The NLA Board of Directors
On December 7 and 8, the National Limousine Association (NLA) held their annual Strategic Planning Meeting for the Board of Directors in Phoenix, Arizona. The two-day event brought together industry leaders to chart a course of action for the luxury ground transportation industry in 2026 and beyond. CD President Chris Weiss was among those who took part in the proceedings.
“The purpose of our meeting was for the NLA Board Members to review and track progress for the goals for 2025, evaluate the data from the recent NLA Insights Survey, and to plan committee and board member objectives for 2026,” says NLA Executive Director Kyle Hammerschmidt.
“It’s always wonderful to have everybody face to face, in person, and working together,” says NLA President Brett Barenholtz of Above All/Maine Limousine. “This series of extensive meetings allows us to define our goals and mission for the year. It’s well thought out, and people present strong ideas. It gives us the chance to put everything in place so we have a clear focus for 2026.”
L to R: CD President Chris Weiss, NLA Director (Northeast Region) Michelle Miller of Elite Coach Transportation, and 2nd Vice President Douglas Schwartz of Executive Transportation
While Sunday’s programming was largely devoted to housekeeping, Weiss did have the opportunity to share plans for the upcoming CD/NLA joint events, which includes the spectacular Las Vegas Show (March 1-3 at the MGM Grand) as well as the summer’s Executive Retreat (Miami’s Fontainebleau on June 14-17).
Following an hour’s discussion touching on new business, the board engaged in a team-building event at a local shooting range. The group took part in clay shooting, which was a new experience for the majority of attendees. Special thanks to Director (At-Large) Jason Kaplan of The Driver Provider for organizing transportation services.
“Everyone loved it. Some people stepped outside their comfort zone and were surprisingly good at target shooting,” says Hammerschmidt.
On Monday, the association celebrated a solid year of accomplishments, which included meeting several initiatives laid out at last year’s gathering. Chief among the successes included establishing bimonthly Zoom meetings for the Congress of Association Leaders, which actually expanded to monthly and includes all the industry associations; increasing the number of outside speakers at their co-produced trade shows and events; and DEI initiatives, such as an independent review council, a webinar series, virtual training, and mixer at the Fall Show. Also counted among the successes for the NLA was the organization’s presence at the GBTA convention, increased PAC fund to $65,000, and a rebuilt and heavily promoted NLA Ride program.
L to R: NLA President Brett Barenholtz of Above All/Maine Limousine, Treasurer Rick Versace of A1A Global Ground, and Vendor Director Barry Trabb of Complete Fleet
“This event gives the board the opportunity to be in an intimate setting and take stock of where they are now, as well as introspectively look at the goals set for 2025,” says Hammerschmidt.
The board then discussed the results of the 2025 Member Insight Survey. The data were analyzed for how to best incorporate the feedback into 2026.
“The survey results were good and overwhelmingly positive,” says Barenholtz. “Our members come up with certain insights that you might not anticipate. The majority of the people that answered had encouraging things to say—they like the NLA’s programs. It would be even more beneficial if we could get more people to fill out the surveys, because we want as much input as possible.”
“We have data that prove what the members want, and the survey provides us with a roadmap,” adds Hammerschmidt.
NLA Director (At-Large) Jason Sharenow of Broadway Elite Worldwide, CD President Chris Weiss, and Director (At-Large) Jason Kaplan of The Driver Provider
Goal setting for 2026 was then discussed, based on the achievements seen in 2025. The NLA Directors are aiming for several achievable targets for the coming year, including:
- Increase Day on the Hill representation to 35 states
- Grow the PAC fund to $100,000 to strengthen legislative advocacy (increased)
- Increase overall membership by 10%
- Produce a public-facing educational video on the dangers of illegal operators
- Research and secure more expert outside speakers to address hot-button topics at the CD/NLA Shows
Barenholtz is excited about these future initiatives and is proud of the work done, especially in 2025.
“I want people to know how lucky we are to have dedicated and hard-working board members,” he says. “They’re relentless in their work ethic to help the NLA. The amount of time they put in to help the industry is awesome.”
The next NLA Board Meeting is scheduled for Zoom on Wednesday, January 21 at 2:00 p.m. ET.
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[12.16.25]
