Charlie Gilchrist: A Life Behind the Wheel “For of those to whom much is given, much is required …” –John F. Kennedy TADA has a history of excellent and insightful leadership through its 117 years’ history of protecting the rights and interests of its dealer members. The role of Chair, in particular, is one that requires clear vision and a passion for the automobile industry, along with integrity, people skills, and the ability to have the right conversations at the right time, among many other attributes. TADA is privileged and proud to introduce Charlie Gilchrist as the new chairman of our organization. Charlie has over 36 years of experience operating automotive dealerships. His experience with trucks and his passion for strong leadership has led him to owning 14 dealerships across Texas and 4 in Oklahoma, with 750+ employees. We had the opportunity to catch up with Charlie and discuss his very successful career, but also his thoughts about what is important for dealers to focus on now, and his plans for his chairmanship. It doesn’t take long for pieces and parts of JFK’s speech to the Massachusetts legislature to find its way into any insightful conversation with Charlie Gilchrist. To say that these words have been a north star of sorts to Charlie would be very true; they resonate with his core belief that good fortune, while a result of hard work and good decisions, is also an ethical responsibility. Charlie was born in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, but grew up in Irving, Texas. During his high school years, Charlie’s dad, Wil Gilchrist, sold new heavy-duty trucks for Metro Ford in Dallas, Texas, and Charlie spent his high school years transporting heavy-duty trucks to locations around the nation and returning used truck trade-ins back to Dallas. He attended the University of Texas, majoring in accounting. He passed the first three parts of the CPA exam while in college and joined the firm of Coopers and Lybrand, passing the fourth, and last part of the CPA exam the November after graduating. After two years, he decided to move on from accounting because, in his words, “he missed the world of cars and trucks.” His decision to purchase a heavy-duty Freightliner truck and start his company, hauling freight, paved the way to the auto industry – a way that was pretty much solidified when Charlie’s father introduced him to a colleague of his, Ken Nichols. 8 Dealers' Choice
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