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3rd Annual Season of Giving Kicks off October 5th for North Texas Non-Profits Vying for up to $1000,000

Park Place Dealerships Opens Applications on October 5 and Invites City Charities to Apply

For the third year in a row, Park Place Dealerships is giving away a total of $100,000 to deserving non-profits who are serving the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area in its Season of Giving campaign. Charities can apply at ParkPlaceCares.com beginning October 5 through October 30. Recipients will be announced the week of November 13, 2023.

“Through Season of Giving, we provide grants to local organizations that align with our four pillars of giving,” said Tony Carimi, managing director of Park Place Dealerships. “In addition to providing funding, our Members at Park Place are actively engaged in volunteering throughout the year. It’s wonderful to see the bigger impact made in our community because of the ingenuity of our team to help in many different ways.”  

Non-profit organizations must fit the following criteria:

  • Organization must be a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
  • The charity must support one of Park Place Cares’ Pillars of Giving, which include: Education; Medical Research; Children’s Advocacy; or the Arts.
  • The charity must serve in at least one of the following counties: Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, Denton, Ellis, Rockwall, Kaufman, Hunt, Wise or Johnson.
  • The charity cannot already have received donations or in-kind support from Park Place in 2023.
  • Charities must apply by midnight October 30, 2023.

Under Park Place Dealerships’ philanthropic arm of Park Place Cares, Season of Giving offers local non-profits the opportunity to apply for a one-time, end of year grant. More than 406 charities applied in 2022 with 23 receiving a grant ranging from $2,500 to $10,000.

“There are so many deserving charities in our community, and we want to give as many organizations as possible the opportunity to be considered for a Season of Giving grant,” said Kara Connor, Park Place Dealership’s Experiential Marketing Manager. “In the past two years, we have learned about hundreds of organizations that serve North Texas in meaningful ways and while we can’t give grants to each one, we have found other ways to support the non-profits.”

Park Place Members learned about For Oak Cliff through the Season of Giving application process. Members have collected school supplies several times for the nonprofit and regularly volunteer with the organization.

Park Place Members also put together hundreds of hygiene kits for young men attending Title 1 schools in need of basic items such as deodorant, toothbrushes, and socks for the 2022 Season of Giving recipient, Just Because.

In 2022, the Black Heart Association received a $5,000 grant to provide heart health education and screenings through its Mobile Heart Health Unit to patients who are primarily uninsured. Upon learning the organization also had maintenance needs for its mobile unit, Park Place provided experienced technicians to assist with keeping the mobile unit on the road serving the community.

Park Place Dealerships was founded in 1987 and has been engaged in the community through its support of the arts, medical research, children’s advocacy, and education. Park Place employs more than 1,400 members and operates eight full-service dealerships representing luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Acura, and Land Rover. Park Place Bodywerks Collision Centers in Fort Worth and Dallas, and the Park Place Auto Auction, round out the company’s offerings. Park Place was acquired in 2020 by Asbury Automotive Group, Inc., a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Duluth, GA. For more information, visit parkplace.com.

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11-Year-old North Texas Girl Wins “Rev Up Your Creativity” Coloring Contest

Park Place Dealerships and Children’s Health Teams Up with Children’s Health in Support of its Pediatric Patients

Park Place Dealerships and Children’s Health kicked off the “Rev Up Your Creativity” coloring contest in July to bring joy to Children’s Medical Center Dallas and Children’s Medical Center Plano patients. 


During “Automotive Week” at Children’s Health, kids of all ages colored their favorite car from the Park Place coloring book or drew a creation of their own to color. After all the entries were received, the community and Park Place Members (employees) voted online for their favorite entry with 11-year-old Abby emerging as the winner. 

Abby said she chose the ice cream design for her artwork “Sprinkles” because, “it was really hot outside.”

On September 13, Abby’s artwork was installed in the Children’s Play Area at all nine Park Place dealerships across Dallas-Fort Worth. A ceremony was held at Park Place Lexus Plano honoring the young artist. She was also featured on Park Place Dealerships’ social media channels. She received a goodie bag of special prizes including arts and crafts supplies, a Squishmallow with sprinkles plush toy, four tickets to the Dallas Museum of Art, plus a special Park Place experience as her health and schedule allows. Her family will receive a complimentary detail of their car. 

“We’ve partnered with Children’s Health for more than 20 years,” said Kara Connor, Experiential Marketing Manager at Park Place. “We really enjoyed seeing the kids express themselves through their artwork. We hope it brought them as much joy creating it as it did for us!”

In July, more than 20 Park Place Members visited Children’s Medical Center Dallas, the flagship hospital of Children’s Health, to hand out Park Place coloring books featuring luxury vehicles. They also had the opportunity to meet some of the care team and patients. Park Place members also visited the Ryan Seacrest Studios and participated in activities that aired on Children’s Health Red Balloon Network, which was broadcast to patients in their rooms. 

