From the TIME PR Hotline
TIME AND ALLY FINANCIAL HONOR DENVER DEALER
Mike Shaw Wins National Recognition for Community Service and Industry Accomplishments at NADA Convention
(Las Vegas, NV, February 4, 2012) --Mike Shaw, dealer principal of Mike Shaw Kia in Corpus Christi, Texas, was named the 2012 national TIME Dealer of the Year today.
Shaw received this highest honor out of a select group of dealers from across the country recognized at the 95th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention & Exposition in Las Vegas on Saturday. The announcement of this year's national Dealer of the Year and finalists was made by Kim Kelleher, worldwide publisher of TIME, and Tim Russi, executive vice president of North American Operations Auto at Ally Financial, at the formal opening of the convention which was expected to draw more than 20,000 individuals involved in the automobile industry.
"Auto dealers have a tremendous impact on the vitality and strength of communities across the U.S.," said Russi. "Ally is proud to support these extraordinary dealers who are truly making their communities better places to live and work." As part of its support for the program, Ally will make charitable contributions to local community causes on behalf of all 50 nominated dealers across the United States. In addition, the 2012 national TIME Dealer of the Year winner will receive a $10,000 contribution for a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization of his or her choice. To celebrate the valuable contributions of dealers across the U.S., Ally has also launched a digital hub (allybizhero.com) featuring engaging content celebrating auto dealers and their philanthropic achievements.
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 must also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to community service. Shaw, 65, was chosen to represent the Colorado Automobile Dealers Association in the national competition one of only 50 auto dealers, from 17,000 nationwide, nominated for the 43rd annual award. The award is sponsored by TIME Magazine in association with Ally, and in cooperation with NADA. A panel of faculty members from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan selects one finalist from each of the four NADA regions and one national Dealer of the Year.
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"My mantra in business is that quality comes first, customers are always the focus and integrity is never compromised," nominee Shaw says.
A 1964 graduate of Welasco High School in Welasco, Texas, Shaw earned a degree in business management at Texas A&M University, where he was a distinguished military student and graduate. He later served as an officer in the U.S. Army and spent one year in Vietnam before returning home to refocus his career in the automotive industry, where he worked before leaving for service. "I fell in love with the car business and knew instantly that was where I belonged," he says.
Today, he has seven other dealerships in Colorado, Louisiana and Texas. "My actions and ethics as a dealer have helped me become one of the largest minority-owned car dealers in the nation," Shaw explains. His two sons also work for the business.
In the area of community service, Shaw incorporates his business expertise to advance his philanthropic causes. "Family, ethical behavior and education are values that have guided me to success," he says. "I am in the business of selling, and I bring those same skills to the community organizations I serve." In fact, he helped the Boy Scouts turn their popcorn fundraiser from a $200,000 program into a $3 million bonanza. "I set it up as if it was one of my dealerships and the Scouts were salesmen," Shaw says.
For the past 17 years, he's been involved with numerous projects and organizations, including Boys & Girls Clubs of America, Urban League, Make-A-Wish Foundation, American Cancer Society (golf classic), Crime Stoppers, Executive Women International and Seniors Inc., to name a few. His efforts have garnered numerous awards, but the one that means the most is the Scouting Vale La Pena! award, a national Boy Scout award given for service to Hispanic-American/Latino youth. "I am honored and humbled as the first recipient," Shaw says. "Since from an early age the Boy Scouts were instrumental in molding me and instilling my ethical and core values, it is such an honor to be recognized for giving back and impacting the lives of our future leaders in this way."
He has also been an advisor and on the boards of the National Western Stock Show, St. Joseph Hospital Foundation, Texas State Aquarium, Kempe Foundation and many others, as well as spearheading numerous fundraising events. Shaw says, "I am a person who deeply cares about kids and their education, especially kids who come from low-income backgrounds. I am convinced the key to success is education, and thus, my commitment to kids and education is a driving force. I also believe that what you give, you get back tenfold."
Shaw and his wife, Nancy, have three children and three grandchildren.
TIME is a global multimedia brand that reaches more than 50 million people and includes the domestic and international magazine editions, tablet versions for iPad, Galaxy, Kindle and Nook, TIME for Kids, TIME.com and mobile. TIME.com draws 12 million unique visitors a month and has more than 2.9 million Twitter followers. TIME leads the mobile app space with more than 3.5 million total app downloads across all platforms, including iPhone, BlackBerry and Android.
Ally Financial Inc. (formerly GMAC Inc.) is one of the world's largest automotive financial services companies. The company offers a full suite of automotive financing products and services in key markets around the world. Ally's other business units include mortgage operations and commercial finance, and the company's subsidiary, Ally Bank, offers retail banking products. With approximately $182 billion in assets as of September 30, 2011, Ally operates as a bank holding company. For more information, visit the Ally media site at http://media.ally.com.
