Eddie Hale leads Texas Independent Automobile Dealers Association

Eddie Hale, president and CEO of Neighborhood Autos, was named the new president of the Texas Independent Automobile Dealers Association (TIADA) last summer. Since then, he has embraced his role as a leader in the automobile industry.

As the president and CEO of Neighborhood Autos, Hale has acquired a wealth of experience and a track record of success in the independent automobile industry, developing a commitment to customer loyalty and dedication to both his business and the greater industry. 

“Neighborhood Autos is a subsidiary corporation of the James Wood Auto Group,” Hale said. “I’ve been with James Wood since 1988 and James is a dear friend and a great mentor. Most of our community involvement revolves through that corporation. So when we go by the youth fair or go and sponsor certain things, we all get together and pool our resources.” 

Neighborhood Autos has locations in Decatur, Denton and Watauga. Their goal is to pair buyers with a pre-owned vehicle that both fits their needs and makes sense for their budget.

Hale has been involved with TIADA for some time and served in various roles before being named president. He gave his inaugural address at the 2023 TIADA Conference and Expo.  

“I’ve served my way through the association to the point of where my term as president is this particular term — we serve one year terms,” Hale said. “It’s been an honor to serve the association this year in the president’s role. I kind of run as the face of the association.” 

This year has been full of travel, Hale said, as a law was passed last legislative session to change from temporary paper license plate tags to metal tags effective July 2025. 

“That particular group of bills and legislation has a far reaching effect on a lot of people like tax assessor collectors, dealers and law enforcement,” Hale said. “We’ve got a great relationship with state agencies, the DMV being one of them, and have traveled all over the state … so it’s been a really busy year for us to try to educate agencies about how this affects us.” 

Through his role, Hale has made himself available to dealer members and associate members to show support. The association hosts events throughout the state to bring together dealers, industry leaders and legislators to strengthen the independent automobile dealer industry. 

“It’s been very interesting and very rewarding,” Hale said. “It’s an honor to give back to this industry that has provided for my family and also provided for our community. We’ve been able to give back to Wise County and Decatur.”