Pub. 58 2017-2018 Issue 3

10 I became the general manager in 1997, and the president in 2005. What is the most rewarding part of your career? The everyday interaction with customers and employees. I like people, and I like helping them. For instance, we were one of the first dealerships to implement the practice of customer car pick-up and delivery, and to offer transportation shuttles for customers in the service department. It seemed like a good idea and something that would be helpful to our customers. Our employees are our best asset; they are really wonderful. I can attribute my accomplishments to the truly spectacular team surrounding me – my family and my employees. It’s also been incredibly rewarding to have been part of the growth of the dealership. When I started working in 1976, we had one dealership. Today, the company also includes Tommie Vaughn Auto Country in Columbus, Texas, which comprises Ford, Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram dealerships, as well as Tommie Vaughn Polaris, also in Columbus, which sells off-road vehicles. What do you see will be the dominant trends in the next 5-10 years? You know, everyone is talking about electric cars, and I am just not sold on them. I am not saying that there won’t be electric cars, but, for here in Texas, I am going to say it’s all about SUVs and trucks. We have a different lifestyle here. On Sundays, coming back into town, it’s bumper to bumper traffic, there’s miles of traffic. I don’t see electric vehicles handling the distances. Here in Texas, it’s about hauling the family and the gear over long distances. I think lifestyle vehicles will do well. What is thebiggest importanceof being aTADAmember, what makes it beneficial? For me, it’s always been about staying on the cutting edge of legislative issues. It’s about taxes and expenses. As dealers we need representation. For the most part, we’re all small businesses, and managing expenses is key to running a sound organization. For instance, take health care, which is sky rocketing. As a small business with 200 employees, I can’t control my costs as well easily as a company with 2,000 or 20,000 employees. But, when we have an organization like TADA representing us, it’s easier to negotiate issues which affect us all. I like the networking opportunities and of course, the edu- cational opportunities. Do you have past leadership experiences with TADA that stand out? Well, I have been involved with TADA for many years. I think it’s important. I was Chairman in 2009, and my focus was legislative issues. At the time, dealers were only able to charge $50.00 for “doc fees,” which was not nearly enough. With TADA’s help, we were to help our legislators understand that $125.00 was more appropriate for all the necessary paperwork that the state requires. I look back on that initiative, and yes, I’m pleased with the results of our efforts. That achievement helped all the dealers. What inspired you to serve as a leader in theAssociation? My father-in-law was not particularly involved in the in- dustry. He minded his own dealership. In fact, one story comes to mind, where Tommie was playing golf with some friends, and a customer came in to buy a car, and of course, Tommie was on the golf course. The customer let him know he was there, and Tommie wasn’t, so he went somewhere else. Tommie never played golf during business hours again, and business hours were 6AM to 6PM. His work ethic was impressive. But, I do believe that there comes a time, when it’s important to get involved and be part of the changes that sometimes need to happen. Someone needs to do it. When I was in college, the Texas Cowboys had a saying, “Give the best to Texas, and the best will come back to you.” I believe that saying is applicable when it comes to service in the industry in which we earn our living. If we give it our best, and do the best we can, good things will come back, not just to me, but for the industry. Are you involved in any civic or charitable organizations? I’ve been involved with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo for the last 40 years, and served in many different capacities, including vice president. The show provides schol- arships, educational endowments and funds agricultural re- search projects. Currently, more than 2,000 students are on rodeo scholarships, attending more than 80 different Texas colleges and universities. The value of these scholarships is approximately $47 million, and the rodeo has donated nearly $430 million to scholarships, grants, endowments and other educational programs since 1932. I believe in the rodeo’s mission to provide opportunities for higher educa- tion, because an education changes lives. I think it’s the one thing that raises the standard of living and provides equal opportunities. We open up our dealerships to host non-profit events, as- sisting charities with donation collection and offering a free venue, which hopefully offers exposure to new people, that may support the nonprofit in the future. Our dealerships have a motto, started by my father-in-law, “Get to know people and do good things.” It was true then, and I think it’s equally true now.