2026 TDOY Nominee

David Kull is one of a select group of 47 dealer nominees from across the country who will be honored at the 109th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Show in Las Vegas, NV, on February 5, 2026.

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. Kull was chosen to represent the New Jersey Coalition of Auto Retailers (NJCAR) in the national competition — one of only 47 auto dealers nominated for the 57th annual award from more than 20,000 nationwide. 

“A few years into my automotive career, I was put in a management role in the Service Department. At the time, our customer service needed to improve,” said nominee Kull. “I was able to implement process changes to speed up operations, improve customer service, address problems and improve morale. We eventually achieved the top monthly customer service scores in our district and have generally been able to sustain these results.”

A third-generation dealer, Kull holds degrees from Cornell University (B.S. and M.Eng.) and New York University (MBA). He worked at American Express as Vice President for over a decade before entering the family business. After completing the NADA Dealer Academy and gaining additional experience, he eventually became Dealer Principal at Burns Honda, originally founded in 1973. 

“When my son was born, the legacy aspect of carrying forward a family business became much more meaningful,” Kull said. “It was an opportune time for our family to consider both a change of career and locations. We moved closer to the dealerships when he was just a few months old so I could dive in headfirst, and I have not looked back since.”

Today, Burns Honda employs 147 team members and maintains strong retention across departments. Over the past three years, Kull has overseen multiple facility upgrades aligned with Honda’s Blue Stage program, including the addition of three F&I offices, service department expansion and upcoming showroom renovations. 

He is also deeply committed to professional development and employee wellness. The dealership invests in incentive-based health programs, mental health seminars, smoking cessation programs and onsite wellness events.

Under Kull’s leadership, the dealership’s finance and insurance operations have recently seen major growth, with per-deal averages increasing about $500 year over year. 

“Our largest success over the last 18 months has been to make improvements in our F&I operation. This has resulted from enforcing a consistent process starting on the sales floor, building better teamwork between the sales and F&I staff and holding everyone accountable to a higher standard,” Kull noted.

Beyond the business, Kull is actively engaged in civic and philanthropic initiatives. He has served on the boards of the Evesham Education Foundation, The Arc of Cape May County and The Llenroc Foundation. Burns Honda is a long-time supporter of Evesham Township schools, through the education foundation, which supports programs like early education, gifted and talented, and summertime education. In 2025 alone, the dealership helped raise $70,000 through its involvement in the foundation’s golf tournament, in addition to other events such as bag bingo, a casino night, and a 5K. 

“It’s incredibly rewarding to give back to the communities where our customers and employees live,” Kull said. “I focus on causes where my involvement will have the most meaningful impact.”

Kull was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by Laura Perrotta, President of NJCAR. Kull and his wife Michelle live in Haddonfield, NJ, with their son Henry.