Pub 6 2021 Issue 1

12 A Tribute to Cheri Fleming C heri Fleming and her husband, Don, had the entrepreneurial spirit. Cheri grew up in Parma Heights, Ohio, and moved to Southern California’s Santa Clarita Valley after graduating from Ohio University. She decided to create a tanning salon. She met Don, a tanning salon equipment supplier who lived in Austin, Texas, at that time, during a trip to Texas to buy equipment. He helped her open her salon in upscale Woodland Hills. With advice and help from Don (whose visits from Texas became increasingly more frequent), the salon was an immediate success: nearby residents and stars soon became customers. Don moved to California in 1984 with his two children, Brian and Kymba. The two married and settled in the San Fernando Valley. Cheri and Don owned and managed several auto dealerships in the late 1980s and early 1990s. They purchased Valencia Acura in 1997. On a national level, it ranked last in sales and customer satisfaction. They accepted and loved the challenge of turning the dealership around. As “Chal lenges never def ine you. How you react to them and deal with them of ten does.” — Cheri Fleming