of the group in 2008. She currently chairs the NADA Foundation. “I was honored to serve as chair during the financial crisis,” she said, working tirelessly to navigate the new economic landscape and advocate for the domestic auto industry and dealers before Congress. In her present role at the NADA Foundation, Sykora is charged with addressing the need for skilled workers in the automotive industry and promoting the foundation’s new Workforce Initiative, which is designed to spark interest in service technician careers. And she is trying to accomplish those same goals on a local level through her work with Lubbock ISD’s (Independent School District) Byron Martin Advanced Technology Center; she has been on the advisory committee since 2005. “I have worked side-by-side with administrators and educators to develop and refine automotive curriculum to meet educational and industry standards,” she said. “We have also worked to provide affordable and seamless transitions for students on their journey to higher education.” Sykora also supports the automotive program at South Plains College in Levelland, where she is a foundation board member. “As a company, we have donated several vehicles to the college’s automotive program, significantly improving the age of their internal fleet of vehicles for students and the applicability of their hands-on instruction,” she said. In addition, Sykora is proud to give back to the communities where her dealerships are located. She currently is a contributor to the Weekend Snack Sack program in Slaton, Bill’s Backpacks in Levelland, and Snack Pak 4 Kids in Plainview, all of which fight weekend hunger by supplying food for children when they are not in school. “The most rewarding impact for me is the support we’ve been able to provide for the next generation,” she said. “When you take care of young people, they grow into adults who are capable of great things.” Dealers are nominated by the executives of state and metro dealer associations around the country. The award is sponsored by TIME in association with Ally Financial and in cooperation with NADA. A panel of faculty members from the Tauber Institute for Global Operations at the University of Michigan selected one finalist from each of the four NADA regions and one national Dealer of the Year. Three finalists received $5,000 for their favorite charities, and the winner, Bob Giles of Giles Automotive of Lafayette, Louisiana, received $10,000 to give to charity. In its eleventh year as exclusive sponsor, Ally also celebrated the dealer nominees and their community efforts by contributing $1,000 to each nominee’s 501(c)(3) charity of choice. Nominees have been recognized on AllyDealerHeroes.com, highlighting the philanthropic contributions and achievements of TIME Dealer of the Year winner and nominees. “It’s an incredible honor to recognize these dealers for their business accomplishments and their unwavering commitment to ‘Do It Right’ by helping others in their communities,” said Doug Timmerman, president of Dealer Financial Services at Ally. “They are extraordinary auto leaders who care and go the extra mile to give of themselves to make their communities stronger. Ally is proud to support and celebrate their achievements.” Sykora was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by Darren Whitehurst, president of the Texas Automobile Dealers Association, TADA and Morris Wilkes with the New Car Dealers of West Texas. She and her husband, Patrick, have five children. 31 SPRING 2022
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