Audi Club Florida Chapter Board of Directors election begins Wednesday, November 20th and will be open through Friday, December 20th. You will receive an email with a web link to your election ballot.
Typically, each year, 3 of the 9 Board of Director positions are up for election. Directors serve a 3-year term and are eligible to run for a second 3-year term; However, this year we having an election for the entire board of 9 Directors
The Audi Club Florida Chapter Leadership has confirmed 7 candidates running for the 9 open positions. Though the election will be uncontested, holding an election is still required by the bylaws. Here are the candidates (in alphabetical order):
Adam Marko – Audi Club of Florida (Jacksonville)
I am honored to be considered to serve on the Audi Club of Florida’s board of directors. If I am elected to the board, one of my immediate goals will be to work with the current board to increase the visibility of The Club throughout the state, with a goal of increasing our membership roster and creating more member engagement through statewide events and member drives. I am also excited to learn more about The Club on a statewide and national level from my fellow board members.
My professional background consists of managing and running The Marko Group, a full-service boutique advertising agency in Jacksonville, that I founded in 1992. I am a strong communicator with a keen understanding of business and finance, specifically in the areas of advertising, marketing and public relations. I enjoy leading and motivating others to accomplish and reach their goals, while simultaneously working tirelessly in support of my own personal and professional goals. I believe that any board member of an organization always serves at the behest of the board and its members. Without our members, there would be no Club.
My inspiration for the Audi brand began when I sold my 2015 Mercedes AMG CLS 63S and was looking for something different and exciting to drive. I wasn’t ready for an R8 and thought an RS5 Sportback might fit bill. Shortly after I purchased my 2021 RS5, I moved to Scottsdale, Arizona and began participating in drives and events with the Audi Club of Arizona. Suffice to say, after some drives on miles-long roads in the Arizona desert, I was hooked. My son Max (17) is also a huge car enthusiast, and has joined me for the past two years at Quattro de Mayo, a 4-day driving event in the North Georgia mountains that is put on by the Audi Club of Georgia. If you have never driven your Audi on the Tail of the Dragon, you haven’t driven your Audi. It is the most incredible and exhilarating experience, and I highly recommend the drive to anyone.
I am excited to be considered for membership on the Audi Club of Florida board, and you may be assured of my continued enthusiasm and commitment to the responsibilities that board membership carries with it.
My thanks to Melisa Wilcox for reaching out to me to see if I would be willing to run for a director’s seat on the Audi Club of Florida (ACFL) Board.
So, many of you may be wondering ‘…who is this Bud Dannemiller character and what’s does he have in mind for the Chapter…’ – and that is a fair question.
My love of cars and all things mechanical in general started at an early age and has continued throughout my adult life. My passion for the Audi brand started in the mid ‘80s (with the acquisition of both an Audi 4000 sedan and later a 5000S Avant) and continued in 2010 with purchase of my new-to-me ’08 3.2l TTQC. This was followed by the purchase of a matching ’08 3.2l TTQR, then a ’16 S5 and finally a ’21 Q3. The ’08 3.2l TTQC, ’16 S5 and ’21 Q3 are still in my garage today.
My passion for Audi Club began at an Audi-related event in 2006 as the navigator for my brother in his 2001 TT. This was followed with my attendance at the initial Quattro de Mayo event co-hosted by Audi Club of Georgia and a group of Audi/VW enthusiasts from Ohio in 2007. These events caused me to look at the dormant Audi Club Kentucky chapter and wonder what I could do to revitalize it. The short story here is that the Chapter started with less than 30 members and now showing a membership roster consistently of just over 40 members. This growth is attributed to an active Chapter Board of Directors who are committed to the needs of its members.
ACFL is also all about our members…whether it is a show-and-shine, a spirited drive in the countryside, a grueling day at the track in a high performance-driving event, etc., it truly is about the people that the Audi brand has brought together. I am blessed to have met many new friends at a whole slew of events over the years. Friends for life. It is this camaraderie and sense of belonging that first caused me to fill an empty seat on the National board many years ago and why, when asked if I would allow my name to be placed into nomination to serve on the ACFL board this month, I said “yes.”
I see many opportunities for a new Chapter Board of Directors to serve you. That is what it is here for. I would ask that you never hesitate to reach out to the Chapter Board, regardless of who you elect, should you ever have a question about the Chapter or the larger Club. I would ask the same when it comes to good ideas. The Board is here to serve our Chapter members – all 415 of us (as of today).
In closing, let me just say again how much of an honor and privilege I consider it to be to have been asked to run for the Chapter Board.
