PALESTINE —
Palestine’s All Star Ford President Fernando Varela has been nominated for the 2012 TIME Dealer of the Year.
Varela is one of a select group of 57 dealer nominees from across the country who will be honored at the 96th annual National Automobile Dealers Association Convention & Exposition in Orlando, Fla. on Feb. 9, 2013.
The announcement of this year’s nominees was made Monday by Todd Larsen, executive vice president and group president, Time Inc. News and Sports, and Tim Russi, executive vice president, North American Auto Operations, for Ally Financial.
“Auto dealers play such an important role in the strength of local communities across the United States,” Russi said. “They are involved in many philanthropic endeavors, contributing their time and money to improving the lives of people in need. Ally is proud to support and honor these extraordinary dealers and the important roles they play in making their communities better places to live and work.”
In its second year as exclusive sponsor, Ally will recognize dealer nominees and their community efforts by contributing $1,000 to each nominee’s charity of choice. Nominees also will be recognized on the recently launched website, AllyDealerHeroes.com, which highlights the philanthropic contributions and achievements of auto dealers across the U.S.
The TIME Dealer of the Year award is one of the automobile industry’s most prestigious and highly coveted honors. Recipients are among the nation’s most successful auto dealers who also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to community service.
Varela, 53, was chosen to represent the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers in the national competition — one of only 57 auto dealers from 17,000 nationwide — nominated for the 44th annual award. The award is sponsored by TIME in association with Ally Financial, and in cooperation with NADA. A panel of faculty members from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan will select one finalist from each of the four NADA regions and one national Dealer of the Year.
“I love to work with people and make their dreams come true,” nominee Varela said. “I am very proud to have helped many people find a career in the auto industry.”
A 1978 graduate of Glenbrook High School in Northbrook, Ill., Varela studied industrial technology at Oakton Community College in Niles, Ill., and Illinois State University in Normal. He joined the Ford Motor Company in 1983 and, in 1989, he enrolled in the Ford Dealer Development Training Program, which led him to purchase All Star Ford in 1994.
Varela has won several prestigious honors, including the 2011 Dealer of the Year from Urban Wheels magazine and the 2003 Northwood University Education Award, which recognizes dealers who are dedicated to the educational process in the field.
“Both mean a lot to me because my fellow dealers and friends played an important role in me getting those awards,” Varela said.
Varela has sponsored several employees to attend the NADA Academy and is a mentor to others in his business.
He also is a member of the Rotary, Palestine Area Chamber of Commerce and the local American Cancer Society chapter. His most meaningful civic achievement was serving on the Palestine Independent School District’s Board of Trustees in the past.
“It gave me an opportunity to play a key role in the education of the children in our area and help the community see the need to invest in their futures by supporting the construction of new schools in the town,” Varela said.
Varela was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year Award by Damon Lester, president of the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers. Varela and his wife, Alana, have three children.
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Varela nominated for auto dealer of year
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