We’ve got a shout-out this morning for one of our advertisers: Judith Schumacher-Tilton has been nominated as a TIME Dealer of the Year, the first female auto dealer in New Jersey to ever be nominated for this prestigious award. Schumacher-Tilton is the president of Tilton Automotive Group and dealer principal of Schumacher Chevrolet in Little Falls and Gearhart Chevrolet in Denville.
Dealers are nominated by their peers and only one dealer per state gets the nod. Four finalists will be chosen from those nominated, one from each region of the National Automobile Dealers Association. The winner will be announced at NADA’s national convention in February.
“This nomination is such an honor for me,” said Schumacher-Tilton in a prepared statement. “Having come into the automobile business quite suddenly 13 years ago and being acknowledged like this by my peers today is a great moment.” She took over her dealerships in 1998 following the death of her father Harold and brother Ken. Today, Schumacher Chevrolet is among the top 25 Chevrolet dealerships in the Northeast for sales penetration and ranks consistently in the top four throughout the state. The Chevrolet dealership is also the recipient of the 2010 Chevrolet Mark of Excellence Award, presented for sales volume and customer satisfaction and has held that title for three years running. Gearhart Chevrolet, the site of the first delivery of the Chevy Volt in the entire United States, is also the largest volume Chevrolet dealership in Morris County.
Schumacher-Tilton and her son, Stephen Tilton, Jr., who is CFO of both dealerships, founded the Give the Kids Hope Foundation, Inc. several years ago. It is dedicated to providing recreational and educational opportunities to underprivileged children throughout New Jersey. It currently supports Camp Hope in Passaic County and its summer camp and community outreach programs, including the David Harris Sneaker Shack donation site that provides shoes to needy children. This past summer, a Give the Kids Hope Foundation grant enabled 40 Essex County students to attend camp at Turtle Back Zoo.
In addition to the foundation, Schumacher-Tilton in involved in many civic and trade organizations. She volunteers on the Domestic Violence Response Team for the Passaic County Women’s Shelter, and serves on several boards of non-profit organizations and foundations in northern New Jersey. She is the vice chairman of the General Motors Women’s Retail Network and has been recognized several times over the past five years for her contributions to the automotive industry as well as for her community service.
