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Women in Automotive Roundtable

Park Place Corporate recently hosted a Women in Automotive roundtable with more than 100 Members, including women from every dealership, as well as several GMs, and Tony Carimi, Park Place managing director.

Women in Automotive panelists included Porsche Dallas Service Director

Jenny Drummond, who has spent more than 20 years at Park Place; Lexus Plano F&I Director Shiva Olumi, who started as a receptionist at Park Place 21 years ago; Park Place Assistant Controller Jody Monroe, who started 21 years ago as AP/AR Clerk for Motorcars Dallas; and Asbury Automotive Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Dr. Wendy Reynolds-Dobbs. Carolyn Alvey, Vice President at Aardvark Communications, served as moderator. 

Panelists were asked how they “inspire within.” They encouraged attendees to reach out to other Members in their department to demonstrate how their skills can support the entire group. 

When the panelists were asked how they could earn the respect of their male counterparts, there was a common response: “Do your job and do it well. If you don’t know something, admit it and find the answer. People want to help if you acknowledge you need help.” As a final word about women in automotive, special guest Asbury Automotive Group Board of Directors member Maureen Morrison flew in from Atlanta. Ms. Morrison is a former partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers, where she began her career in 1976, and became a partner in 1987. She spoke on her career in finance and why she wanted to serve on the Asbury Board of Directors. “Asbury is committed to making more opportunities for women. We have women leading in Parts and Service departments as well as female General Managers.”

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Go for the long haul– Gene Ellison

Gene Ellison always had a thing for Mercedes-Benz cars. 

“While I’m a native Texan, my family moved to Southern California in the late ‘60s where Mercedes were very popular. I would see them on the streets all the time. They were different and sophisticated.”

In the early ‘70s Gene moved to the Rio Grande Valley where his parents bought a farm. “Out of necessity I had to learn how to work on our equipment. I learned a little about diesel engines and got pretty good with them. The saving grace for a young car enthusiast like me was a MB dealership in San Benito. When my girlfriend (and future wife) and I went on dates, I would talk her into stopping by the dealership to check out the cars.”

In 1975, Gene got a job as a mechanic at that dealership, where he was trained by the owner, a Swiss man who had apprenticed at the Mercedes-Benz factory in Stuttgart. “I took to the work quickly and was sent to a number of technical schools. I enjoyed working on what we now call “classic” Mercedes from the ‘50s and ‘60s. We worked in an open-air shop in the sub-tropics, and every time I went to the parts counter, the window would slide open and cool air would flow out. So, in 1977 when a parts position opened up, I jumped at the chance to move inside. A short time later, the parts manager quit, and I got my first job as parts manager.”

In 1990, Gene joined Park Place. “I’ve been privileged to help grow the business and enjoyed meeting the challenges that were part of that growth. Today’s challenges include material shortages in the supply chain. We’ve managed this challenge by aggressively purchasing in advance of demand whenever possible.”

Gene’s advice to someone just starting out: “Sign on, dig in, learn everything about the business you can, think of the client first, and go for the long haul.” Away from work, Gene loves photography and the outdoors. He also has a collection of antique bottles that he started as a kid

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Women In Automotive– Inspire Within

Earlier this month we had the pleasure to host over 100+ members at our corporate offices in Las Colinas for a very informative speaker and panel discussion powered by Park Place Women in Automotive. The theme of the event was Inspire Within, and the purpose of the event was to foster communication, inspiration, and motivation for women within the automotive industry.

We learned from four incredibly tenured women on how they navigate their careers in an industry that is traditionally male-dominated along with meshing your two worlds- personal and professional. 

Our attendees also had the honor to listen to Maureen Morrison who has served as a member of the Asbury Automotive Board since January 2019. Ms. Morrison currently serves as a director and Chair of the Audit Committee, and member of both the Nominating & Corporate Governance Committee and Compensation Committee of Safeguard Scientifics, Inc.

Three of our panelists were women who have been with Park Place Dealerships for 21+ years and one recently hired female who just joined the Asbury Automotive company as the Vice President and Chief Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Officer.

Panelist bios follow below:

  • Jenny Drummond is the Service Director for Park Place Porsche Dallas. She has enjoyed the last 21 years advancing from Assistant Service Manager to Service Manager to now Service Director, overseeing one of the largest Porsche Service centers in the United States.
  • Shiva Olumi is the Finance and Insurance Director for Park Place Lexus Plano. Over the last 21 years, she has had several job roles starting from receptionist to becoming a director.
  • Jody Monroe is the Assistant Controller at Park Place Dealerships. Her journey with Park Place started from 21 years ago as the Accounts Payable Accounts Receivable (APAR) Clerk for Park Place Mercedes Dallas.
  • Wendy Reynolds is the Vice President and Chief DEI Officer for Asbury Automotive. Wendy worked for 15 years as Vice President and Chief DEI Officer at Unisys, where she led business-aligned strategic initiatives in DEI, Environmental, Social and Governance (“ESG”), organization effectiveness, talent management, employee engagement, workforce planning, and analysis, and leadership/executive development.

