SPCA of Texas Opens Sensory Garden for Shelter Dogs at Animal Care Center in Dallas

Park Place Dealerships Members Built Sensory Garden to Provide Physical and Mental Challenges for Animals

Members from several local Park Place Dealerships recently volunteered to build a Sensory Garden at the SPCA’s Animal Care Center in Dallas to provide shelter dogs an environment to use their natural senses to relieve stress, and in some cases, to aid in rehabilitation.

“Enrichment is what we use to improve our dog’s quality of life by providing them things in their environment that stimulate them mentally and physically,” said Dr. Valarie Tynes, SPCA of Texas Shelter Veterinary Behaviorist. “Ultimately, when you provide environmental enrichment, you are attempting to give an animal the ability to utilize as many of its natural behaviors as you possibly can. Olfactory enrichment is good at doing that, simply because dogs love using their nose to investigate their world.”

The Sensory Garden’s different textures, scents and materials stimulate a dog’s brain, activate their natural canine instincts, and build their confidence.

“We had some dogs coming in who were high-arousal and high energy like Django, a German Shepherd,” said Rebecca Woodward, SPCA of Texas Behavior Program Manager. “He had some kennel stress, so we started agility training using the Sensory Garden. It completely de-compressed him. Django became a different dog and was adopted right away. We developed a program we call the ‘Django Treatment’ in the Sensory Garden. Some dogs just want to do Zoomies (running around at top speed to burn off energy) so we use the Garden in many ways. But it’s already been extremely useful in our Behavior Program.”

In addition to Park Place providing the supplies for the Sensory Garden, the company’s generous VTO (Volunteer Time Off) program allowed Park Place Members paid time off to donate their time and energy to build the Sensory Garden.

“When we look to give back to North Texas communities where we live and serve, there’s no better advocate for our four-legged friends than the SPCA,” said Park Place Managing Director Tony Carimi. “To start with a pile of boards and some tires and see this end result is very exciting! It’s easy to write a check, and that’s very beneficial, too. But our Members also enjoy giving their time and talents to such a worthy cause.”

The SPCA of Texas plans to rotate dogs in and out of the Sensory Garden three times per day.

Park Place Dealerships has supported the SPCA of Texas financially for many years, but when polled about which causes Park Place Members wanted to personally volunteer their time for, SPCA of Texas ranked very high.

About SPCA of Texas

SPCA of Texas is the leading animal welfare organization in North Texas. Founded in 1938, the non-profit operates two shelters, two spay/neuter clinics, two mobile spay/neuter and wellness vehicles, one mobile adoptions vehicle and an animal rescue center, all located in Dallas and Ellis Counties, and maintains a team of animal cruelty investigators who respond to thousands of calls in North Texas counties. The organization does not euthanize animals for time or space. Moreover, the SPCA of Texas serves as an active resource center for an array of services that bring people and animals together to enrich each other’s lives.

The SPCA of Texas is not affiliated with any other entity and does not receive general operating funds from the City of Dallas, State of Texas, federal government or any other national humane organization. SPCA of Texas is dedicated to providing every animal exceptional care and a loving home. To learn more about the SPCA of Texas, visit spca.org.

About Park Place Dealerships

Park Place Dealerships was founded in 1987 and employs more than 1,400 members. Park Place Dealership operates three collision centers, an auto auction, and nine full-service dealerships representing luxury brands including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar, Land Rover, Acura, and Sprinter Vans. Park Place was acquired in 2020 by Asbury Automotive Group, Inc., a Fortune 500 company headquartered in Duluth, GA. Asbury is one of the largest automotive retailers in the U.S. For more information, visit parkplace.com.

Nolan Bedford is TCU Purple Through and Through

TCU Alum and Super Fan Experienced CFP Championship with Son

A TCU alum and former football player, Bedford invited Park Place client DJ de Jesus, president of the Fort Worth – Mercedes-Benz Club of America. Bedford also invited his 20-year-old son Reece Bedford, a U.S. Marine stationed at Miramar Air Station in San Diego.

