Donald S. Gottwald, Managing Director of Saab Financial Services Corp., Nuvell Private Label Financial Services and American Suzuki Financial Services Company, became the new Chairman of the AFSA Vehicle Finance Division Advisory Board immediately following the January 27-28, 2005 Vehicle Finance Conference & Exposition in New Orleans. He succeeds Richard J. Mossburg, Senior Vice President & General Counsel of AmeriCredit Financial Services, Inc.

As the division's Chairman, Gottwald will oversee meetings of the Division's Advisory Board, comprised of top management from both prime and "specialty" vehicle finance companies. He will also serve as Chairman of the 2006 AFSA Vehicle Finance Conference & Exposition, scheduled for February 8-9 in Orlando, prior to the NADA Annual Convention.

Gottwald has been in the financial services industry since 1988. Prior to his current positions, he held management positions with Nuvell Financial Services Corp., Nuvell Credit Corp., General Motors Acceptance Corporation, and Reliable Oldsmobile-Isuzu, Inc. In addition to serving on the AFSA Board of Directors, Gottwald is active in various community organizations. He has a Bachelors degree from Northwood University and an MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.

AFSA president and chief executive officer Randy Lively called Gottwald "an ideal successor" for Dick Mossburg, who steps down after three years. "Dick successfully took on the task of uniting AFSA's Specialty Finance and Prime Auto Finance Sections into one Advisory Board and Division," said Lively. "In addition to helping with conference programming, he was instrumental in the decision to hold the vehicle finance conference just prior to the NADA Annual Convention, which has proved to be a very successful format for both AFSA and NADA."

The AFSA Vehicle Finance Division (formerly the Auto Finance Division) was created in 1997 for active and associate members with a significant interest in the financing and leasing of new and pre-owned vehicles to consumers. Members include captive vehicle finance companies; diversified financial services companies providing financing and leasing to all makes and models; finance companies specializing in prime, near prime, and sub prime vehicle finance; and suppliers to the industry. As an umbrella group within AFSA, the Vehicle Finance Division provides a forum for analysis, regulatory and legislative issues, education and the exchange of ideas relevant to the vehicle finance industry.