VSA BULLETIN
August 14, 2007

The end of the beginning...

The VSA's Director of Licensing, Earl Manning, has accepted an executive position with a national recreation vehicle company, returning to the sector where he established his motor vehicle industry roots.

A former executive director of the Recreation Vehicle Dealers Associations of Canada and B.C., for years he repre- sented the RV industry in government and media relations, and played a major role in industry development and public events. He subsequently provided similar services to other industry organizations. While completing his Masters in Business Administration he was recruited by motor dealers to help found the voluntary Motor Dealer Standards Association in 1999. His considerable expertise and experi- ence ensured a seamless transition to what became this independent Authority in 2004. Earl's resignation, to become effective August 31, follows the departure, earlier this summer, of Eray Karabilgin, the VSA's Director of Regulatory Services, who resigned for family and health reasons.

Eray came out of retirement in 2004, after a long career in regulatory matters with the provincial government, to help build what is today's VSA.

Earl Manning plans to remain as active as possible in ongoing efforts to improve the motor vehicle sales environment in British Columbia for both industry and consumers.

He said:

"This opportunity was too good for me to pass up and the time was right. It has been an extraordinary journey of more than 8.5 years working with the motor dealer industry from the first days of the MDSA. I have enjoyed playing a key role in growing the voluntary association into an Authority empowered by legislation to regulate and help develop the industry and its people. The founding stage of VSA is done. Today, there is a new name, a new image and rapidly maturing programs - it is time to stand back and pass the baton to others. There is a great team here and I will look forward to doing everything I can to help in the years ahead."

The President says: "This is the end of the beginning."

VSA's President and Registrar Ken Smith pointed to the key roles played by Earl Manning and Eray Karabilgin in the development of this independent regulatory authority.

"To paraphrase Winston Churchill, the depar- ture of Earl and Eray is truly 'the end of our beginning'. For Earl, it is simply a new challenge and a return to a sector of the industry he has always loved. For Eray, it is his second retire- ment, after a distinguished career in public service. For 30 years he served government in various regulatory areas, including motor dealers. Few people in Canada are as experi- enced in business-governance statutes and regulations.

"We were the beneficiaries of all that knowledge in our founding years, and just as we are looking forward to working with Earl in his new capacity, we wish Eray well as he rededicates himself to both his family and his personal health."

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