Park Place Dealerships donated $15,000 to Children’s in conjunction with the “Rev Up Your Creativity” campaign. 

“The Rev Up Creativity patient artwork contest has been an amazing experience for our patient families across our health system,” said Paulette Mulry, vice president of development at Children’s Medical Center Foundation. “We are extremely grateful to Park Place Dealerships for their long standing support of Children’s Health and joining our mission to make life better for children.” 

About Park Place Dealerships

Park Place Dealerships was founded in 1987 and has been engaged in the community through its support of the arts, medical research, children’s advocacy, and education. Park Place employs more than 1,400 members and operates nine full-service dealerships representing luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Land Rover, Acura, and Sprinter Vans. Park Place BodyWerks Collision Centers in Fort Worth, Dallas, and Plano and the Park Place Auto Auction, round out the company’s offerings. Park Place was acquired in 2020 by Asbury Automotive Group, Inc., a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Duluth, GA. For more information, visit parkplace.com. 

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Porsche Marks 75 Years with Celebration

Cattle Baron’s Ball Kicks off Raffle Ticket Sales at Porsche Dallas

On June 10th Park Place Porsche Dallas celebrated Porsche’s 75th anniversary with the full spectrum of color and a symphony for the senses. Porsche Club North America – Maverick Region members brought out a vast array of eye candy with gleaming examples of Porsche’s history, from 1950s models such as a Porsche 356 to modern sports cars that are just at home on the street as on the track.

“It was wonderful to celebrate the heritage of Porsche with so many enthusiasts at Park Place,” said Tony Carimi, Park Place Dealerships Managing Director. “Porsche is an iconic brand that was inspired by one man’s dream to create the ultimate sports car. For 75 years, Porsche has combined tradition and innovation to bring fascinating designs and trailblazing technology to life. I imagine Ferry Porsche would have loved the sea of spectacular Porsches in a rainbow of colors and styles and listening to guests recounting stories about their shared passion.”

The celebration attracted nearly 500 enthusiasts who honored the legacy of Porsche and supported the local community.

“It was great to see so many of our friends gather to help us celebrate our love for everything Porsche,” said Patrick Huston, Porsche Dallas General Manager. “It also served as an opportunity to give back to our community by supporting the Cattle Baron’s Ball in their efforts to fight cancer. Committee members sold raffle tickets for prizes that included a choice of a luxury vehicle from Park Place Dealerships valued at $60,000.”

The 50th Annual Cattle Baron’s Ball will be held October 14th at Southfork Ranch featuring Country Music star Shania Twain. Since 1974, Cattle Baron’s Ball has raised more than $93 million for cancer research. It is the world’s largest single-night fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. More information on the exciting event, including details on how to purchase raffle tickets, is available at cattlebaronsball.com.

The artist Hatziel Flores created a live painting of a Porsche 911 in a full spectrum of color. At the end of the day the painting was auctioned off to benefit the American Cancer Society. Congratulations to Justin M. Ramirez, MD, for being the high bidder.

During the 75th anniversary celebration of Porsche, guests enjoyed tasty bites from the Original ChopShop and delicious quesadillas and tater tots by the Cheddr Wheel Food Truck. Frios gourmet popsicles in a variety of flavors were a very popular and tantalyzing treat. Lakewood Brewing supplied refreshing craft beers while guests enjoyed specialty cocktails from Herradura and Woodford Reserve. Inside, people relaxed in the deBoulle Lounge, while others watched the Le Mans race in a special viewing area.

A popular and fun attraction throughout the event was “Lip Readings.” Guests would apply fresh lipstick, then press their lips against a white card and a Lipsologist would analyze the lines of and the shape of the lip prints to reveal character traits. 

Porsche 75th Anniversary Celebration at Park Place Porsche on Saturday, June 10, 2023.

Park Place Dealerships was founded in 1987 and has been engaged in the community through its support of the arts, medical research, children’s advocacy, and education. Park Place employs more than 1,400 members and operates nine full-service dealerships representing luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Acura, and Sprinter Vans. Park Place BodyWerks Collision Centers in Fort Worth, Dallas, and Plano and the Park Place Auto Auction, round out the company’s offerings. Park Place was acquired in 2020 by Asbury Automotive Group, Inc., a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Duluth, GA. For more information, visit parkplace.com.

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Cam Mayfield Promoted to GM of Park Place Motorcars Arlington

Cam Mayfield was recently promoted to general manager of Park Place Motorcars Arlington.

“Our strong commitment to serve is our competitive advantage,” says Mayfield. “We cater to our client’s every need with a servant’s heart.  When you see someone take delivery of their Mercedes, it should give you goosebumps.”

Mayfield has more than 30 years of automotive experience. In 2003, he joined Park Place Lexus as service director. He also served as service director and fixed operations director at Park Place Motorcars Dallas. Last year, he graduated from the North American Dealer Association’s GM Academy.

