Government/Industry Meeting

January 28-30, 2025 | Washington, D.C.

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Dr. Myra Blanco

Chief Growth Officer, VTTI

Dr. Myra Blanco serves as Virginia Tech Transportation Institute’s Chief Growth Officer, Virginia Tech Office of Research and Innovation Senior Faculty Fellow, Daimler Truck North America Senior Safety Advisor, and the CEO for the Dock-to-Door Coalition. Formally trained as a human factors and systems engineer, her areas of expertise extend beyond automated driving systems. She has directed research efforts in naturalistic, on-road, test track, and simulator test environments. Dr. Blanco was the recipient of the 2013 SAE International J. Cordell Breed Award for Women Leaders, the 2017 NHTSA Award for Safety Engineering Excellence, and the SAE Contributor of the Year awards for 2021 and 2023.

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Alexander Edwards

President, Strategic Vision

Alexander Edwards is the President of Strategic Vision, a leading consultancy firm renowned for its expertise in consumer decision-making and automotive research. Since assuming leadership in 2010, Edwards has played a pivotal role in steering the company’s strategic direction, developing future leadership, and setting managerial targets. His visionary approach and comprehensive understanding of market dynamics have significantly contributed to the firm’s reputation as an industry leader. With over thirty years of experience, Edwards is widely acknowledged as a foremost authority in automotive research. His insights into consumer behavior, market trends, and decision-making processes are frequently sought by major news outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, the Bloomberg, and others. His analyses often focus on the intersection of consumer preferences, political developments, and technological advancements, providing invaluable perspectives on the evolving automotive landscape.

Under Edwards’ leadership, Strategic Vision has pioneered several key studies, including the New Vehicle Experience Study (NVES) and the Mobility Experience Study (MxS). These comprehensive studies provide deep insights into consumer experiences and preferences, influencing how automakers design, market, and sell their vehicles. The NVES, launched in 1994, is the largest new vehicle owner study in the United States, annually engaging around 250,000 new vehicle owners. This study not only captures the consumer’s experience with the vehicle but also delves into the demographics, personal priorities, and values of the customers.

Edwards has been instrumental in developing innovative tools and methodologies that measure human behavior, attitudes, and perceptions. His work in ValueCentered Psychology has helped clients understand the underlying motivations behind consumer decisions, enabling them to tailor their products and marketing strategies more effectively. This approach has been applied across various sectors, from automotive to packaged goods, providing clients with actionable insights that drive customer advocacy, conquest, and loyalty.

In addition to his professional achievements, Edwards is deeply committed to community service. He actively participates in local initiatives in San Diego, engaging with youth groups to promote active citizenship, supporting local schools through internships, and raising funds for educational improvements. His dedication to community involvement underscores his belief in the importance of giving back and fostering future generations. In addition to his role at Strategic Vision, Alexander Edwards and his partner Heather own The Dog and Dragon, a business that reflects their entrepreneurial spirit and passion for providing a platform to aspiring artists to share their love of both pop culture and fandoms.

Alexander Edwards' multifaceted career and contributions to the fields of consumer research and automotive industry insights make him a distinguished figure. His work continues to shape the understanding of consumer decision-making processes and drive innovation in automotive research and development.

Andrew D. Koblenz

Vice Presiden, NADA

Andrew D. Koblenz is the National Automobile Dealers Association's Executive Vice President of Strategic Affairs and Industry Initiatives. In this role, he helps guide the association as it confronts strategic challenges associated with the evolution of the auto industry, including the electrification of the fleet, new and developing distribution channels, and the increasing role of data and AI. Mr. Koblenz previously served NADA for over 18 years as EVP of Legal and Regulatory Affairs and General Counsel. In that capacity, he directed the association's Legal and Regulatory Group, which represents NADA and dealer interests before federal agencies and courts, provides substantive support to other NADA departments and the state and metro ATAEs, and produces extensive dealer education materials and legal compliance guidance. Prior to his work in the legal and regulatory arenas, Mr. Koblenz was Vice President of Industry Affairs, directing the activities of NADA's Industry Relations and Industry Analysis departments, as well as the association’s American Truck Dealers division.

Throughout his tenure in NADA’s executive leadership, Mr. Koblenz has been instrumental in conceiving, developing, and implementing many of NADA’s most central policy positions and strategies. These have included the association’s positioning on (1) the evolution of the automobile distribution model, (2) the defense of the franchise system, (3) the advent of electric and autonomous vehicles, (4) the defense of the indirect auto financing model and voluntary protection products, and (5) the evolution of data use and sharing in the auto retailing industry, just to name a few. In addition, Mr. Koblenz has championed the building of relationships between NADA and key external constituencies including, notably, the vehicle finance and the Wall Street analyst communities. Finally, he has played a crucial role in advancing NADA’s on-going commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Before joining NADA, Mr. Koblenz served for five years as a senior attorney with the American Automobile Manufacturers Association. There, he advised the association on a variety of issue areas including sales, credit, leasing, and finance law, product safety and liability, intellectual property, and benefits and taxation.

From 1990 through 1994, Mr. Koblenz was a partner at the Washington, D.C. law firm of Richardson, Berlin & Morvillo where he specialized in corporate and securities matters.

Mr. Koblenz attended Union College in Schenectady, N.Y. and received his B.A. in political science, summa cum laude, in 1978. In 1981, he received his J.D., cum laude, from Harvard Law School. Mr. Koblenz is a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the American Law Institute. The father of three and grandfather of three, he lives in Silver Spring, Maryland with his wife of 43 years, Katey, and their English bulldog, Oliver. .

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Jonathan Smoke

Chief Economist & Economic Advisor, Cox Automotive

Jonathan Smoke is Chief Economist & Economic Advisor for Cox. As a senior vice president, Smoke leads the organization’s effort to track and forecast key aspects of the economic environment in which Cox companies compete, including macro-economic trends, regional market variation, consumer segments and buying power, housing, and transportation.

In addition to being a key advisor to the Cox Communications and Cox Enterprises executive teams, Smoke serves as the Chief Economist for Cox Automotive and is a member of the automotive leadership team. Smoke leads the company’s effort in developing deep expertise in all aspects of the automotive transportation industry, the economic factors impacting U.S. vehicle buyers and the automotive division’s many business clients and partners.

For more than three decades, Smoke has focused on translating data and trends into relevant, actionable insights for the industries that represent the biggest purchases that consumers make in their lifetimes: real estate and automotive.

Prior to joining Cox Automotive, Smoke served as Realtor.com’s chief economist. Before that, he was the chief economist for Hanley Wood, a media and market intelligence company, and also served in a variety of roles at Beazer Homes, including senior vice president of strategy and innovation.

Smoke is an executive member of the board for the Atlanta Economics Club and is a member of the Conference of Business Economists, the National Business Economics Issues Council, Harvard Industrial Economists, and the National Association of Business Economists. He speaks at major auto industry conferences such as the NADA and NIADA conventions, Automotive News World Congress, and Used Car Week. His views on the economy and the auto industry are featured regularly in industry and national news outlets such as Automotive News, Auto Remarketing, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Bloomberg, and CNBC. Follow him on X @SmokeonCars to keep up with the latest industry insights.

Smoke holds a bachelor’s degree in economics and religious studies from Rhodes College and a master’s degree in business from The University of Texas at Austin.

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