GETTING TO KNOW AADA OUTGOING CHAIR Jay DOOLEY III In the charming and historic town of De Queen, Arkansas, right off Collin Raye Drive, you will find De Queen Auto Group. It has been at this location since 1985, and the owners, Jay Dooley and his wife, Mary Ellen, have been a constant in their community since day one. As business owners, the couple have had a huge impact on the community — the cars they sell keep things moving, the people they employ help support families and keep the local economy strong, and their compassion for others has blessed many. As dealers, they are strong supporters of AADA and have served in various ways. Jay served as the 2024 AADA Chairman, and as his term has come to an end, we want to thank him for his service and leadership. We recently had the opportunity to sit down with Jay and learn more about his work, his hopes for the association and the benefits of membership. The following are excerpts from our conversation. How did you get into the industry? My wife, Mary Ellen, and I were neighbors growing up. We dated all through high school and then attended Louisiana Tech together. It was during this time that we were married. Mary Ellen’s father started buying dealerships in the 80s. I started working for him, which was great because I always loved cars. An opportunity opened in De Queen, and he bought the Ford Mercury dealership there in 1985. My wife and I moved there to run the dealership. He has since passed away, and now we’re the dealers. The year after we opened for business in De Queen, we were blessed with our first child, Lindsey. We had to learn how to run a business and be parents at the same time. It was not easy, and by the grace of God, we made it. As the years went by, we learned a lot. We were blessed with two sons, Jonathan and Grant, and our business continued to grow. In 1993, we purchased the Chrysler-DodgePlymouth-Jeep-Eagle franchises. Why did you join AADA, and what is the benefit? In 2009, my friend Gary Futrell was the AADA president. One day, he said, “Hey, I want you to join AADA.” I realized that everybody should serve in some capacity, and I thought, “OK, this is my opportunity to give back.” So, I joined AADA and was astonished at the benefits and help that was available. 7 Arkansas Auto Dealer
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