Staff

Brian Maas is the President of the California New Car Dealers Association representing over 1,200 franchised new car dealers in the state. Brian directed CNCDA’s political activities and served as the Association’s chief legislative advocate for twelve years before becoming President. Previously, he was a lobbyist with the California Bankers Association.

Michael Walsh, MBA, Chief Financial Officer [Email]

Michael Walsh is a key member of CNCDA’s senior management team. He plays an important leadership role as our association’s expert on accounting and financial matters and provides strategic advice and counsel to position the association for ongoing financial success. Walsh brings a high level of intellect with a collaborative and service-oriented mindset. He is an action-oriented solution leader with strong business knowledge paired with an ability to “see the big picture” to develop and enhance efficiencies, productivity, enhance workflow, reduce costs, and utilize actionable strategies for reporting and decision-making.

Anthony Bento, Chief Legal Officer [Email]

Anthony Bento is the Chief Legal Officer at the California New Car Dealers Association. As the Chief Legal Officer, Anthony serves as CNCDA’s chief legal counsel and advocates on behalf of dealer interests with California’s various regulatory agencies and Capitol policymakers. Anthony is also the primary architect of CNCDA’s member compliance resources, including webinars, alerts, and manuals designed specifically for California’s new car dealers

Crystal Bolaños, Director of Education & Events [Email]

Crystal Bolaños brings to CNCDA a decade of experience in the legal field as a case manager and another 10 years executing educational events for trade associations. She has strong expertise in assessing organizational needs and coordinating impactful seminars, webinars, and conferences. She looks forward to applying her knowledge to the dynamic industry of new car dealers and enhancing CNCDA’s educational and event offerings to members.

Autumn Heacox, Director of Communications & Marketing [Email]

Autumn leads CNCDA’s communications, marketing, and public relations strategy, crafting and maintaining the association’s voice across all member, media, and public-facing channels. Her work spans some of the most consequential issues facing California’s franchise system, from landmark litigation communications to guiding nearly 1,200 member dealerships through fast-moving regulatory change. She helped launch CNCDA’s NextGen dealer leadership program, now regarded as one of the strongest in the nation. Autumn brings more than 20 years of marketing experience, holds a B.A. in Public Relations from Sacramento State University, was the inaugural chair of the Sacramento Metro Chamber’s Metro EDGE program, and was named one of the region’s Top 40 Under 40 by the Sacramento Business Journal.

Cathy Mason, Director of Operations [Email]

Cathy Mason brings over 20 years of experience to the California New Car Dealers Association. She manages all office operations, The Showroom (CNCDA’s public meeting space), owned parking lot, in addition to providing building management. Cathy conducts all business operations, HR Management, offers expert administrative support, and fosters positive and lasting relationships with CNCDA’s membership. With her strong leadership experience, Cathy helps streamline the association’s processes, ensuring all staff and association members can meet their goals and desired outcomes.

Rebecca Matulich, Director of Strategic Partnerships [Email]

As CNCDA’s Director of Strategic Partnerships, Rebecca leads the development and growth of meaningful, results-driven relationships that support the association’s mission and amplify member value. Rebecca identifies and cultivates strategic alliances with industry partners, sponsors, and stakeholders to drive engagement, expand CNCDA’s reach, and create mutually beneficial opportunities. With a deep understanding of member needs and organizational goals, Rebecca aligns partnership initiatives with CNCDA’s long-term strategy, ensuring every collaboration supports the association’s educational and advocacy priorities. She oversees the execution of sponsorship programs, negotiates key agreements, and ensures value-driven experiences for partners. Rebecca plays a key role in shaping CNCDA’s strategic direction by providing insights and fostering innovation through collaboration.

Kenton Stanhope, Director of Government Affairs [Email]

Kenton brings over 10 years of experience in legislative and government affairs to the CNCDA team. He has worked in the California Legislature as a policy analyst for Senator Jim Beall. Stanhope also was a Committee Consultant for Assembly Governmental Organization Committee. More recently, he managed government affairs for the western states for Juul Labs.

Les Swizer, Legal & Regulatory Affairs Counsel [Email]

Les has had a lifelong love of cars and working with “car people” and is thrilled to return to California New Car Dealers Association as Legal & Regulatory Affairs Counsel. In addition to regulatory, legal, and litigation experience, Les has over 15 years of practical experience working in the trades, including as an automotive technician, service writer, and service manager. It is through those experiences that he has developed a strong understanding of the legal and regulatory issues facing dealers and the automotive industry. In his role, Les supports the leadership of CNCDA by analyzing legal and regulatory issues and collaborating to keep dealers informed and develop strategies to further interests.