SEMA Announces 2024 Hall of Fame Inductees: Luanne Brown, George Lathouris, John McLeod, and Larry Pacey

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The Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) has revealed the 2024 inductees for its prestigious SEMA Hall of Fame—a recognition reserved for individuals whose innovation and dedication have left a lasting mark on the automotive aftermarket industry.

This year’s honorees are Luanne Brown, George Lathouris, John McLeod, and Larry Pacey—four standout leaders whose contributions have shaped everything from product development and marketing to motorsports and performance culture.

The industry is invited to celebrate their achievements at the SEMA Leaders & Legends Gala, taking place July 25 in Universal City, California.

“The automotive aftermarket industry has grown in remarkable ways thanks to the contributions of this year’s Hall of Fame inductees,” said SEMA President and CEO Mike Spagnola. “Through their leadership and innovation, they not only changed the course of the industry’s history but inspired and shaped the success of those around them.”

The SEMA Hall of Fame is one of the industry’s highest honors, recognizing individuals who have significantly enhanced the growth, integrity, and future of the aftermarket world. This year’s class continues that tradition with excellence.

Stay tuned to RacingJunk.com for more updates from SEMA, plus exclusive coverage of the upcoming SEMA Gala and everything happening across the world of performance, restoration, and motorsports.

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Fueled by entrepreneurial drive and deep technical expertise, Brown founded eTool Developers in 2001, building proprietary platforms that filled critical gaps in website development and product data management. Her work empowered manufacturers, resellers, solution providers, and rep agencies to adapt to an ever-changing digital landscape, streamlining operations, improving data exchange, and driving real business growth. Brown served as a SEMA Board Member from 2008-2015 and has held leadership positions in multiple SEMA communities, including SEMA Cares, the SEMA Businesswomen’s Network (SBN), and as board liaison to the Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO). She has been a long-standing and supportive SEMA PAC member over the years and is vice president of the Automotive Aftermarket Charitable Foundation (AACF). “To be honored in this way by my industry family is amazing. I am very grateful for SEMA. This is the highlight of my career,” said Brown.

A 45-year industry veteran, Lathouris is well known for his personal and professional success that has been built on customer relationships and partnerships. From his first job at American Speed Equipment in the late 1970s to his last position as vice president at The Warn Group, Lathouris is recognized by peers for always putting the customer first and exceeding expectations both with the customer and his fellow employees.

Lathouris was named the 2013 SEMA Person of the Year, served as SEMA Light Truck Accessories Alliance (LTAA; now the SEMA Truck & Off-Road Industry Alliance) chair from 2009-2013, and is credited with driving considerable growth of the SEMA Pinewood Derby benefiting SEMA Cares charities.

“I was stunned. Time seemed to pause, and I thought in that instant that I was able to stand alongside of all of the great men and women who've made our industry such a powerhouse throughout the years,” said Lathouris on receiving the news he’d been inducted into the SEMA Hall of Fame.

McLeod has been actively involved in the automotive and SEMA communities for over 23 years, starting from his earliest days working with Classic Instruments in custom automotive builds in the late 1990s, culminating with his acquisition of the company in 2001. Under his leadership, Classic Instruments evolved from a small niche operation into an industry cornerstone, continually pushing boundaries of design, technology, and quality standards in automotive instrumentation. McLeod’s personal ethos—founded on quality, integrity, and community service—shaped his influential tenure volunteering within and leading the SEMA Hot Rod Industry Alliance (HRIA). His Education Days and Builders Panel initiatives fostered a culture of continuous learning and knowledge sharing, as well as provided industry veterans an opportunity to pass on critical insights, enhancing the professionalism and knowledge base of the automotive community. “When you look at the list of members like Dave McClelland, Smokey Yunik, Brian Applegate, Carroll Shelby, and so many more amazing people that are my heroes—people I have looked up to for so long—I am honored to share this space with them,” said McLeod. “I am hopeful that I can inspire at least one young person to be part of such an amazing industry like so many of them did for me.”

Pacey’s 55 years of industry experience began in 1969 when he opened National Carburetor Exchange in a 600 sq. ft. building, rebuilding and installing carburetors in South Florida. Over a five-year period, the business evolved into a retail parts store handling many performance lines in addition to the carburetor line. In 1974, the business became a warehouse distributor carrying all performance lines and selling wholesale only. The business’s name changed to National Auto Parts Warehouse Dba National Performance Warehouse (NPW), and in the early 1980s it continued to expand into traditional auto parts, with additional warehouses in Orlando and West Palm Beach, Fla.

Pacey’s vision united many regional distributors under one larger, more sustainable umbrella. Today, NPW operates in over 1,500,000 square feet of warehouse space with 23 distribution centers. NPW services over 30,000 accounts in North America and several international markets. Pacey served on the SEMA Board of Directors from 1994 to 1996.

“After giving what I have given to this amazing industry, it feels like a full-circle moment for me,” said Pacey. “I am also elated to be able to share it with my wife and my sons because I could not have done it without them. I would also like to thank SEMA for this prestigious award and all the great employees at NPW that have helped me for 56 years.”

In addition to formally inducting Brown, Lathouris, McLeod, and Pacey as SEMA Hall of Fame members during the 2025 SEMA Leaders & Legends Gala on July 25, the event will include recognition of the newly elected and outgoing SEMA Board members. Tickets are on sale at this link.