1st Citizen of Virginia beach 2011
On His Meager Beginnings
I was born at Portsmouth Naval Hospital. My father was in the military. Growing up, I didn't know what I wanted to be. As a child, I always saw how hard my father worked and had such a great work ethic.
After I discovered a career in the automobile business, I realized I had a deep passion for it. With just a few dollars in the bank, I decided to put my heart in the business and the rest took care of itself.
I started in the automotive business in 1970 with Colonial Chevrolet and stayed there for 20 years. During that time, I advanced in all sorts of management positions at Colonial.
I partnered with Josh Darden in 1980, where we established Colonial Auto Group. In August of 1990, we dissolved the partnership and I operated the Toyota-Volkswagen dealership.
A Challenging Business
Our reputation comes from good corporate citizenship. We don't want to be one of those companies that take and never give back. It's important that we make it a priority. We look for things in the area we can contribute to.
We have a foundation, Champions for Kids, that contributes to youth programs that are in need in Hampton Roads. Transportation is our business but kids are our future. We get joy and satisfaction out of making a difference in a child's life.
About 17 years ago we established a scholarship program for every high school in Virginia Beach. We choose two college-bound students and give them scholarships. Those chosen students are then eligible to compete for a larger scholarship that we give out. The scholarships are based on their volunteer and community service work.
We also recognize the teacher of the year in the Virginia Beach School System, support the local police department with a program called Every 15 Minutes, which deals with young teenagers drinking and driving.
Although it's important to give back to your community, you can't give back to everything. You have to pick and choose what is important to you.
On Receiving This Humbling Award
It's great to be recognized on a list of incredible people who have held the honor in previous years. It really makes me feel great.
One thing that I'm the proudest of is the development of others who have been working for me. I wouldn't be here today without the excellent help I receive from them. I have people who have been here for 20 years.
Again, it's a great honor to be recognized by the community.