Since he joined NEMPA during his first full-time job at The Boston Globe, Clifford Atiyeh has been an active and involved member since 2008. As punishment for his outlandish capabilities, he was made President in 2023. His vision and leadership helped modernize and reshape the group. Nearly every member of NEMPA has had a chance to work with Cliff at one outlet or another, and he has led by example.
Cliff has frequent bylines at the most prestigious automotive publications. What many readers and viewers may not realize is that Cliff isn’t just the author or host of the content he creates. He is part of every aspect of its production. “I have always been visual, through my graphic design, photography, typography, layout, web design, coding, and video,” Cliff says. “I am at my best when I craft the entirety of a story from start to finish.”
A good example of this all-encompassing involvement is a feature story Cliff created for Road & Track about Enzo Ferrari, the third-generation leader of the company. This piece is a great example of Cliff taking the reins and shaping the content in its entirety, including the page layout, which Cliff selected and produced.
One of Cliff’s special talents is seeking out global topics and covering them locally. For example, he did a fantastic piece for Car and Driver that explored the tricky business of extinguishing battery-electric vehicle fires. Cliff traveled to an island five miles south of Boston to capture professionals training to manage EV fires. What makes the story special is the photography. Be sure to click that link and see the photos Cliff took that accompany his copy in the story.
CarGurus is an employer of many NEMPA members, and Cliff wears many hats there. We all know him as the charismatic and engaging host in front of the camera. However, Cliff is involved in many of the steps that result in some of the highest-quality, most-viewed new-car content available. NEMPA member Michael Venn is usually behind the camera for those videos, and he and Cliff have a working relationship that yields amazing content.
As NEMPA President, Cliff earned the respect of our manufacturer partners, Automotion, and his fellow members because he remains true to his convictions and has built a reputation for delivering on promises.
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