ACRA 2026 Annual DC Industry & Policy Conference in Photos

Legal & Legislative•Photos 14•October 5, 2026

Car rental industry professionals gathered in Washington, D.C., Sept. 22-25 for the American Car Rental Association’s (ACRA) 2026 Annual DC Industry & Policy Conference, combining education, networking, and meetings on Capitol Hill.

The program included a conference day featuring nine seminars, two receptions, and an offsite ACRA PAC event attended by Rep. Kat Cammack of Florida and Sen. Dan Sullivan of Alaska.

During ACRA’s Day on the Hill, participants met with congressional offices to discuss three industry priorities: vehicle recalls, access to vehicle data, and the Graves Amendment. The meetings gave operators an opportunity to explain how federal policy affects their businesses, employees, and customers.

For first-time attendees, ACRA’s preparation and group meetings provided an introduction to legislative advocacy. Experienced participants helped lead the discussions, while operators contributed examples from their own businesses.

Topics:lobbying activism & advocacy American Car Rental Association Legal & Legislative

speaker standing at podium — ACRA's President & CEO Don Lefeve put together the conference agenda and Day on the Hill meetings with the help of Abby Battin, ACRA's marketing and communications coordinator.
Credit:
Ivan Dervishi

Man addresses conference attendees — ACRA Chairman of the Board Sharky Laguana addresses attendees to kick off the conference.
Credit:
Ivan Dervishi

Man addresses seminar attendees — During the conference portion of the event, Tom Wood Automotive's Phil Spink shared how to measure performance using key operational benchmarks.
Credit:
Ivan Dervishi

Seminar panelist makes a point — Spencer Jacobsen of PurCo Fleet Services discusses damage recovery with Tristan Wolbers of Basham & Scott and Stefani Solazzo of Highstreet | Williams & Stazzone.
Credit:
Ivan Dervishi

three pose for photo at cocktail party. — Longtime industry colleagues Richard Piotrowski of Stride Rent a Car, Francine Pesca of Priceless & Rent a Wreck New Jersey, and Nick DiPrima of Edgeball Strategies reconnect at the opening reception.
Credit:
Ivan Dervishi

four gather for photo at cocktail party — Michael Black of Black Mobility / ACE Rent a Car, Mark Novak of Zubie, Aaron Black of Black Mobility / ACE Rent a Car, and Paula Vercollone of Damage iD gather for a photo at the opening reception.
Credit:
Ivan Dervishi

colleagues discuss solutions during roundtable session — Attendees answered a predetermined set of questions at the roundtable session on the outlook for the industry and then shared their answers with the larger group.
Credit:
Ivan Dervishi

Three pose for a photo — Team Copart represented at this year's conference.
Credit:
Ivan Dervishi

four pose in front of U.S. Capitol — Collin Sutton (left) of Galpin Rentals, Wes Hurst of Polsinelli, Gary Kolodziej of Midway Auto Group, and Chris Brown take a photo break between meetings.
Credit:
Chris Brown

Group gathers for a photo outside brownstone — The Thursday night ACRA PAC cocktail mixer was held at a brownstone residence and was attended by Florida Representative Kat Cammack and Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan.
Credit:
Chris Brown

Group stands in Capitol Rotunda — "Why we do what we do" - two delegations combine to take a break in the Capitol Rotunda, advocating for legislation that will be made in that building.
Credit:
ACRA

five pose for a photo in a congressperson's office — The Day on the Hill consists of groups broken down by state constituencies that visit the offices of Congresspeople, generally meeting their staff but occasionally gaining an audience with the Senator or Representative.
Credit:
ACRA

three stand for photo at reception — ACRA's Marketing and Communications Coordinator Abby Battin, left, worked to put together all aspects of the event.
Credit:
ACRA