Pub. 61 2020-2021 Issue 4

33 SUMMER 2021  ANNETTE SYKORA — CONTINUED ON PAGE 34 large part of the south plains area. Both locations are open today with full operations in Levelland and used car sales and service in Slaton. Pat and Annette still take an active role in the business as owners/operators. To further expand their footprint in the Texas high plains, the family will soon open a new Ford dealership in Plainview. The family atmosphere lives on as three of their five children and one son-in-law have joined the business and are actively involved in operating the dealerships. Daughter Nicole Campbell came to work in the Levelland store upon graduation from Texas Tech University. Today she is the Marketing and Business Development Director for all three dealerships, and her husband, Tell, is the Fixed Operations Director in Levelland. The youngest of the five children, Ryan Sykora, is a student at Texas Tech and works at the Slaton dealership while he finishes his degree. Son Holden Sykora will be the General Sales Manager of the Plainview dealership when it opens in August. When you have been in business in the same area for almost 70 years, franchised dealers like the Smiths and Sikora’s have contributed countless hours and dollars supporting towns and institutions throughout their markets. But beyond that, Annette Sykora decided 22 years ago to become materially active in the leadership of NADA. At the encouragement of her mentor, industry giant Sam Pack, Annette stood for election for the National Automobile Dealers Association’s Board of Directors in 1999. Winning easily, Annette began an extraordinary journey through the chain of command at NADA that continues today. Her leadership was recognized at the national level with several key committee appointments, including the esteemed NADA Executive Committee, which eventually led to the NADA Board electing Annette to the chairmanship in 2008. In that position, Annette traveled the world representing 18,000 franchised new vehicle dealers throughout the country. Among her many stops along the way, Annette presented a significant check to New Orleans Saints’ quarterback and fellow Texan, Drew Brees, on behalf of NADA for Hurricane Katrina relief. She shared the NADA stage with two U.S. presidents and addressed the NADA memberships on numerous occasions, reporting on the affairs of NADA and the industry. Most significantly, Annette Sykora has been the only chairman of NADA to be front and center representing all franchised dealers in the bankruptcy hearings of the House Financial Services Committee. Her efforts and those of others eventually resulted in a federal bailout that preserved thousands of jobs and saved the automobile industry in this country. The government