When Hurricane Helene struck in September 2024, its widespread impact disrupted the Carolinas, Florida, Georgia and Tennessee. While the effects were felt across these states, areas like upstate South Carolina and western North Carolina — where many of our independent dealers operate — experienced significant challenges including power and internet outages, flooding and other disruptions. That’s when AFC Relationship Manager Amy Para and the AFC Anderson team jumped in, quickly mobilizing to provide critical support to impacted dealers.
Together with her team, Amy transformed the AFC Anderson branch into a vital resource for local independent dealers, regardless of whether they floored with AFC. Following the severe weather, they quickly secured power, set up laptop stations, and created a functional workspace, allowing dealers to continue operating their businesses. After evaluating the situation, the team worked with AFC leadership to temporarily suspend audits and offer other reprieves and additional support.
With more than a decade of experience at AFC, beginning as a branch manager in September 2014 and transitioning to Relationship Manager in early 2021, Amy’s dedication to fostering strong relationships has been fundamental to her work. In conversation, Amy is always the first to emphasize that these efforts were the result of collaboration, communication and a shared commitment to supporting the community.
Local partners including Darla Booher, Senior Vice President on the NIADA Executive Board, collaborated with Amy to establish a private online group to share and coordinate resources for independent dealers affected by the storm. Darla’s assistance in promoting the group and sharing information with local dealers was crucial to the relief efforts. Additionally, Mike Myers, Vice President of IT Engineering at OPENLANE, facilitated the delivery of monitors and equipment, enabling dealers to sustain their operations amidst widespread power outages through the creation of branch workstations. These synchronized efforts, fueled by a mutual commitment to support the community during a critical time, had a significant positive impact.
In recognition of her remarkable dedication, innovation and leadership in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, Amy was selected for an OPENLANE Waybuilder Award. This company-wide accolade is named for one of OPENLANE’s values — Driven Waybuilders — and celebrates employees whose extraordinary efforts and results exemplify our Forward Together culture. Amy’s remarkable dedication, innovation and leadership following Hurricane Helene serves as a powerful example of how AFC fuels the entrepreneurial dream in our community.
Although Greenville and its neighboring communities are still recovering from the effects of Hurricane Helene nearly a year later, the actions of Amy and the AFC Anderson team, along with their local partners, were instrumental in helping dealerships mitigate the storm’s impact on their businesses.
