That’s something I want people to better understand. A franchise dealership is not just a place where you buy a car. It is a local employer, taxpayer and community partner. As you prepare to serve as GADA Chair, what are your priorities? GADA is already a very strong organization. The staff stays on top of what is happening, and that’s important because things in this industry can change every week or every day. We also have a strong reputation at the Capitol. People know the organization; they know what we stand for, and they know they can trust what we say. My goal is to help keep us moving along that path while also doing more to communicate the importance of dealerships to the public. I would really like to see some type of campaign that helps people understand exactly how important dealerships are to their communities. I just don’t think enough people realize the impact dealers have. You also want to encourage greater dealer involvement. Why is that important? I would like to get more dealers involved. Like a lot of organizations, you tend to see the same people participating. But we have hundreds of dealers across Georgia, and everybody benefits from the work the association is doing. The more involved you are, the more you understand what GADA is doing for dealers. You understand the issues. You know what is happening legislatively. You learn about the programs and services available to you. Most importantly, the more people who participate, the stronger the organization becomes. Community involvement has clearly been important throughout your career. Why? We’ve always been very community-minded. I served as chair of the Red Cross in Augusta years ago and helped start a fundraiser that continued for years afterward. For 19 years, Gerald Jones Auto Group has co-organized and funded Thunder Over Evans, the area’s free public celebration honoring our nation’s armed forces. Our long-standing commitment to the community also includes more than 10 years of supporting the Children’s Hospital of Georgia through an annual 5K benefiting the hospital. Looking toward the future of our community, Gerald Jones Auto Group committed $250,000 to Augusta Technical College to help create essential career pathways and develop the skilled workforce needed to support the region’s growing automotive industry. Our community’s trust is reflected in 13 consecutive Best in Columbia County wins from Columbia County Magazine and being voted Augusta’s Best Place to Buy a New Car for five consecutive years through Cyber City’s Best. Those kinds of things matter. Community commitment means more than doing business here — it means investing in the people, organizations and opportunities that help our community thrive. Tell us a little about your family. I’ve been married for 46 years. We have two children, Crystal and William, and four grandchildren. Two of our grandchildren are now in college — one at Georgia College & State University and another at Georgia Southern. We’re very fortunate. Family has always been a big part of my life, and we love having the grandkids around. What do you enjoy doing when you aren’t working or serving the industry? I play a lot of golf, and I’ve always loved aviation and flying. I’ve owned airplanes since 1988 and used to fly just about everywhere I went. I’ve had three planes over the years. 15 THE GENERATOR
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