Pub. 1 Issue 1

4 VIRGINIA AUTO DEALER www.virginiadealers.com As a leader within the local auto industry, how did you approach helping dealers face challenges at their dealerships? Again, I didn’t personally step in and save anyone’s day; I like to leave things like that to Don. He’s good at it. But, here’s what I know. We all face challenges every day. 2006 and 2007 were good years, 2008 and 2009 were not. We all make our living in a business that has cycles beyond our control, so recognizing that is key and planning for that is just as important. If you look back at your career and life, what would be three things that you have learned, that you would pass onto a younger member within the auto industry? For me, that’s easy: people, people, people. This is a people business and learning to communicate with, deal with and appreciate people makes the difference. Like I said before, you can’t run a good dealership on your own. You need good people, which takes time and a commitment to training and development. If you commit to developing your staff – they will return the favor. We all learn from each other. Describe your all-time favorite vehicle (it can be one you’ve owned, or something on your wish list). What are you driving today? I like old muscle cars, 60’s and early 70’s. My favorite car is a 1965 Corvette that my dad gave me to drive to high school and then to college. As I look back now, I see it was actu- ally an old worn out 100,000 plus mile used car, but it was my one-of-a-kind, old worn out car. It now has 250,000 miles on it. I put over 100,000 on it during my school years because I knew if I didn’t drive it, my dad would sell it. I’m proud to say that I still own that car, and I enjoy it every time I drive it. Tell us about your family. My wife, Alicia and I were married in 1993, and we have three kids: Ashley, Allison and Michael. Ashley is in college, Allison just graduated high school, andMichael is a proud 8th grade graduate. They keep us busy. What is your favorite way to spend your free time? Any unusual hobbies? I run a small dealership, so I work easily fifty to seventy hours a week. When I am not at work, I spend every moment I can with my family. Losing my dad so early in life really brought home the importance of time, and spending it on what really matters, and for me, my family is what matters most! My favorite car is a 1965 Corvette that my dad gave me to drive to high school and then to college. I’m proud to say that I still own that car, and I enjoy it every time I drive it.