Pub 6 2021 Issue 1

17 Spring 2021 “I worked with Cheri Fleming for years. She was a big supporter of our association. She and her husband, Don, turned around a Valencia automobile dealership, and she went on to become an active civic leader and philanthropist who won numerous awards and honors. She was a doer. She served on our board for years and made such a positive impact in our industry. One of my favorite memories of Cheri involves our automotive technician program. The program offers certificate and degree pathways that range from one semester to two years in length, allowing students to get into the workforce quickly by providing in-depth training with extensive hands-on experiences in all nine ASE certification programs and the State of California Smog Tech Training. Cheri and Don were instrumental in raising funding for the program. However, one year, her dealership sponsored a team of technicians, and she was so involved. She wanted her team to win, and she was their biggest cheerleader. It was touching to see her so engaged with the students. If you asked for help from Cheri, you got it. She did what she said she would do and then some. Don and Cheri were named honorees of the J.D. Power 2019 Dealer of Excellence Program, which recognizes a select number of vehicle dealerships for exceptional customer service. Cheri was also recognized by the American International Automobile Dealers Association as a Dealer of the Year. You know there has been a lot of focus on selling to women and making our women customers feel comfortable with buying a car. Cheri was ahead of her time in regards to that. She catered to women, and they showed up and bought cars. Her management style was inclusive to all of the dealership’s customers, and their dealerships went from last in sales and CSI to one of the top-performing dealerships in the country, which was and is a big deal. Cheri was a visionary. She made everyone comfortable.” — Bob Smith, Executive Director, GLANCDA