New Convention Registration staff person-Eric Freese

The POCI Board of Directors is thrilled to welcome Eric Freese to the club's team. Eric will oversee every aspect of the convention registration process, which includes assisting members in signing up for upcoming conventions and events. You might be familiar with Eric, as he has been a dedicated member of GTOAA for several years, contributing to their marketing efforts and member outreach. He also plays a vital role on the Pontiac Podcast. We are eager to have Eric on the POCI team and are excited to see him apply his skills to enhance our convention registration procedures. Over the next few months and throughout the year, Eric will receive training from Paul Bergstrom. Eric will be your primary contact for any questions regarding Convention Registration. You can reach him at his POCI email: pociconventionregistration@gmail.com.

Below you will find a personal bio of Eric, crafted by him, which we hope conveys his enthusiasm to join the POCI team. He aims to serve you with the same exceptional professionalism and courtesy that Paul and Mona Bergstrom have consistently delivered.

I’m Eric Freese from Batesville, Indiana, and Pontiacs have been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up around GTOs at my dad’s restoration shop, FAST Restorations, where much of my childhood was spent surrounded by cars, restoration projects, stories, and the people who make this hobby special. My dad, Paul Freese, has been involved with the GTO Association of America for many years and serves as the GTOAA Modified Judging Administrator in addition to being a longtime judge. His involvement made me aware of the GTOAA and its conventions long before I officially became a member. My childhood and teenage years were spent attending Hot Rod Power Tours, the Ames Performance Tri-Power Pontiac Nationals in Norwalk, drag races, car shows, cruise-ins, and GTOAA conventions. At the time, those trips were simply part of growing up. Looking back now, I realize how much they shaped my own connection to the Pontiac hobby.

Some of my favorite memories are the simple ones—walking through a parking lot full of Pontiacs, hearing cars fire up in the morning, watching them go down the drag strip, and talking with people about cars they owned, raced, restored, sold, or wished they had never let go. Those experiences taught me early that this hobby is about more than the cars.

The cars may bring us together, but the people are what make the hobby special.

Ironically, growing up around a restoration shop did not turn me into a mechanic. I have tremendous respect for the people who restore these cars, but I discovered that my own strengths were in another area. My passion has always been the people. I enjoy meeting enthusiasts, hearing their stories, learning what their cars mean to them, and finding ways to help bring people together. That interest eventually led me to become more involved in the GTOAA.

I officially joined the GTOAA in July 2024, and in June 2025, I joined the staff as a Public Relations Associate and became the E-News Blast Coordinator. In that role, I currently help share member stories, chapter updates, events, conventions, vendor information, and club news.

One of my favorite parts is highlighting the people behind the hobby. Every Pontiac has a story—and so does the person behind it. That same interest in storytelling also led me to the Pontiac Podcast, which I co-host with Curt Roehm. The podcast gives us the opportunity to talk with people throughout the Pontiac community and share the stories behind their cars. For me, the best part is hearing the memories behind the cars—the races, road trips, friendships, and family connections.

My professional background also plays a big part in how I approach my work in the hobby. Outside of the Pontiac world, I work in the insurance and annuity industry as an Annuity Payouts Administrative Processor. My job requires accuracy, organization, attention to detail, communication, and helping people navigate information that can sometimes be complicated.

Those same skills carry over into the things I enjoy doing in the car hobby. Whether I am working on convention registrations, putting together an E-News Blast, organizing information, helping with an event, or working on the podcast, I enjoy taking a lot of moving parts and bringing them together.

Another important goal of mine is helping attract younger generations of enthusiasts. The way people discover cars today is different, and I believe social media, podcasts, videos, and local events can help introduce new people to the Pontiac hobby. I want younger enthusiasts to feel welcome and understand that they do not have to know everything before getting involved.

Every generation finds its own way to contribute.

My own contribution looks different than my dad’s. For me, it is about communication, storytelling, organization, promotion, events, and connecting people.

My involvement in the Pontiac community also led me to the Pontiac-Oakland Club International. I joined POCI in September 2025, and in September 2026, I became the POCI Convention Registration Manager.

That role is a natural fit for me because it combines organization, communication, events, and helping people. I enjoy the behind-the-scenes work involved in making a convention come together to create a registration experience that is smooth and welcoming.

When I look back, so much of what I enjoy today stems from growing up around my dad’s shop, traveling to shows and races, attending conventions, and listening to people tell stories about their cars.

At the time, I thought I was simply growing up around cars. Today, I realize I was growing up around a community.

I am grateful that I now have the opportunity to contribute to that community in my own way. I want to keep meeting people, hearing their stories, supporting events, helping organizations grow, and finding new ways to keep the Pontiac hobby moving forward.

Most importantly, I want to ensure there are future generations ready to carry the passion forward. For me, it has never been only about the cars—it is about the people, friendships, stories, laughter, road trips, and memories that come with them.

And after all these years, one thing still has not changed:

If there is a Pontiac nearby, chances are I am going to notice it, walk over, and probably end up talking to whoever owns it.

Eric Freese 812.212.8049 freese1290@gmail.com