The 2026 What Drives Her program returns to the Chicago Auto Show Media Preview held Feb. 5 at McCormick Place. This program, now in its ninth year, recognizes and applauds outstanding females and advocates in the auto industry.

At a local level, the Best Retailer award calls on CATA dealers to nominate an extraordinary female at your dealerships. 

Best Retailer Criteria: Employed by a Chicago-area dealership, this person demonstrates a high level of commitment and drive to any task at hand, whether that’s in sales, service, finance or technical support.

Last year’s award recipient was Kelly Donku, sales manager at Bill Jacobs BMW.

Submit a nomination here.