“Cam has always been a valuable asset to Park Place,” said Tony Carimi, Park Place Dealership’s Managing Director. “He is passionate about the experience and a transformative leader. I’m proud to see him take the helm in Arlington.”

Former Park Place Motorcars Arlington GM Malcolm Gage was recently promoted to Market Manager at Plaza Motors in St. Louis by Asbury Automotive Group, which owns Park Place and Plaza Motors.

A native Texan, Mayfield was born and raised in Dallas. He graduated from the University of Texas at Dallas with a Bachelor of Arts in English and still lives in Dallas with Katie, his wife of more than 20 years.


Park Place Motorcars Arlington is located at 4201 Beltway Place off I-20 in Arlington. The Mercedes-Benz dealership has won the “Best of the Best” award multiple times since opening in 2015. This prestigious award honors the top 20 percent of 345 Mercedes-Benz dealers nationwide for outstanding sales, service and customer satisfaction. 

Park Place Dealerships was founded in 1987 and has been engaged in the community through its support of the arts, medical research, children’s advocacy, and education. Park Place employs more than 1,400 members and operates nine full-service dealerships representing luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Acura, and Sprinter Vans. Park Place BodyWerks Collision Centers in Fort Worth, Dallas, and Plano and the Park Place Auto Auction, round out the company’s offerings. Park Place was acquired in 2020 by Asbury Automotive Group, Inc., a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Duluth, GA. For more information, visit parkplace.com.

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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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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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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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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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In Its First 35 Years, Park Place Dealerships Helped Shape an Industry

When the Mercedes-Benz store on Oak Lawn Avenue became the first store in the Park Place Dealerships brand back in 1987, there were no computers to track inventory or formal employee training programs, and no one talked about company culture. In fact, there wasn’t even a company website or email. Now, 35 years later, Park Place is a leader in the automotive industry with technology, training, and a culture that has been rewarded at the national level. And, one thing is certain, Park Place Dealerships’ next 35 years will be as vastly different as the first.

“Our industry is always evolving with innovation and that has a direct impact on how people shop for cars, purchase a vehicle, visit our stores, and communicate with us,” said Tony Carimi, managing director at Park Place Dealerships. “We have to adapt and engage our clients in every interaction whether that is onsite or online. Our plans for Park Place include increasing the presence of our technology platforms, recruiting a new generation of talent from outside of our industry, and preparing for a boom in electric vehicles.”

Over the next five years, Park Place will hire more technicians and train them to handle the increase in electric vehicles expected to hit the market. By 2025, Mercedes-Benz plans to roll out 25 new plugin hybrid electric vehicles in addition to fully electric vehicles, and Lexus will introduce 20 new or improved models. Volvo expects its all-electric cars to be 50 percent of its global sales by 2025 with the remainder hybrids. By 2027, Porsche anticipates nearly every vehicle will be fully electric. While Jaguar will become a pure-electric luxury brand by 2025, Land Rover will introduce six pure-electric vehicles in five years.

“We have to be prepared at the dealership level to accommodate a client’s preference to purchase and service both electric and fuel-based vehicles,” said Carimi. “In addition to technicians, we will need to train sales associates and service managers to advise clients. We also will need to hire in accounting, human resources, marketing, and administration positions to accommodate our growth. As we attract key talent, we have a plan in place to protect our culture including a new onboarding program.”

The company recently appointed a new Director for Center of Excellence to focus on growth, Member development, leadership, and process training.

Attracting and retaining the right people is a key priority for Park Place Dealerships. It’s not enough to be known as the best in the industry. For Park Place, it is about establishing a culture of excellence that endures. Park Place Members are committed to creating memories for clients that resonate beyond a transaction. They are highly trained to deliver a personalized experience for every client.

“There is no doubt that the strength of our brand is in our people,” said Anam Ali Hashambhai, marketing director for Park Place Dealerships. “We want every Member to be proud of the organization where they choose to work. As we mark our 35th year in Texas, we created a bold, forward-thinking design to resonate with our Members, clients, and the community. We are introducing a creative perspective around our timeless “Experts in Excellence” campaign. Excellence is the driving force behind everything we do, therefore you will start to see “X is for Excellence” come alive with a playful treatment of words such as eXceptional, eXtraordinary, eXhilaration, eXplore, and luXury.”

The modernized look underpins Park Place’s position as a leader in the luxury retailing space. Park Place has proven it delivers an automotive experience worthy of the world’s finest cars and will continue to innovate while anticipating the needs of its clients and exceeding their expectations.

“We are so proud of our heritage and are looking forward to the next chapter of our story as we continue to cultivate relationships, customize experiences and serve our community,” said Hashambhai. “Our clients, members, and partners can expect us to be innovative, respect each other, lead by example, and take ownership of our actions. We have set the course for the future of our company.”