Pub. 2 2020-2021 Issue 1

15 As dealers , we have a lot coming at us, but I would say that working within the political landscape is one of the most challenging aspects of our industry and one of the best reasons for CNCDA membership. There have been years of growth between now and that first generation. I’ve seen a lot of it firsthand. Running a business is a daunting responsibility. Gramps and Dad worked through some very difficult economic times. Do you have family members in the auto industry? For many years, I worked with my brother Pete and broth- er-in-law Tim, but now my brother Jerry runs the Chevrolet and Kia dealerships. Two of my sons, Matt and Kevin, and my nephew, Kyle, also work for the dealerships. Describe your education background. What did you study? I attended St. Mary’s College and earned degrees in both Business Administration and Economics. I was active in sports. In some ways I am unique: I have never met any- one else who participated on a varsity level in both rugby and crew (rowing). Are there any specific individuals who had a major impact on your career? Well, first, my dad. He operated the dealership by the “golden rule” in everything he did, which carried over to customers, employees, vendors and factory personnel. It’s not an easy formula for success, but it is simple; treat oth- ers as you would like to be treated. My dad instilled that in me since I was small and all through my formative years. Kevin McAree was our GM for many, many years and just recently passed away. From Kevin, I learned the importance of hard work. There’s a saying about how the harder a person works, the luckier he gets, and I think there’s a lot of truth to that. Kevin also taught me to strive to get better constantly. Develop more skills. Never miss an opportunity to learn something — and this goes way beyond business. I think it is a life-long responsibility. When you think you know everything, you’ll have some lessons coming at you — that never fails! What is the most rewarding part of your career? I enjoy seeing people grow. We don’t micromanage. We have expectations, certainly, but we let our managers do their jobs, learn from their mistakes, and develop their talents and personalities over time. We encourage them to grow their personnel. It’s very rewarding. We try to pro- mote from within whenever we can. We’re big on growing our management team. What do you think will be some of the dominant trends within the auto industry in the next 5-10 years? I think when an industry has as many potential disruptors as ours does at the moment, it signals change and lots of it. I think everyone can agree with that. How it will all shake out, on the other hand, is that big unknown. I think there are technology trends that we will see come to fruition. It’s inevitable. But with change, there are also lots of opportu- nities. I am confident that as dealers, we can find a way to be successful. We are used to adapting as an industry. What is the biggest impact of being a CNCDA member? What makes it beneficial? As dealers, we have a lot coming at us, but I would say that working within the political landscape is one of the