10 KENTUCKY AUTO DEALER GETTING TO KNOW KADA INCOMING CHAIRWOMAN, NANCY SPARKS Nancy Sparks is the incoming KADA Chairwoman. KADA recently interviewed Nancy so our members could learn more about her as she begins her work in her new position. Tell us about your professional background. Did you always aspire to be part of the automotive industry? I did not actually. It started with my late husband, Pat DeCastro. He wanted to be a dentist, but he sold cars to work through college and kept moving up. Ford promised him a point after he started troubleshooting for them. The point came up in Cincinnati, but he expanded into northern Kentucky, and his group of dealerships became the Kerry Automotive Group. Kerry is a family name. All this happened before I was even in the picture. Once we got married, we started a family right away, and I became a stay-athome mom with two children; a daughter and a son. I was the quintessential soccer mom attending PTA meetings. Sadly, Pat passed away suddenly on Christmas Eve in 2013 after a surgical procedure. I was 58 at the time, and the children were in their mid-to-late thirties. Kerry Automotive Group had 450 employees and five general managers who all promised to help me if I took on Pat’s job. Describe your educational background. What did you study? I wanted to be a primary education teacher at an elementary school. My college years definitely benefited me at the dealership, and so did the skills and leadership experiences I gained while my children were growing up. I really learned how to deal with people. Are there any specific individuals who had a major impact on your career? Pat surrounded himself with talented, loyal and dedicated people. They guided and educated me, and they are still with me now. They are my right-hand people. My attorney, Bruce Krone, is one of them. He was the business attorney and our family estate attorney, too. He has been the most loyal, dedicated partner and friend I could ever ask for. What is the most rewarding part of your career? Manufacturers knew I had to run the enormous stores I inherited, and they were leery because I had no experience in the business. But I have successfully handled all the obstacles and challenges to become the dealer principal in all 11 franchises, and I am now the CEO. Also, I am deeply proud of retaining all of our quality employees. We really haven’t lost anyone. What do you think will be some of the auto industry’s dominant trends in the next 5-10 years? It’s definitely the transformation to EV and how the industry will handle these challenges. But EV alone is not the answer to our energy and transportation problems. Switching to EV will mean solving problems with the power grid, charging stations, materials, and battery supplies. I think we are headed toward a combination of three
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