My professional background up until this year was comprised of 21 years spent in Service and Parts at new car dealerships, the majority of which with Audi and VW. I have held the titles of Certified VW/Audi Technician and Master Certified VW/Audi Parts Consultant, and as a result possess extensive product and technical knowledge of both brands. I continue to use this knowledge by maintaining, repairing and modifying all 3 of my Audis. My ongoing (and running) project car is a 2010 8P A3 quattro sportback that has been swapped to a 6-speed manual transmission. I uploaded a detailed how-to video to replicate it on YouTube to make the information available, as I personally lamented that Audi never offered any variant of the A3 as a quattro manual in the US or Canada. I plan to do the same with the 07K 5-cylinder engine I’m building for turbocharging to swap into it next. Having retired from the car business in May of 2023, I have moved on to another career as a Safety Compliance Inspector in the construction industry – separating my hobby from my job for the first time.
After attending a Winter Driving School held by the NEQ Chapter as a guest in 2005, I started attending HPDEs with the Audi Club the following summer, my first event with the NEQ Chapter at Watkins Glen. It was one of the best experiences of my life, and I’ve been hooked ever since. That led me to serve on the NJ Chapter Board of Directors from 2007-2010, assisting with running their first and second HPDE events as well as Teen Driving/Car Control Clinics. I also completed my instructor candidacy under the NJ Chapter’s Chief Instructor in 2008, and have since instructed with the NJ Chapter, Ohio Chapter and the Potomac-Chesapeake Chapter at HPDEs as well as a NAAC Chapter Winter Driving School. I have also served on the ACNA National Social Media team for many years, first on the Classifieds page on Facebook and then being added to the National Facebook page moderators later.
My vision for the Florida Chapter, if elected to the board, isn’t complex. I wish to continue to foster the things that got me hooked on the Audi Club back in 2005 – education, camaraderie and excitement for the Audi brand. My former career working for Audi and VW dealers allows me to bring that knowledge to the board without a conflict of interest. This club has introduced me to friends I’ve now known for 18 years, helped me continue to improve my driving techniques, and has been so much fun to be a part of. I’d be honored to be able to give back to the club even more with a position on the Florida Chapter board.
Accepting the Audi Club Florida Board of Directors nomination is an honor. If elected, I aim to secure chapter compliance for Audi Club Florida, as well as acquire and distribute resources to regional leaders to provide our members with the highest degree of membership fulfillment. I also strive to create developmental opportunities to identify and enhance regional leadership potential, and further educate the masses on the machines we love to drive.
I bring a fresh perspective and various skills to The Club, including organizational, task management and communication skills. I have a passion for leadership development and supporting others in reaching their goals while simultaneously striving towards the mission of The Club. I’m a firm believer that Audi Club members are the most significant stakeholders in the organization, and that membership fulfillment is what propels Audi Club at all levels of the organization.
My inspiration for Audi begins with the first generation R8. I remember seeing one during my childhood and being fascinated by its design and exclusivity. I vowed that I would one day own one of my own. Many years later, I relocated to Northwest Florida and came across a first-generation R8, right in the flesh for the first time at a local Cars & Coffee meet and was again inspired by the rings. Little did I know, this encounter would lead to my discovery of the Emerald Coast Region – Audi Club of Florida and ignite my journey with Audi Club North America. Shortly after, I began learning about the brand while building my experience with Audi. The first in my stable was a B8.5 S5 Technik Plus, followed by a B8 SQ5 Premium Plus and a B6 S4 Avant.
To further my understanding of driver safety and education, I have volunteered to tail, organize and/or lead over 20 wheels-in-motion events within the region. I regularly tune in to the ACNA Chapter Leaders Call to keep a pulse on national updates and continue honing my understanding of the Club at all levels. I am a current member and contributor to the National Membership and Nomination Committee and have recently stepped up to Chair the newly formed National Wheels In Motion Ad-hoc Committee, furthering my commitment to leadership and desire to advance Audi Club in a positive direction.
During the week, I lead a diverse team of 18 employees and first-line supervisors in the aviation safety and survival equipment industry. I’ve developed my leadership and communication skillsets throughout my ten-year career to ensure the team’s success in providing high-quality safety equipment for aircrew, and professional enhancement for each member of the team. I also oversee various programs and custodians that involve quality control and tool kit management amongst others.
I am honored to have been nominated for a seat on the Audi Club Board. I live and breath the brand and have enjoyed the chapters and events I have attended over the years. I take this honor seriously and will do my best by our membership.
I’ve been an Audi enthusiast for over 25 years. Been to many races during the LMP1 years and watched many Le Mans Victories. My Professional background is IT and I have been doing that for 25 years as well. When I lived in NJ, I got my Start with Audi Club in 2008 with my 2005 S4 Avant 6speed Manual and joined the NJ Board soon after. There we ran a successful HPDE program catered to the enthusiasts in the area, all whist tracking various versions of S4 (B6, B5, B8) After moving to Florida 7 years ago I joined the Florida Chapter, and picked up a 2019 TT RS. I have visited and participated in many group events in FL and made lots of fellow Audi Friends. Over the last year I have been working with current chapter leadership to bring ACFL in compliance with National Governance, Guidelines, and finally Elections.
