Ally Supplement - December 14, 2020 - S12

j. thad naquin.

jose pozos.

Dealer and President
Tom Naquin Chevrolet Nissan Cadillac;
Elkhart, IN

President
Wichita Falls Ford Lincoln Inc.; Wichita
Falls, TX

Nominated by Marty Murphy, Automobile
Dealers Association of Indiana

Nominated by Damon Lester, National
Association of Minority Automobile Dealers

J. Thad Naquin says the most rewarding part of his automotive
career has been the opportunity to partner with family-first
his father, Tom, and now his son, Nik. After graduating from the
University of Notre Dame, Naquin worked in all departments at
the family dealership, becoming a dealer himself in 1993. The
business expanded with Nissan and Cadillac and celebrated
its 50th anniversary in 2018. Naquin is a senior active member
of Rotary International and has served on the boards of local
chapters of the YMCA, Big Brothers Big Sisters and American Red
Cross. He also has been a local leader for the United Way for more
than 35 years.

lane nichols.
Dealer Principal
Gene's Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram;
Fairbanks, AK
Nominated by Steve Allwine, Alaska Automobile
Dealers Association

At age 19, Lane Nichols took a sales job at an Anchorage
dealership-and was immediately hooked. After taking on sales
and management positions at several dealerships in the city, he
moved to Gene's in 1998, purchasing the business a few years later.
The tagline of the dealership-founded as Gene's Auto Service in
1945, before Alaska was even a state-is " the official dealership
of life in Alaska. " Four of Nichols' six children currently work in
the business. He served on the board of the Alaska Automobile
Dealers Association for 13 years and is a board member for the
Fairbanks Ice Dogs junior hockey team and a major supporter of
the HIPOW Auction for Fairbanks' Catholic schools.

don patnoe.
President and CEO
Liberty Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram Fiat;
Rapid City, SD
Nominated by Myron L. Rau, South Dakota
Automobile Dealers Association

One day Lawrence Patnoe came home from his dealership with
a demo car-an early '60s Ford Galaxie 500XL-and had his
son, Don, wash the car. From that moment, Don was convinced
he wanted to drive beautiful cars and work at a dealership.
After college, Patnoe spent 18 years in banking but continued to
work part time at the family dealership. In 1995 he moved to the
dealership full time and has since expanded the business to five
stores. Patnoe serves as managing director of the Rapid City New
Car Dealers Association and is on the board of the South Dakota
Automobile Dealers Association. He also is an advisory board
member for the local Boy Scouts of America council.
12 | ally | DECEMBER 2020

Jose Pozos' first automotive job was at Gunn Honda in his
hometown of San Antonio, where he started out selling cars and
after 13 years worked his way up to general manager. In 2000,
with the help of Curtis Gunn and Ford Motor Co., he set out on his
own and now is owner-operator of two dealerships. He has served
as a director and as chair of the National Association of Minority
Automobile Dealers, chair of the Ford Minority Dealers Association
and Texas Ford Dealers Advertising Fund and president of the
Wichita Falls New Car Association. Pozos has supported more
than 300 local organizations over the past 20 years.

patrick preston.
Dealer Principal
Preston Superstore; Burton, OH
Nominated by Lou Vitantonio, Greater Cleveland
Automobile Dealers' Association

After 15 years in the hospitality industry, Patrick Preston purchased
a dealership and brought the process management and customer
service techniques he'd learned in hospitality to auto retailing.
Preston has been vice president of the Chevy Local Marketing
Association since 2008 and volunteers for the Greater Cleveland
Automobile Dealers' Association's Cleveland Auto Show. During
the 2020 pandemic, his dealership offered free service to first
responders, essential workers and the unemployed and donated to
three schools to help in their back-to-school preparations. Preston
is vice president of the Geauga Park District and a volunteer at the
Geauga County Fair.

tim redding, sr.
Dealer Principal and President
Metter Ford; Metter, GA
Nominated by Lea Kirschner, Georgia Automobile
Dealers Association

Like many entrepreneurs, Tim Redding, Sr. owned one business-a
meat shop-before joining the auto industry. After management
positions at several dealerships, he struck out on his own and
opened Metter Ford in 1991. Today Redding runs his threedealership business alongside his two sons. He chaired the Georgia
Automobile Dealers Association in 2018-19 and is a member of
the Committee of Auto Retail Dealers political action committee.
Education initiatives such as the Communities in Schools of
Candler County, which supports at-risk students, and the Ford
Drive 4 UR School are favorite philanthropic activities. Redding
also served on the board of nearby Brewton-Parker College.

Ally Supplement - December 14, 2020

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