Southeast Toyota Distributors’ Myra Adams Named Among 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry by Automotive News

Myra Adams, group vice president of Sales Operations at Southeast Toyota Distributors, has been named among the 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry by Automotive News. The prestigious list, published every five years since 2000, recognizes women leaders in the automotive field – those who make major decisions and have considerable influence at their companies.

Adams has been a part of the Southeast Toyota Distributors team for over 29 years, joining the Distribution department before transferring to Marketing. In her current role, she oversees new vehicle sales, fixed operations and marketing. She also sponsors the People Strategy Committee, focusing on talent recruitment, associate development, succession planning and maintaining Southeast Toyota Distributors’ strong culture amid the evolving nature of the automotive industry.

Adams has achieved several historic milestones at Southeast Toyota Distributors, becoming the first woman vice president and the first woman to hold the role of group vice president in the company’s history. Under her leadership, Southeast Toyota Distributors saw retail sales rise 11% in 2024, leading to a 1.8 percent share increase for Toyota in the five-state southeast region.

“Myra is a transformative leader whose passion for people, performance and progress has elevated every corner of our business,” said Brent Sergot, president of Southeast Toyota Distributors and executive vice president of JM Family Enterprises. “She leads with clarity and purpose, and her influence is evident not only in our results, but in the strength of her relationships with our customers and the teams she empowers every day. It is my privilege to celebrate her recognition.”

“This honor places Myra among the most accomplished women in our industry,” said Dan Chait, president and CEO of JM Family Enterprises, the parent company of Southeast Toyota Distributors. “It is deeply meaningful to see her contributions recognized in this way. She has delivered impressive business results, strengthened our dealer relationships and helped shape the next generation of leadership. This recognition is well earned—for her, her team and everyone she has inspired along the way.”

The 2025 class of Automotive News’ 100 Leading Women in the North American Auto Industry emerged from a months-long nomination and judging process that attracted hundreds of entries from the United States, Canada and Mexico. “Our selection committee made many difficult decisions – it gets tougher every time,” said Vander Schaaf. “The talented, powerful executives on this list are at the forefront of thousands of successful women in the auto industry.”

“Over the last 25 years, on six lists of Leading Women, Automotive News has honored 442 executives. This year’s group of Leading Women has 24 presidents and CEOs and nine other C-suite executives; the first group, in 2000, had 14 presidents and CEOs and five others in the C-suite,” said Mary Beth Vander Schaaf, Automotive News senior director of editorial operations.

Since 1925, Automotive News has been the primary source for news happening among automotive retailers, suppliers and manufacturers. A global team of more than 65 editors and reporters back the award-winning, fully subscriber-paid publication.

Adams and her co-honorees are featured in the May 19, 2025, issue of Automotive News.

About Southeast Toyota Distributors LLC
Southeast Toyota Distributors is the world’s largest independent distributor of Toyotas. The company distributes vehicles, parts and accessories to 177 Toyota dealerships in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, and North Carolina and South Carolina. Dealers in this region sell approximately 20% of all Toyotas sold in the country. Headquartered in Deerfield Beach, Florida, its vehicle processing facilities are located in Jacksonville, Florida and Commerce, Georgia.

About JM Family Enterprises
JM Family Enterprises, Inc. was founded by automotive legend, Jim Moran in 1968. It is a privately held company with $22.8 billion in revenue and more than 5,000 associates. Rooted in automotive and united in its strong culture and core values, JM Family is in the business of helping other businesses succeed. As a long-term partner, it is invested in its companies, associates and its communities. Driven by exceptional performance, current subsidiaries are in the automotive, financial services, franchising and specialty distribution industries. Its family of companies includes: Southeast Toyota Distributors, JM&A Group, World Omni Financial Corp. (dba Southeast Toyota Finance), JM Lexus, Home Franchise Concepts^®, Futura Title & Escrow and Rollease Acmeda. Interact with JM Family on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.