Pub. 60 2019-2020 Issue 3

29 SPRING 2020 “I strive to work at both the state and federal level communicating with our legislatures, on both sides of the aisle, the threats and challenges of the automotive industry,” she said. “I’ve been honored to serve under two governors, encouraging a business friendly environment that’s good for the citizens of the state of Texas.” In the area of community service, Gillman partners with the local Harlingen Consolidated Independent School District for the Gillman Drive for Perfect Attendance program. “We award students everything from a laptop to a free car for having perfect attendance, and in turn, the school district receives incremental funding from the state based on attendance rates,” she said. “This program is responsible for generating more than $600,000 in incremental funding annually to the school district, which is then reinvested in our students to improve graduation rates.” For 24 years, Gillman has championed the Fort Bend Women’s Center, which assists survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault. “Our annual Ramsay Gillman Charitable Golf Tournament has raised more than a million dollars for this worthy cause,” she said. And Gillman employees are encouraged to take one paid workday per year to volunteer at the center. Other initiatives she supports include Buffalo Bayou Partnership Regatta (kayak and canoe race that benefits Houston’s Buffalo Bayou Park); Light the Night (walk to raise funds for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society); AIDS Walk Houston (benefitting local AIDS service organizations) and Pick Your Pet (adoption event for the BARC Animal Shelter and Adoptions), to name a few. Gillman added, “We’ve won lot of awards, but what is most important is supporting our community and providing a workplace atmosphere where employees can learn and grow within our organization. These are two areas key to creating a positive company culture.” Dealers are nominated by the executives of state and metro dealer associations around the country. The award is sponsored by TIME in association with Ally Financial, and in cooperation with NADA. A panel of faculty members from the Tauber Institute for Global Operations at the University of Michigan will select one finalist from each of the four NADA regions and one national Dealer of the Year. Three finalists will receive an additional $5,000 for their favorite charities and the winner will receive an additional $10,000 to give to charity. In its ninth year as exclusive sponsor, Ally will recognize dealer nominees and their community efforts by contributing $1,000 to each nominee’s 501(c)3 charity of choice. Nominees will also be recognized on AllyDealerHeroes.com. “The award applauds the incredible effort each of these dealers put into their businesses and their communities,” said Doug Timmerman, President of Auto Finance at Ally. “They are inf luential business leaders and admired ambassadors for worthy causes. It’s an honor for Ally to recognize their generosity and impact in cities and towns across America.” Gillman was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by Bill Wolters, president of the Texas Automobile Dealers Association. She has two children.  About TIME USA LLC TIME is a global multimedia brand that reaches a combined audience of more than 100 million around the world. A trusted destination for reporting and insight on the people, places and issues that matter, TIME captures the events that shape our lives. TIME’s major franchises include the TIME 100 Most Influential People, Person of the Year, Firsts, Best Inventions, Genius Companies, World’s Greatest Places, and more. With 45 million digital visitors each month and 40 million social followers, TIME is one of the most trusted and recognized sources of news and information in the world. About Ally Financial Inc. Ally Financial Inc. (NYSE: ALLY) is a leading digital financial-services company with $181.5 billion in assets as of September 30, 2019. As a customer-centric company with passionate customer service and innovative financial solutions, we are relentlessly focused on "Doing It Right" and being a trusted financial- services provider to our consumer, commercial, and corporate customers. We are one of the largest full-service automotive-finance operations in the country and offer a wide range of financial services and insurance products to automotive dealerships and consumers. Our award-winning online bank (Ally Bank, Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender) offers mortgage- lending services and a variety of deposit and other banking products, including savings, money-market, and checking accounts, certificates of deposit (CDs), and individual retirement accounts (IRAs). Additionally, we offer securities- brokerage and investment- advisory services through Ally Invest. Our robust corporate finance business offers capital for equity sponsors and middle-market companies. For more information and disclosures about Ally, visit https://www.ally . com/#disclosures. About the NADA Show The annual NADA Show brings together more than 20,000 franchised dealers and their employees, industry leaders, manufacturers and exhibitors to learn about the latest auto industry tools, trends, products and technologies.