Pub. 58 2017-2018 Issue 2

6 Charlie Gilchrist Future NADA Chairman C harlie Gilchrist, President of Southwest Ford Auto Group headquartered in Weath- er ford, Texas, has been named Vice- Chairman of the National Automobile Dealers Association. This means that Gilchrist will fol- low Jimmy Payton, Ramsay Gillman and Annette Sykora as the leader of all franchised dealers in the nation in 2019. A former Director of TADA and father of TADA incoming Di- rector Stephen Gilchrist, Charlie is one of those dealers who is a natural leader in the industry, in his com- munities and in his associations – DFWNCDA, TADA and NADA. Charlie Gilchrist’s father, Will, was a heav y truck engineer for Ford Motor Company and a heavy truck dealer for a period of time before Charlie got his start in the retail business as a dealership controller. Every great dealer needs someone to provide an opportunity to achieve success, and for Charlie Gilchrist, that was and is former Texas franchised dealer KenNichols. Ken was a mentor and later a partner of CharlieGilchrist, and today Ken and his wife, Mary, remain close friends with Charlie and his wife, Trina. When Charlie Gilchrist replaced Annette Sykora as NADA Director for Nor t h Te x a s , t he NADA leadership immediately recognized his business acumen and leadership qualities. They wasted no time in appointing Charlie to a committee chairmanship. He has served as Chairman of the critical Industry Relations Committee for several years prior to moving up to the Vice-Chairmanship of NADA. Charlie Gilchrist will continue the legacy of outstanding leadership created by the Payton’s, Gillman’s and Sykora’s to serve not only Texas and Texans but 18,000dedicated franchiseddealerships throughout the nation.  Charlie Gilchrist will continue the legacy of outstanding leadership created by the Payton’s, Gillman’s and Sykora’s to serve not only Texas and Texans but 18,000 dedicated franchised dealerships throughout the nation.