Ken Kevorkian
Ken Kevorkian was born and raised in Los Angeles. He attended Los Angeles High School and studied at USC and UCLA. Mr. Kevorkian served in the Army in Korea as a member of the United Nations Military Armistice Commission in Panmunjom, Korea from 1954-1956.
After returning from Korea, he took over United Vulcanizing, eventually joining the Tire Dealers Association as one of its first members at the urging of Morey Gladman and 2022 Hall of Fame inductee Jay Goldberg.
Ken served as Chairman and member of the California Transportation Commission for eight years under Governors Deukmejian and Wilson. He also served as a Director on the California State Assistance Fund for Enterprise, Business, and Industrial Development and President and member of the California/Nevada Super Speed Train Commission. He has additionally served as Moderator and Chairman of the Trustees for the United Armenian Congregational Church in Los Angeles.
Tom Hanlon
Tom Hanlon was in the tire business from the early 1950’s. He worked for a retreader named David & Meyers in the East Bay.
Tom left the tire business for a while, working for an insurance company, then started buying used tires from Nor Cal dealerships and selling them, before starting Hanlon Tire in San Bruno, which he ran for many years.
During that period of his career he was very active as a member of the CTDN [North] serving on the Board and later becoming President. In 1995, the association had a convention at the Nugget in Sparks, Nevada. It was at this show that he made the entrance on Bertha the elephant.
Tom eventually sold Hanlon Tire and opened a new store in Hayward, called Mission Tire. He ending up bringing his son Joe in the business, and Tom went back to the used tire buying and selling business. He passed from complications from cancer in 2011.
Ed King
It seems that many memories of the Tire Dealers Association included Ed. He had an insurance company in Hayward and later set up CSTDA Insurance Services, which was the primary insurance carrier for members of the association. He was on the Board for many years and always worked hard for the association.
Eventually he became the Executive Director and did an extraordinary job running the association until his death around 2015.
Don Zavattero
Another name always associated with working for the association, serving on the Board for many years while operating Tech Supply Co.
Don helped the transition from one Executive Director to another, just about running the association while serving as Treasurer of the association.
He was Secretary/Treasurer for many years.
Eddie Cohn
Established Cohn Tire Sales and was the Executive Director of CTDA until he passed. Eddie was known for his awesome personality and humor, quick wit, and his fun column with the picture of him in the king's hat every time.
His service as Executive Director of the association was remarkable, considering he did it through thick and thin, and through sickness and in health.
He kept at the time CTDAS (South Tire Dealers) together during tough times.
Eddie once wrote in his column, "I quickly rose through the ranks to become the most average tire dealer in America."
Jay Goldberg
Jay worked in the tire business for more than 70 years, served on the Board of Directors of the California Tire Dealers Association (CTDA) for over 50 years. During his career, Jay’s business interests included Anderson Tire where he worked with his father, Semperit Pacific, and he was a principal at Globe Tire which operated multiple locations within Southern California including a wholesale division.
Besides his numerous charity efforts, Jay also found time to serve tire dealers on a national level, working on various committees for the former National Tire Dealers & Retreaders Association (NTDRA), now TIA.
Mr. Goldberg was quoted as saying, “Be a good citizen.” On one occasion when Jay had mentioned to a board member of the California Tire Dealers Association that he should become the next president, the board member stated that he didn't have the time to give. Jay replied, “You will do it because you are a good citizen.”
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