“I flew to San Diego to meet up with Reece and we drove up to LA together to go to the game,” said Bedford. “My son has grown up as a fan of TCU. We went to Nebraska to watch TCU in the College World Series back in 2016. The last TCU Bowl game we attended together was the Alamo Bowl in 2017 when they defeated Stanford. I was extremely excited to go to California to support my Frogs, but even more excited to have time to spend with my son. We have always bonded over our love for TCU and I’m sure we always will. Go Frogs!”

Bedford was born in Fort Worth, then moved all around Texas before ending up back in Fort Worth. He played football at L.D. Bell High School in Bedford, Texas, where he graduated in 1995. He was a quarterback at Bell and moved to wide receiver at TCU, where he walked on to play for the Frogs in 1997 – 98.

“My roommate at TCU also graduated from Bell,” he explained. “Eric Anderson was strong safety and one of the best players on the TCU team. It was our senior year and Eric was projected to be selected in the NFL draft after our season. One day in practice he was rushing the quarterback when he jumped up to deflect a pass. The running back blocked him, flipping him over, and Eric landed on his head. They took him to the hospital for x-rays, put him in a neck brace, and sent him home. I was with him at our apartment when he received the call from the doctor. I will never forget the look in his eyes when they said he would never play football again. He had surgery and had to wear a halo for the next six months. He didn’t have any local family, so I helped care for him.”

While the Georgia and TCU National Championship game didn’t exactly turn out the way TCU fans had hoped, Bedford enjoyed the trip and the game very much.

“I was very proud to see the turnout of TCU fans at the game,” he said. “There was just as much purple in the stands as there was red, if not more! It was exciting to see the support TCU fans brought and how loud they were to support our team.”

“In addition to Reece, I have a daughter Kenidi who is 19, and a two-month-old daughter Charlotte Sophia. Being a father has been so great that I decided to give it another run with my wife Lucina.”

Nolan joined Park Place Dealerships in 2008. He became New Car Sales Director at Motorcars Fort Worth in 2019. Park Place Motorcars Fort Worth is located at 5601 Bryant Irvin Road, just south of I-20.

Nolan and Eric are still best friends. “Eric was actually just here at the dealership getting his Mercedes-Benz CLS serviced earlier this week.”


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 Acura, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar, 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.

Jaguar DFW Parts Specialist Earns Jaguar’s Marque of Distinction Award

Jim Park – Parts Specialist | JLR DFW

Park Place Jaguar DFW Parts Specialist Jim Park won the Marque of Distinction for Parts Professional of the Year for all Jaguar dealers nationwide. Jaguar Land Rover North America recently announced 14 Marque of Distinction winners for 2022. The Marque of Distinction is the highest individual honor within the Journey to Excellence program, JLRNA’s reward and recognition program for individuals. 

“It is a great honor for Jim to be named the top parts professional out of nearly 200 Jaguar dealerships across the country,” said Park Place Jaguar-Land Rover DFW General Manager Matt Woolsey. “Jim is a valued member of our team.”

The Marque of Distinction winners were announced by Joe Eberhardt, Paul Cooke and Tori Morandi at the Unico Resort, Riviera Maya, Mexico. 

According to Paul Cooke, Jaguar Land Rover Training, Development and Recognition Director, “Programs such as this allow us to recognize individuals who demonstrate excellence in their role. This year’s winners represent individuals who demonstrate success in their everyday role, training achievement, customer feedback, as well as high achievement in both online and in-person assessments.”

Park Place Jaguar-Land Rover is located on the south side of East State Highway 114 in Grapevine. The dealership has been the recipient of the Pride of Jaguar Retailer Excellence Award for the past three years in a row. Park Place Dealerships has been named among the “Top 100 Places to Work” by the Dallas Morning News for nine consecutive years. Park Place Dealerships also ranked in the top 10 for corporations in Dallas/Fort Worth and was named the best company for training.

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 Acura, Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Volvo, Jaguar, 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.

Chris Brunner Celebrates 30 Years with Park Place Dealerships

The automotive industry has evolved in the last 30 years and one local resident has seen incredible changes – from safety and design to elevating the client experience. Chris Brunner joined Park Place Dealerships in 1992 as an assistant sales manager and today, he manages one of the largest Lexus dealerships in the country.

