Matthew Aiello

(New York, NY, October 18, 2022) – The nomination of Matthew Aiello, dealer principal at J.B.A. Chevrolet in Glen Burnie, Maryland, for the 2023 TIME Dealer of the Year award was announced today by TIME.

Aiello is one of a select group of 48 dealer nominees from across the country who will be honored at the 106th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Show in Dallas, Texas, on January 27, 2023.

The TIME Dealer of the Year award is one of the automobile industry’s most prestigious and highly coveted honors. The award recognizes the nation’s most successful auto dealers who also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to community service. Aiello was chosen to represent the Maryland Automobile Dealers Association in the national competition – one of only 48 auto dealers nominated for the 54th annual award from more than 16,000 nationwide.

“The most rewarding impact of my retail automotive career has been creating a happy, healthy, constructive and inclusive environment for our employees and customers, while at the same time providing for my family and giving back to the community,” nominee Aiello said. Aiello received a B.S. in business administration from the University of Richmond in Richmond, Virginia, in 1995. He planned to follow in the footsteps of his father, Joseph Aiello, and join the family’s Chevrolet dealership in Glen Burnie. “

My automotive career started at age 16 in the wash bay, prepping vehicles for delivery and organizing the lot during summers,” he said. “At age 19, I began selling used vehicles during the summer. After graduating from college, and while studying for the CPA exam, I attended the NADA Academy to prepare myself for a future at the dealership.”

Aiello experienced all aspects of the business, from service to parts to the body shop and ran fixed operations until 2007 when he was named general manager. He became executive manager in 2012 and dealer principal in 2015. Today, his father is semi-retired and his brother and partner, Mark, is fully retired, so he oversees J.B.A. Chevrolet and J.B.A. Infiniti of Ellicott City, also in Maryland. His wife, Joyce, and son Lorenzo, as well as his nephew and niece, are all part of the family enterprise.

“The business foundation and personal interactions I acquired while attending the University of Richmond will always be at the core of my ability to run a successful dealership,” Aiello said. “I also value the guidance, wisdom and opportunity offered by my father and the love, support, advice and counsel of my wife, who always reminds me to take the best attributes and ideas from those more experienced than me and implement them throughout the store.”

Aiello also credits his team with guiding him through the challenging process of becoming a dealer principal in a family business. “I have always worked shoulder to shoulder with our staff,” he said. “This allowed me to learn the business literally where the rubber meets the road while earning the respect of those around me.”

An active member of the Maryland Automobile Dealers Association where he has served on the board since 2016, Aiello’s experience in day-to-day dealership operations has helped him advocate for all dealers in his state.

“I have been able to bring to the forefront issues facing dealers today in regard to manufacturer relations, legislative actions and regulatory rules to help improve the business climate for all dealers in Maryland,” he said. In the area of community involvement, Aiello’s main focus is improving area schools and the regional hospital, University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center (UM BWMC). “In 2005, my parents donated $1 million to UM BWMC to establish the Aiello Breast Center,” he said. “We continue to support this important initiative with an annual donation of $25,000, as well as sponsor the hospital’s annual gala, golf tournament and crab feast events.”

In addition, he is a donor to Archbishop Spalding High School (donated funds to resurface the school’s running track, annual golf tournament and Gala); Severn School (annual golf tournament and auction); Mount Saint Joseph High School (golf outing); the Salvation Army Boys & Girls Club of Glen Burnie; and the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation (annual sponsor of Ripkens Uncorked to raise money for youth development parks in distressed and underserved communities).

Dealers are nominated by the executives of state and metro dealer associations around the country. A panel of faculty members from the Tauber Institute for Global Operations at the University of Michigan will select one finalist from each of the four NADA regions and one national Dealer of the Year. Three finalists will receive $5,000 for their favorite charities and the winner will receive $10,000 to give to charity, donated by Ally.

In its 12th year as exclusive sponsor, Ally also will recognize dealer nominees and their community efforts by contributing $1,000 to each nominee’s 501(c)3 charity of choice. Nominees will be recognized on AllyDealerHeroes.com, which highlights the philanthropic contributions and achievements of TIME Dealer of the Year nominees.

“For over 50 years, TIME has been committed to recognizing the impact of automotive dealers on their communities with the TIME Dealer of the Year award," said Edward Felsenthal, editor in chief and CEO, TIME. "We are proud to continue the legacy of honoring these works of service with our partners at Ally.”

Doug Timmerman, president of dealer financial services, Ally, said, “Auto dealers across the country who are nominated for this award each year are committed to not only doing it right and leading in a rapidly changing automotive industry but to strengthening their communities through giving back. The TIME Dealer of the Year program celebrates dealers who are the role models of the retail auto industry for their continuous efforts to lift up and support their employees, customers and communities.”

Aiello was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by Peter Kitzmiller, president of the Maryland Automobile Dealers Association. He and his wife, Joyce, have two children.