With women making up less than 18% of the workforce in this industry, Park Place is dedicated to recruiting and retaining more women who can have incredible careers in the automotive industry while working with a team that is dedicated to their success.

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Celebrating 35 Years of Excellence

Park Place Dealerships’ 35th Anniversary Celebration at Texas Live was filled with joy and laughter, and even a few tears as we paid tribute to Motorcars Dallas GM Robert Morris’ 31 years of service. But first and foremost, it was a time to celebrate 35 years and our outstanding members.

We took this opportunity to give back to the community through our partnership with Children’s Health which included a $10,000 donation. The generosity of our members also filled an extended-length Sprinter van with more than 1,000 backpacks and toys! This incredible contribution made an impact on Volvo SEM Kurt Rongey, who shared with Tony Carimi what this meant to him. 

“Park Place’s decision to collect toys for Children’s was very meaningful to me. When my nine-year-old daughter Julianne was in the hospital after her brain cancer diagnosis a little over a year ago, one of the bright points was when a social worker offered her a choice of toys that a generous person had donated. Julianne chose a LEGO set. In November of 2021, Julianne passed away. But that toy donated anonymously was a bright spot at a difficult time that gave my girl some joy and pride. We still display that LEGO set in our home. I was overwhelmed to see all the toys Park Place members had given. A whole van full! Believe me, they will bring a lot of happiness to some sweet kids who need something to smile about. I loved the opportunity to bring a LEGO set to donate in honor of my daughter.”

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The Power of a Lego

This past week, Park Place brought all of our team members together, with their guests, to celebrate our 35th anniversary.  Aligned with our core belief of Expressing Care and living with a genuine spirit of service, our team members chose to use the evening to align with Children’s Health, the leading pediatric health care system in North Texas by bringing toys and making donations to “Cape Day,” a fundraiser for patient and support services, research, and new equipment.

Our Park Place Family showed up in a big way.  Not only did they completely fill an extended-length Sprinter with toys and backpacks, but our members opened their hearts to show how much Park Place cares for others and our communities.

After the event, Tony Carimi, Park Place Dealerships Managing Director, received the note below from a member of our team, sharing the impact of how a single toy affects lives and creates real experiences.  Individually, we’re strong.  Together, we’re unstoppable.

I wanted to say that Park Place’s decision to collect toys for Children’s was very meaningful to me. 

When my 9-year-old daughter Julianne was in the hospital after her brain cancer diagnosis a little over a year ago, one of the bright points was when a social worker offered her a choice of toys that a generous person had donated. Julianne chose a Lego set that she began but had to abandon when her motor control deteriorated because of the tumor. Later, after radiation treatments, we were able to continue and finish the set. 

In November of 2021, Julianne passed away. But that toy donated anonymously was a bright spot at a difficult time that gave my girl some joy and pride. We still display that Lego set in our home.

I was overwhelmed to see all of the toys Park Place members had given at the 35th Anniversary party for kids at Children’s Health. A whole van full! Believe me, they will cause a lot of happiness for some sweet kids who need something to smile about. I loved the opportunity to bring a Lego set to donate in honor of my daughter.

Kurt Rongey
Sales Experience Manager, Park Place Volvo

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Extra Girly Service Technician– Citlali Reyes

Citlali Reyes, 23, has been a technician at Park Place Motorcars Arlington for four years. But if you were to see her outside of the dealership, you would never guess her profession.

“I’m extra girly,” she proclaims. “I’ve always loved working on cars. I find it amusing how I love makeup, nails, heels, and all the typical girly things so much. On the same note though, I’m a high flagging, efficient technician that has committed the hours, blood, sweat, and tears to get where I am currently.”

Citlali was born in Denver but moved to Texas with her parents in 2012 and graduated from Irving’s MacArthur High School before finishing at UTI Dallas in 2018.

“My first impression when I came to Park Place was how luxurious the entire dealership is in all departments, from sales and service to parts, the client waiting area, and our shop.”

When not at work, Citlali manages a small apparel business and is co-owner of a small business in the custom truck scene. She’s also currently in the process of becoming a licensed nail technician.

