Manheim Auctions’ Nashville Auto Auction (NAA) was recently named 2002 Auction of the Year by General Motors. The award was presented Jan. 22, 2003, to NAA auction manager Sam Chaple and Kelly Conger, general manager of NAA and vice president operations Midwest group for Manheim. The award is given annually to the best-performing General Motors-sponsored auction in the nation. Auctions are judged on all aspects of the auction process. While sale retention is the most important criterion, other categories include reconditioning, dealer attendance, and administrative functions. Chaple, who was recently promoted to auction manager after serving as assistant general manager for two years, said the GM team at Nashville in 2000 set the goal of earning the top spot. The automaker ranked the auction 28th out of 50 that year. It tied for a rank of seventh in 2001, before rising to first place in 2002.