Press Releases

ATLANTA – January 17, 2025 – Manheim is kicking off its 80th anniversary with the promotion of a number of veteran leaders who will help drive the company into the future.

Joey Hughes, who served at the helm of the world’s largest automotive wholesale auction and Manheim’s flagship location, Manheim Pennsylvania, since 2016, has been named regional vice president for Manheim’s East Region. In this role, Hughes will call upon his steadfast leadership skills to drive operational excellence, increase profitability and help deliver the industry’s most connected client experience across more than two dozen Manheim locations.

Manheim also promoted seven additional leaders—all with exceptional skills in cultivating relationships, leading through change, driving performance and demonstrating an unwavering commitment to client success:

• Emily Decker has been named general manager of the Manheim Pennsylvania Market Center, which includes Manheim Pennsylvania and Manheim Keystone.
• Toni Hanshaw has been named general manager of the Manheim Orlando Market Center, which includes Manheim Orlando and Manheim Central Florida.
• Butch Herdegen has been named general manager of the Manheim Atlanta Market Center, which includes Manheim Atlanta, Manheim Georgia, Manheim Birmingham, Rome Auto Auction and 4-Star Auto Auction.
• Jennifer Knoke has been named general manager of the Manheim Minnesota Market Center, which includes Manheim Minneapolis and Manheim Northstar Minnesota.
• Gus Jones has been named general manager of the Manheim Arizona Market Center, which includes Manheim Phoenix and Manheim Tucson.
• Dave Crockford has been named general manager of Manheim Milwaukee.
• Lisa Kahoano has been named general manager of Manheim Hawaii.

“Throughout Manheim’s 80-year history, the strength of our leadership has been the driving force behind our success and that of our clients,” said Alan Lang, senior vice president, Physical Services and Auctions at Cox Automotive. “These newly promoted leaders are known for their ability to rally their teams through periods of significant change while maintaining a relentless focus on meeting our clients’ evolving needs.”

More on these exceptional leaders:

• Joey Hughes, regional vice president, Manheim, East Region
  Joey Hughes began his career with Manheim in 2001 as a client services manager at Manheim North Carolina and was promoted to assistant general manager in 2006.  He went on to serve as general manager of Manheim Darlington in 2009, vice president of the Carolina Market in 2010, and general manager of Manheim Statesville in 2012. As regional vice president for Manheim’s East Region, Hughes succeeds Matt Trapp, who was named Cox Automotive’s vice president of fleet operations last year.
   
• Emily Decker, general manager, Manheim Pennsylvania Market Center
  A 27-year Manheim veteran, Emily Decker began her career at Manheim Imperial and went on to serve as client services manager at Manheim Tampa and Manheim Lakeland. She was promoted to assistant general manager at Manheim Statesville in 2015 and to general manager at Manheim Indianapolis in 2016. Decker was named general manager for the Manheim Arizona Market Center in 2020, which includes Manheim Phoenix and Manheim Tucson. Decker is also a chapter board member for the National Auto Auction Association (NAAA), serving on the legislative and membership committees.
   
• Toni Hanshaw, general manager, Manheim Orlando Market Center
  Hanshaw joined Manheim in 2006 as a marketing manager at Manheim Central Florida and served in marketing roles from 2011 to 2014 before being promoted to general manager of Manheim Daytona Beach and Manheim Jacksonville in 2014. Hanshaw served as Manheim Orlando’s assistant general manager for three years prior to her promotion to general manager of Manheim Central Florida in 2022. Hanshaw is a 2024 AutoSuccess Women at the Wheel honoree and an active member of NAAA and ADIAB. Hanshaw succeeds JD Daniels, who retired at the end of 2024.
   
• Butch Herdegen, general manager, Manheim Atlanta Market Center
  Herdegen joined Manheim’s Vehicle Entry team in 2006 and went on to serve as a Dealer Services Manager in 2009. After a brief departure, he returned to Manheim in 2016 as general manager of Manheim Daytona and Jacksonville. Herdegen was named general manager of the Manheim Minnesota Market Center, which includes Manheim Minneapolis and Manheim Northstar, in 2020. He is a 2024 Auto Remarketing 40 Under 40 honoree and is currently serving as the NAAA Midwest Chapter President. Herdegen succeeds Doug Kramer, who retired at the end of 2024.
   
• Jennifer Knoke, general manager, Manheim Minnesota Market Center
  Knoke began her 24-year career at Manheim in Minneapolis as a human resources manager. She was later promoted to assistant general manager of the Manheim Minnesota Market Center in 2020—a particularly transformative year in the wholesale industry. Knoke succeeds Butch Herdegen, who now leads the Manheim Atlanta Market Center.
   
• Gus Jones, general manager, Manheim Arizona Market Center
  Jones joined Manheim Tucson as dealer services manager in 2006 and went on to hold a number of progressive leadership roles throughout Arizona, including assistant general manager of Manheim Tucson, assistant general manager of Manheim Phoenix, and general manager of Manheim Arizona. Jones succeeds Emily Decker, who was named general manager of the Manheim Pennsylvania Market Center.
   
• Dave Crockford, general manager, Manheim Milwaukee
  Crockford joined Manheim as assistant general manager of Manheim Milwaukee in 2017. Prior to Manheim, he spent 17 years in the retail automotive business including as General Manager of Audi Milwaukee and General Manager at Cadillac of Waukesha. Crockford succeeds John Olejniczak, who retired in 2024.
   
• Lisa Kahoano, general manager, Manheim Hawaii
  Kahoano is a 25-year Manheim veteran who most recently served as HR business partner manager for Manheim Hawaii, Seattle, Portland and Utah. She has also led numerous operational departments at Manheim Hawaii, driving notable business results through effective people strategies. Kahoano succeeds Dewey Hess, who retired in 2024.  

About Cox Automotive
Cox Automotive is the world’s largest automotive services and technology provider. Fueled by the largest breadth of first-party data fed by 2.3 billion online interactions a year, Cox Automotive tailors leading solutions for car shoppers, auto manufacturers, dealers, lenders and fleets. The company has 29,000+ employees on five continents and a portfolio of industry-leading brands that include Autotrader®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, vAuto®, Dealertrack®, NextGear Capital™, CentralDispatch® and FleetNet America®. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately owned, Atlanta-based company with $22 billion in annual revenue. Visit coxautoinc.com or connect via @CoxAutomotive on X, CoxAutoInc on Facebook or Cox-Automotive-Inc on LinkedIn.

Media Contact:
Julie Jackson
Cox Automotive
julie.jackson@coxautoinc.com 
404.558.7837