Jim Hess, John Dockendorf, Chad Winters, and John Oakman Named Directors
The AACA Museum, Inc. elected Richard Sills as its 2020 President and also added four new members, Jim Hess, John Dockendorf, Chad Winters, and John Oakman to serve on the Museum’s Board of Directors. The changes were made at the organization’s November 23 meeting, effective January 1, 2020. With these appointments, the AACA Museum Board is now comprised of 20 directors.
Richard Sills is a lawyer who lives in Lancaster, PA. A native of Philadelphia, he grew up in Drexel Hill, PA. He is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania and the University of Pennsylvania Law School. He earned a master’s degree in taxation from George Washington University. He has practiced law in Washington, D.C., for most of his career.
Richard is an avid lifelong car enthusiast. He belongs to numerous car clubs and automotive history organizations. He served as National President of the Cadillac and LaSalle Club from 1998 to 2002 and also served as President of the organization’s Museum and Research Center. Using his expertise in nonprofit tax law, he has assisted several old-car organizations in obtaining tax-exempt status from the IRS. He also served on the Board of Directors of the Buick Heritage Alliance and the Humane League of Lancaster County, among other organizations.
An early supporter of the AACA Museum, Inc., Richard was present when the Museum opened its doors for the first time in 2003. He has served on the Museum’s Board of Directors since 2006, and in recent years, has chaired the Exhibits Committee. Richard is dedicated to seeing the Museum continue to grow as an outstanding resource for the car-collector community and the general public. He succeeds outgoing president Henry “Hank” Hallowell, who served as the Museum’s leader from 2016-2020.
The Museum has also added considerable talent to its board through the four additional Directors who were elected. Jim Hess has a local automotive connection as his family owned the former Hess Ford of Hershey. He is now the proprietor of the Hershey Pantry and Desserts, Etc. John Dockendorf worked for PennDot’s Bureau of Public Transportation for 28 years, serving as its Chief of Urban Transit for 36 of those years. He is also a founder of the Museum of Bus Transportation, which recently merged with the AACA Museum. Chad Winters is the proprietor of Winters Automotive and Trailers in East Prospect, PA., a business he built from the ground up. He also has an enduring love of anything automotive. John Oakman is a lifelong bus industry professional. As the Museum of Bus Transportation’s last President, he led the group through the merger with the Museum. He recently received the American Bus Association’s Good Stewardship Award, honoring individuals who guide the industry forward.
“We are looking forward to a very productive year in 2020,” states Jeffrey Bliemeister, the Museum’s Executive Director. “The Museum thanks Hank Hallowell for his steady and dedicated leadership for the past four years, and collectively, we welcome our new President and Directors.”