As a member of the board, my goals are to have chapter wide events, Wheels in Motion Events (Drives type events), work with local groups to engage enthusiasts and bring members together, and finally start a ACFL HPDE (High Performance Driving Event) Program. More than that I want the membership to see more from our chapter.
My love for everything automotive started when I was young. I used to carry around Hot Wheels everywhere and my dad would take me to car shows to see all the new cars coming out. I knew when I turned 16 I would immediately buy my first car, and thanks to the Fast and the Furious franchise that made things so much more exciting. I didn’t always start out being into German cars, as my first few were Hondas. I had everything from a CRX to a S2000. My friends had some VWs and Audis and I always had interest in them, but never made that switch. Fast forward a bit to my first German car, a Mk5 GTI in Tornado Red. I had that car for quite some time and modified it from top to bottom. I feel like the natural progression in automotive ownership should be in an upward manner, so after many, many Volkswagens I started getting into Audis. I currently own a 2018 S4, finished in exclusive Merlin purple that has been heavily modified. I have a few sponsors that have helped along the way (Integrated Engineering, AWE, 034 Motorsport, Racingline) and I have an automotive YouTube channel that has the build documented with some DIY modification videos.
My goals for the club would be to help advertise the group and have maximum participation at events. I’ll admit I can’t make it to every event, but if I can get people excited about upcoming events and get them out then I feel I have done my job. I usually attend a good deal of shows and meets in the Florida area, with a few based outside of the state. I was assisting with running a local car group for the past year until the club owner could step back in and take over. I’d love to help push different events for the club. Everything from shows to driving events. I actually have never done a driving event before, but it’s something I’ve always wanted to do.
My professional experience includes about some time working at New German Performance in Maryland, along with Heritage Volkswagen. That is where I made a lot of connections that still help me to this day with troubleshooting and buying aftermarket parts. I also spent about 9 years collectively in the Army, with a few of those being active duty and the most recent being in the reserves. I got out of the Army in August, and currently work for Northrop Grumman in Melbourne, FL. Then of course on the side I run my YouTube channel, which I recently started a LLC for and hope to continue growing that into the future.
My name is Roc Linkov and I am running for a Board Member position for Audi Club-Florida chapter. I have a long association with Audi Club, being an early Lifetime Member when it was known as Quattro Club USA. I have been a track instructor for 24 years for many groups starting with QCUSA Potomac-Chesapeake Region, which was co-founded by my son who served in a number of positions including on the National Board. Several years later, I too served on the National Board. I have instructed for Audi Club from the East Coast to the West coast including VIR and Laguna Seca. I twice attended the Audi Winter School at Seefeld Austria and have been to Ingolstadt several times
I retired for the second time in 2014 and moved to Florida becoming a volunteer at the Revs Institute in Naples. In my 9 years there I have served 6 years on the Volunteer Board and was in charge of Docent and Tour Assistant Training for much of that time.
The one of the things that disappointed me upon relocating to Fort Myers was the lack of Audi-based events in Florida in general and specifically in the SW Florida area. I am perhaps more aware of the lack of events than most as I retired after 10+ years as Events Manager and Motorsports Manager at the National Corvette Museum. During my tenure at the NCM, I created and produced all of the events which are still being conducted to this day. Additionally, I created a national HPDE program and was co-designer of the Museum’s motorsports facility. The program was selected by GM to train their Corvette engineers and designers.
ACFL and the NCM face a similar issue; both are membership dependent and have a relatively far-flung base. I have found an effective way of maintaining that base is to bring the events to the members rather than requiring the members to travel. One should not make the assumption that what works for Corvette enthusiasts has no relevance to Audi or any other marque. ACNA, BMW, PCA all had/have successful HPDE programs and I brought what I had learned from those to the Corvette world. Likewise, programs that were and are highly successful at the Corvette Museum are very applicable to Audi and other clubs. The basic structure and principles are the same while the specific details are marque oriented. I sincerely believe making our various Florida regions strong will make ACFL strong.
In addition to the above experience, I have served on 3 major nonprofit boards as member and president; Community Day Nursery the largest and oldest Pre-school in NJ; board of SHARE-NJ; and board member and finance committee member on the Corporate Board of Metro-NJ YMCA covering the entire northern half of NJ through special appointment of YMCA National.
Thank you for your consideration, I am looking forward to being part of a growing ACFL