As a youth, Donald L. Hall tried to solve problems by running away. At 16, Hall fled his Los Angeles home and wound up in Iowa. There he supported himself for a year and a half while finishing high school. Then he joined the Marines, attended college and worked for a bank before settling on a career as an auto dealer. That eclectic background serves him well. These days the 44-year-old chief lobbyist for the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association is more likely to run towards trouble than away from it, especially if it involves car dealers.

The Virginia Automobile Dealers Association is a powerhouse with deep pockets and a membership of 585 new car dealers. "We’re a high-ticket item. There’s a lot of money involved," says Hall. Last year the association’s lobbying efforts cost roughly $135,000. State legislators ranked the association as the most effective lobby in Virginia in a Virginia Business survey. One of the advantages of Hall’s job is the ability to focus on a finite set of issues. This year, Hall plans to concentrate on performance standards — giving dealers a say in how their performance is measured by the manufacturers — and on anti-discrimination measures — making sure dealers face no discrimination when dealing with manufacturers. Other issues include distribution of sales leads from manufacturers. The VADA wants to ensure that a manufacturer cannot exclude a dealer from receiving leads in a specific geographic area, while at the same time holding that dealer responsible for generating competitive sales in that area.

When it comes to tackling issues, Hall meets the challenge ably, says VADA member Frank Pohanka. He describes Hall as likable and trustworthy, characteristics that make for an effective lobbyist. "What he tells you — it’s correct," says Pohanka. "He knows the issues. He only has one drummer, so to speak, to report to and that’s the Virginia Automobile Dealers Association."

Hall believes that honesty and integrity should be a lobbyist’s primary concerns. "You have to be honest even if it hurts," he says. "I not only need to present our side of the story, but what our opposition might say." That honesty has earned him a good reputation with state legislators, says Del. John A. Rollison III, R-Woodbridge, co-chair of the House Transportation Committee.

Hall is also popular with dealers. "Don has a tremendous relationship with the dealers. He really understands the issues," says Robert Woodall, chairman of the board of the dealers’ association. "When he calls us to arms, we start calling our state legislators. When we turn the heat on, they will pay attention," Woodall says. One reason for the association’s clout is that car dealers are big contributors to tax rolls and charities, not to mention political campaigns. They employ 32,000 people across Virginia, more than any single corporation, and they have a big impact on middle and small-sized towns. "No big multinational corporation is going to do that. And the legislators know this, and Don does a heck of a job of reminding them of this."

Yet Hall also knows when to pull back. Rather than constantly applying a hard-sell technique, he tries to recognize when it’s not the right time to push a bill. "It’s not, ‘Come hell or high water, the bill will pass.’ It’s not, ‘Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead.’ The issues aren’t tough and gut wrenching. They’re very specific, but sometimes below the radar screen."