The Tire Industry Association board of directors elected 26-year retail veteran John Evankovich as its new board secretary during its mid-year meeting on June 22-24.

“John has tremendous industry experience and a proven commitment to the association. We are fortunate to have him taking on this leadership role on our board and the entire industry will benefit from his expertise,” said TIA executive vice president Roy Littlefield.

Evankovich will begin his one-year term on Oct. 31, 2016. The next year he will proceed as vice president, then president, and then past president – all for a one-year term, TIA said.

Evankovich started his career in the tire industry at Sam’s Club and held various operations and human resource roles. Currently, he is the director of Sam’s Club’s Tire and Battery Centers, which has more than 630 retail locations across the U.S.  He holds a certificate in human resource employment practice and law.