When asked what advice she would give someone just starting out, she responded, “Advancement is simple. Just keep your long-term goal in clear sight and make small steps towards the big picture.”

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Lexus Plano Service Director: Rod Moreno – Woodworking Expert

Rod Moreno, Service Director at Lexus Plano, has been with Park Place for 22 years. He started as a Sales Assistant/Porter at Lexus Grapevine.

“It was the most luxurious dealership I’d ever seen,” he said. “I was an ASM at Lexus Grapevine when they told us we would be applying for the Malcolm Baldrige award. I had never heard of the award. It didn’t really hit home until we spent months and months preparing and executing our processes. Then we won, and all the hard work paid off.”

In addition to being an expert in the service department, Rod is also a very talented woodworker.

“I love woodworking!” he explained. “I converted my two-car garage into a shop. I’ve always had an interest dating back to middle school woodworking class. I enjoy building any project that my wife and daughters will love… dollhouses, play kitchens, barn doors, nightstands, etc.”

Born and raised in Fort Worth, he graduated from Southwest High School in 1996 and attended two years of college while working at a Fort Worth Lexus dealership.

“I live in Trophy Club with my wife Reagan and our three daughters Sylvie (11), Natalie (8), and Dylan (5). I am an only child. My mom said I was too bad for her to have more.”

When asked what advice he would give to someone just starting at Park Place, he answered, “Patience. Have patience when you are trying to grow in a company. Make yourself the obvious choice when the opportunity presents itself.”

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Dan Le, The Unexpected IT Expert

You could say Dan Le’s path to becoming an IT Tier III Engineer for Park Place Dealerships was a long and winding road. It started in 1975 when he was only 9 years old and he immigrated to the U.S. from Vietnam. Dan is quick to thank all the Vietnam veterans who helped his family relocate.

After graduating from Carrollton’s R. L. Turner High School in 1984, he went straight to Universal Technical Institute (UTI) in Houston. Afterward, he was hired as a service technician at a Mercedes-Benz dealership on Oak Lawn in Dallas that would become Park Place’s first dealership.

“At 19 and working for a well-known Mercedes-Benz dealership was a dream came true,” said Dan. “I worked as a technician for two years, then became a service dispatcher, where I helped with a variety of functions related to IT support, including phone system administrator and installation, tech payroll, and ADP program setup. During this time, the company had yet to integrate computers or even email into its processes.”

“ADP installed a hand-full of green screens throughout the dealership to improve car flow,” he explained. “It was hard for some people to trust the automated features of managing car flow. But it was easy for me to understand so I helped train others. During this period, we had several ADP systems upgrades. I became Park Place’s local ADP support.”

As technology was rapidly progressing, Le was able to demonstrate how the technology could have a positive impact throughout the organization.

“Within 10 years, ADP installed our first Cisco network infrastructure. Shortly after, Mercedes-Benz asked Park Place to be one of their test dealerships to implement the new NetStar Mercedes-Benz system. I worked alongside Mercedes’ NetStar team on a full-blown WAN network infrastructure between all our dealerships. Porsche deployed their own system and I got involved. Soon after, Lexus deployed their Dealer Daily system. Basically, every brand we have represented, I helped introduce their system into our dealerships and have worked in IT at Park Place ever since.”

Dan and his wife of 28 years live in Highland Village. Their daughter Liz lives in Vista, California and their son Nathen is a senior at Texas A&M.

Dan’s advice to someone just starting out? “Treat everyone with kindness and respect. Believe in yourself and work hard, even when no one is looking.”

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The New Range Rover

“We’re honored to share the exciting “New Range Rover” with our valued clients,” said Jason Feuerberg, new car sales director. “As the original luxury SUV, Range Rover has led by example for over 50 years. This latest evolution raises the bar in every way, bringing refinement, comfort, and capability to new heights.”

The New Range Rover arrives in showrooms this spring. The fifth-generation luxury SUV takes the Land Rover brand’s modernist design philosophy to the next level, with a contemporary interpretation of its trademark profile to create an incredible design statement.

The new 2022 Range Rover is available in SE and Autobiography models. A First Edition model will be available throughout the first year of production, based on the Autobiography and featuring a unique specification. It is exclusively available in a Sunset Gold Satin finish, among a choice of five exterior colors. Both Standard (SWB) or Long Wheelbase (LWB) body designs are available with five seats, while the New Range Rover LWB model is available with a third row for extended comfort for up to seven adults.