Under Brunner’s leadership, Park Place Lexus Grapevine received a number one national ranking in customer satisfaction and has been recognized as an Elite of Lexus dealer 18 times. In 2005, the Park Place Lexus dealerships in Grapevine and Plano became the first automobile dealerships ever to win the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, the nation’s highest Presidential honor for quality and organizational performance excellence. 

Brunner has been the General Manager at Park Place Lexus Plano since 2010.

“Chris is the epitome of leadership and customer service,” said Tony Carimi, Park Place Dealerships Managing Director. “He’s built an incredible team at Lexus Plano and is very committed to developing each Member into leaders in their own right.”

Greg Duerr, Lexus Plano Parts Director has worked with Brunner since 1995. “I don’t take that for granted, says Duerr. “Chris has a great sense for what clients expect, and he walks the talk of the Park Place Culture.”

Lexus Plano Finance Director Shiva Olumi recalls, “Chris has been a guide for the 21 years I’ve worked at Park Place. Regardless of the position you hold, he gets to know you and the things that are important to you. He has been the ultimate mentor to me. You see his influence in how pristine everything is when you walk in the Lexus dealership: the white orchids, the attention to detail, the laughter in the halls. He has created an energy and culture of family.” 

Katie Stutts, Brunner’s Administrative Assistant, says, “Chris is a great leader. He possesses a clear vision, is courageous, has integrity, and has a clear focus. Chris is a wonderful coach and always wants his members to succeed. He is a true leader, and we are honored to have him in our lives.” 

Brunner is very involved in supporting the Plano and North Texas communities, including working with Collin County Children’s Advocacy Center; SPCA of Collin County; My Possibilities; Samaritan Inn; Habitat for Humanity, and Plano, Allen and Prosper Teacher of the Year programs and Prize Patrols. When not at work, Chris enjoys spending time with his wife Amie and children Alexa and Camden.

Work hard – Ted Wernimount

Ted was just 24 years old when he joined Park Place 32 years ago. 

“I came to Park Place hoping to get into a company that would allow me to grow and prosper in a great environment and have a long career. Park Place has surpassed all of my expectations. Two things that have impacted all of us is how much Park Place has grown as a company and the technology that is constantly changing.”

Ted’s parents moved his family to Grand Prairie when he was 14 after his father was severely injured in an accident. His mom became the main breadwinner and Texas was a better environment for her career as a registered nurse. 

Ted graduated from South Grand Prairie High and the Wyoming Technical Institute.

“The biggest challenge I face is to stay on top of the ever-changing technology of all of the different makes and models that we repair. When I worked in Mercedes service it was only one manufacturer, but at Bodywerks we repair all of the different makes that we sell in the Park Place family. Having access to all of the manufacturer’s technical information and assistance from team members at the different stores tremendously helps us overcome these challenges.

Ted’s advice for anyone just starting out: “Work hard. Don’t expect anything to be given to you and earn everything that you get. It will benefit you personally throughout your career with Park Place or wherever you are.” “I’m petrified of heights but my daughter and I took an amazing hot air balloon ride in New Mexico that involved rising to 2,000 feet and then descending down into the Rio Grande Gorge until the basket skimmed the Rio Grande River and then back up again. Life lesson: Face your fears and reap the rewards.”

Hard Work Pays Off– Juan Ramirez

Juan Ramirez, 31, started in the Car Wash, then advanced to Valet, Warehouse, Parts Counter, and is now an ASM at Jaguar Land Rover DFW. A native Texan, Juan graduated from South Grand Prairie High School in 2008. 

He’s worked at Park Place for 13 years. “My first impression: It was a great environment. All members are extremely polite! I found all members treated me well and had a service focus.”

Juan resides in Grand Prairie with his wife and two kids. He describes his family as “supportive and very energetic!” His son is 13 and his daughter 7. “My wife and I are very involved with our kids’ sports,” he says. Juan is an avid Texas Rangers fan and helps coach his son’s baseball team. He is also very involved with his daughter’s gymnastics.

“The best thing about working at Park Place are the opportunities. You can move to different departments and take advantage of learning opportunities. New situations can feel risky, but there is always help if needed.” His advice to someone just starting at Park Place: “Listen to everyone who has been there. Hard work pays off. The doors will open for you. Always ask questions. It will make you better.”

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.”

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

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.

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