and financial institutions supporting commercial equipment. These include extended service protection plans, physical damage protection, guaranteed asset protection, automatic insurance, portfolio protection, insurance tracking services and more.

About Assurant

Assurant, Inc. (NYSE: AIZ) is a leading global business services company that supports, protects, and connects major consumer purchases. A Fortune 500 company with a presence in 21 countries, Assurant supports the advancement of the connected world by partnering with the world’s leading brands to develop innovative solutions and to deliver an enhanced customer experience through mobile device solutions, extended service contracts, vehicle protection services, renters insurance, lender-placed insurance products, and other specialty products.

Learn more at assurant.com.

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Media Contact:
David Biss
david.biss@assurant.com

Assurant Foundation Boosts Support for the NADA Foundation’s Workforce Initiative with $30,000 Contribution

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