Pub. 1 2019 Issue 2

dealers and very successful in their own right. He grew dealers. Working for Bill was an invaluable experience. Anoth- er person that made a difference in my career — and life — was Terry York. Terry was one of the managers at Bill Jacobs. Terry and Ray Dennison were both mentors and good friends. Both went on to become dealers. The auto industry is a good place to learn from each other. What is the most rewarding part of your career? As a salesman, as a sales manager and as a dealer, this is what I’ve always wanted to do. I like to sell cars. What is the biggest impact of being a CFADA member? What makes it beneficial? I’ve been a member of CFADA since I’ve been a deal- er here in Florida. As dealers, we’re all involved in the communities we live and do business in. Giving back is important, making things better. Our association is very active, we’re supportive of one another, and we get things done. Are you involved in any civic or charitable organizations? I am involved in a lot of civic and charitable organi- zations. I believe in giving back to our communities. I have been chairman of Florida Citrus Sports Associa- tion for many years. I’ve been a director for the Epilep- sy Association of Central Florida, as well as a member of the Eustis Rotary Club. One of the things that I am most proud of is the ten and a half million dollars our association raised for our automotive training center, the Barbara Miller Central Florida Automotive Training Center at Seminole State College. I think we all know that we are facing a terrible shortage of trained auto technicians, and 10 years ago, we decided to do something about it. I think a lot of young people are pushed into going to college when they would be better served to look at a trade instead. We don’t have enough people that can do things with their hands. We need to change that. 22 Issue 2 2019