Pub. 1 Issue 2

6 www.glancda.org Did you always aspire to be part of the automotive industry? My father was an auto dealer, so I was ex- posed to it early on. I’ve been working in the auto industry since I was 16. I became a sales manager at 22 and a general manager at 26 and got my own dealership by the time I was 36. What do you drive every day? I presently drive a 2014 Jeep Grand Cherokee. Describe your background. What did you study in college? Have you always lived in California? I’ve lived in southern California my whole life. I was born in San Diego and grew up in Anaheim. I earned a BA in Economics from UCLA. Tell us about your family. I’ve been married to my wife Janet for 35 years. We were col- lege sweethearts. My oldest son John is a lawyer, my second son Joey works in IT, and my daughter Caroline is a social worker in Arizona and getting married next year. I also have two young half- brothers who I work with on a daily basis. They are both in their 20’s and love working in the auto industry and hope to do so long-term. They are Jackson and Evan Ellis. What’s your favorite way to spend your free time? My favorite way to spend my free time is with family and I love to travel. This past year, I went to Costa Rica, China, Portugal and Yosemite. I love sports and passionately follow the UCLA Bruins. What’s the most rewarding part of your career? What challenges have you faced? The most rewarding part of my career is the long-term relationships with employees, seeing them and their families grow and prosper. A major challenge for my Chrysler dealership was the recent 2009 downturn when the govern- ment was closing down dealerships. Is there any pertinent legislation on the table that’s on your mind? GLANCDA recently sponsored and endorsed Franchise Senate Bill 424, authored by Sen. Alex Padilla and signed into action in 2009. What do you think makes GLANCDA membership invaluable? Our association represents over 200 car dealers in LA County and we employ over 20,000 people in good-paying jobs. We collect millions of dol- lars in sales tax revenue for the local community. GLANCDA was able to invest back $250,000 in worthy charitable causes in the last fiscal year. We pride ourselves in being involved in a host of community organizations that make life a better place for our customers and our families.  An Interview with Outgoing President David Ellis WE PRIDE OURSELVES IN BEING INVOLVED IN A HOST OF COMMUNITY ORGANIZATIONS THAT MAKE LIFE A BETTER PLACE FOR OUR CUSTOMERS AND OUR FAMILIES.