Chad Bailey, president of Akron Auto Auction, has officially taken over as president of the National Auto Auction Association (NAAA). 

The organization announced in October that Bailey would be inaugurated for the 2018-2019 term during the association's annual conference in November. Warren Clauss, president of ADESA Buffalo, is the outgoing president of the NAAA. 

He will serve in the one-year position through the remainder of the 2018 calendar year and through most of the 2019 calendar year. Bailey has a number of initiatives he hopes to accomplish during his tenure as president, one of which includes enhancing auction safety.

"Just one accident can be catastrophic on so many levels, and it’s great to see how many auctions are taking this so seriously,” said Bailey.

One way he hopes to address the issue of safety is through more wide spread safety certification. He notes that the auction employees at his auction are safety certified. Currently, about 36,000 auction employees nationwide are safety certified, by the end of the year he estimates that number will grow to 50,000. 

Bailey also plans to work with members of the association to solve the current shortage of technicians, a problem that auctions throughout the country are facing, he stated.