Pub. 56 2015-2016 Issue 2

17 WINTER 2015 5120 Woodway Drive, Suite 7050, Houston, TX 77056 O ce Phone: 713-783-5900 www.cdi-douglass-pye.com William S. Pye, AIA, NCARB bsp@cdi-douglass-pye.com DOUGLASS  PYE, INC. Architecture  Interiors  Planning All your Automotive Architectural and Interior Needs digits,” nominee Zwiacher said. “We could not have thrived for so long without the loyalty of our employees and our customers.” A 1970 graduate of Monterey High School in Lubbock, Zwiacher earned a B.B.A. in accounting at Texas Tech Univer- sity, also in Lubbock, in 1974, where he was a member of the accounting honor fraternity, Beta Alpha Psi, and social fraternity, Phi Delta Theta. After college graduation, Zwiacher spent three successful years as a CPA with Arthur Andersen in Dallas, Texas, before his father-in-law asked him to join the family dealership, which was originally established in 1929. The long-term goal was for Zwiacher to take over the dealer- ship. “Having never been in the car business, I figured the best way to learn was from the ground up,” he said. He started in sales, moved to finance and insurance (F&I) and then became control- ler, eventually earning the position of general manager in 1981. He took the reins of the company from his father-in-law in 1990. “There is no doubt that the most rewarding aspect of my automotive career is the continued legacy of our family-owned dealership,” Zwiacher said. “Working with my father-in-law until his death in 2001 in a business passed on to him by his father, then subsequently having my son, David, and my daughter, Jackie, decide to join the family business has been the most gratifying.” As a successful business leader in his city, Zwiacher has lent his time and talent to solve problems in his community. He was asked by the mayor of Lubbock in 2013 to serve on a taskforce for Lubbock Power & Light (LP&L). “The utility was on the verge of bankruptcy,” he said. “After a long two years and working very diligently with the other taskforce members, LP&L began operat- ing in the black and became extremely profitable.” He continued to serve on the utility’s board for six years. Zwiacher was also contacted by the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lubbock to chair the Diocesan Catholic Ap- peal in 1984. “The bishop, myself and other members traveled to different parishes and spoke about the importance of the appeal,” he said. “Everyone understood that the diocese would not be able to continue without the funds.” He was chair again in 2012 and served on the executive committee for three years. “This was a wonderful experience to help raise over a million dollars each time to support the vocations, continuing education services and ministries of the diocese,” he said. Other groups that he has worked with include the Lubbock Chamber of Commerce, Covenant Health, United Way, City of Lubbock Community Development board, Lubbock Retail Merchants Association, the Panhandle-South Plains Fair and South Plains College in Levelland, Texas. In addition, Zwiacher contributes to many charitable groups in his area, from Lubbock Meals on Wheels to Women’s Protective Services of Lubbock to the Volunteer Center of Lubbock. Zwiacher was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by Bill Wolters, president of the Texas Automobile Dealers Association. He and his wife, Ann, have two children and two grandchildren. 