Available for order in early 2022, the new Range Rover SV is an exquisite interpretation of Range Rover luxury and personalization from the experts at Special Vehicle Operations. Available in both SWB and LWB body designs, with exclusive design details, material choices, and enhanced functionality, this hand-crafted model will be the first Land Rover vehicle to carry the new ceramic SV roundel and simplified naming strategy – known simply as SV. The SV roundel represents the distillation of Special Vehicle Operations design and engineering passion for modern luxury, performance, and capability. This is also the first time the LWB model is offered in a five-seat configuration on SV models.

A new extended-range plug-in hybrid (PHEV) model will also be available for order in early 2022. The new 434hp powertrain provides up to 62 miles of near-silent pure-electric driving. The clever packaging of the battery, beneath the vehicle, and within the wheelbase, ensures both luggage space and all-terrain capability are uncompromised. The use of advanced eHorizon navigation data also allows the hybrid system to optimize energy usage across a journey, to provide a peaceful arrival at a destination on electric power, while also optimizing EV usage.

A suite of innovative technologies contributes to the peerless comfort and refinement of the New Range Rover. New third-generation Active Noise Cancellation technology delivers one of the quietest cabins on the road. It builds on the hushed and sealed body architecture by using microphones on the outside of the vehicle and headrest speakers on the inside to create personal quiet zones for the cabin occupants – much like high-end active noise-canceling headphones.

The New Range Rover offers intuitive voice control with Amazon Alexa built-in in certain markets. Using natural voice commands enables customers to manage everything from favorite infotainment features and music track selection to navigation or phone contacts – all while keeping their hands on the wheel and their eyes on the road.

The Land Rover brand’s award-winning Pivi Pro infotainment technology is elevated by the New Range Rover with its largest-ever touchscreen. The 13.1-inch curved, floating screen embodies the architectural lightness of the interior with a minimalist frame design. It provides intuitive control of all the major vehicle functions, using the latest consumer technology to deliver a smartphone-inspired interface, haptic feedback when customers touch and press the screen, allied to convenient hard switches for climate control.

Every New Range Rover features All-Wheel Steering for an effortless drive with heightened stability at speed and improved maneuverability at low speeds, making it equally at home on the open road and negotiating tight city streets.

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Grace Holds 4th Annual Poker Tournament at Park Place Jaguar Land Rover

“We are so proud to partner with Park Place and the Wright family, “said Shonda Schaefer, GRACE CEO. “Their support for GRACE and the community is what allows us to put on amazing events such as the Poker Tournament.”

Roy Choi, CEO of Champions Club with Johnny Campanello during the Fabulous Poker Tournament benefiting GRACE at Park Place Land Rover/Jaguar in Grapevine, Texas, Saturday Feb. 5, 2022. (Michael Ainsworth)

More than 30 players joined the poker tables along with their “lucky charms.” The tournament lasted more than three hours with back-and-forth action between the competitors, until Scott Coolbaugh was crowned the champion, winning a trip to Las Vegas, including a 3 day/2 night stay at the luxurious Cosmopolitan Hotel Courtesy of Shannon O’Brien – the Travel Purveyor, and a bottle of Columbia Valley Magnum Pedestal. Runner up, Paul Bischler, won a bottle of Tequila Clase Azul Reposado. Roy Choi came in third place and won a 15-year-old Macallan single Malt Scotch whiskey.

Scratch Kitchen & Fine Foods provided hors d’oeuvres and delicious tacos while Classic Wine and Storage supplied extraordinary wines for the evening.

“We’ve supported GRACE for many years,” said Kara Connor, Park Place Experiential Marketing Manager. “In addition to the recent Poker fundraiser, we will host the organization’s Christmas Cottage Kick-Off and Toy Drive at Park Place Lexus Grapevine in November. We’re proud to support the great work they do in our community. Park Place members often volunteer to help GRACE’s programs, such as the Feed Our Kids summer program.”

during the Fabulous Poker Tournament benefiting GRACE at Park Place Land Rover/Jaguar in Grapevine, Texas, Saturday Feb. 5, 2022. (Michael Ainsworth)

GRACE was organized in 1987 as a response to the growing need for emergency assistance services in far northeast Tarrant County. Local churches responded to community needs with a plan for distributing available resources through Grapevine’s Ministerial Alliance. Today, GRACE continues to be a centralized, coordinated effort of churches, businesses, and individuals donating food, clothing, monetary donations, and even professional services to Grapevine, Colleyville, and Southlake residents, as well as homeless and transient families in need. Programs have grown to include low-cost medical services, transitional housing, and general emergency assistance (food, clothes, furniture, financial assistance, information, and referrals). More information is available at gracegrapevine.com.