Bill Bader is both a thinker and a doer.
He continuously comes up with ways to make something better and more beneficial, and then he does what needs to be done to make it happen.
When it seems impossible or insurmountable, he digs in deeper, and steers with decades of experience and expertise.
As a result, Bader successfully owns and operates two businesses. One is Summit Motorsports Park, a major motorsports venue in Norwalk, Ohio, which welcomes more than 500,000 people each year for sportsman and professional drag racing and has an annual economic impact to the community of more than $100 million. The other is Energize, a successful marketing company.
Bader is innovative, idealistic and eager to implement ideas, especially when they are for the greater good.
For those reasons and more, he is campaigning for a seat with the SEMA Board of Directors, and his past and current work reveal his time in that seat would be rewarding for every business and every person the association is affiliated with.
Below, Bader answers some questions related to his candidacy.
Why is it important to you to run for SEMA Board of Directors?
I have been in the automotive world for 46 years and I have learned a lot with bright people mentoring me, and now I want to give back to a community that has been very good to me and my family. I feel that you perpetuate success by working, learning, mastering and then giving back. The automotive segment is a wonderful, family centric community, and it is important that we keep it healthy.
What unique characteristics would you offer the community SEMA serves?
I have an extensive background in marketing, guest service and finance, and I can help SEMA in those and other areas. It is important for an organization of that magnitude to market itself and to be fiscally responsible, and I can help perpetuate that. I grew up in an environment where people matter and people are important, and as a member of the SEMA Board of Directors, I would offer that level of service and care. That area is a strength of mine.
What types of topics are important to you?
Youth initiatives, the long-term health and sustainability of motorsports and having a presence in Washington to inform the lawmakers about the economic impacts of the automotive and motorsports worlds are very important to me. I have experience in those areas and would be completely committed to working with fellow SEMA members in putting the spotlight on them. Improving SEMA member engagement is also vital.
Why should SEMA members vote for you?
I am honest, hardworking, committed and passionate, and I would be completely dedicated to serving SEMA members and fully immersed in serving SEMA members. I think those attributes, along with my 46 years of experience, make me a good choice.
For more information about Bill for SEMA Board of Directors, please email mlendzion@summitmotorsportspark.com or wab4@me.com, or follow BillforSEMA on Facebook.
This story was originally published on May 20, 2024. 
