AAA Western and Central New York is pleased to announce a series of strategic leadership appointments and promotions, reflecting the organization’s ongoing commitment to growth, member value, and operational excellence.

 
“Over the past year since joining AAA, I have been fortunate to work alongside an exceptionally talented team here at AAA Western and Central New York," said President and CEO Marke Dickinson. "I'm excited about the recent promotions, which will allow us to leverage our leaders' expertise even more effectively. By prioritizing operational excellence, we're positioned to strengthen every core business area and deliver outstanding membership services.”

Key Leadership Appointments

•    Jennifer Fincik has been named Executive Vice President & Chief Operations Officer. Fincik was most recently Senior Vice President of Finance & Chief Financial Officer, a role she held since 2012. 
•    Scott Kukelka, formerly Director of Finance, has been promoted to Vice President & Chief Financial Officer.  As CFO, Kukelka will be responsible for AAA’s overall financial strategy and operations including mergers and acquisitions, accounting, sales analytics, and audit functions, while ensuring regulatory compliance, and maintaining financial integrity.
•    Chris Lawrence has been named Vice President of Sales. He will be accountable for driving growth and engagement for Insurance, Medicare, and Travel business lines through innovative sales strategies, high-impact partnerships, and exceptional service delivery. Lawrence previously served as Director of Insurance at AAA.
•    Jim Nixon, formerly Vice President of Automotive Services, has accepted an expanded role as Vice President, Chief Membership Sales & Service Officer.  He will oversee the strategy and growth of AAA Membership including Financial Services, Discounts & Rewards, Automotive Services, Call Center Operations, and Member Relations—focusing on enhancing member value, streamlining operations, and exceptional service delivery. 
•    Susan Was has been named Vice President, Chief People & Impact Officer (CPIO) and will continue to lead people strategy and social impact initiatives, which was her prior focus as Vice President, Human Resources. She will continue to oversee all HR and Learning & Development functions while also focusing on Property Management, Safety, DEB, ESG, and Public Affairs. With this expanded role, Was will emphasize creating a sales/growth-minded workforce to improve productivity and customer experience for all retail branch locations and driver training products and services.
•    Liz Bove has been promoted to Senior Director, General Counsel. 
•    Mary Anne Albert has been named Senior Director, Business Intelligence.

“These leadership changes reflect AAA’s commitment to growth, innovation, and investing in the incredible talent across the organization,” Dickinson said. “I’m confident that with this team in place, we are well-positioned to achieve our strategic goals and continue delivering exceptional value to our members.”