As an 18-year-old who dropped out of high school and ran away from home, Diane Kennedy says she knew she did not have a lot of career options laid out before her.
But she had taken a few auto classes in her high school’s vocational program and knew that dealerships had plenty of jobs. “So I just walked into the dealership and – not knowing if they were hiring or not – but walked in an asked for a job,” Kennedy, general manager of Volvo Cars Marin said in her NADA Women Driving Automotive Retail video contest entry.
She was hired the same day.
Not only did she find a rewarding career path, moving up from sales to general manager during her 12-year career, she also met her husband and had two kids.
Now, she’s focused on cultivating diversity at the dealership and helping other women get into the industry. Along with two other women at Price Simms Auto Group, Kennedy has co-founded Price Simms Women’s Circle, a networking and resource group for women at the dealership. “We all share an appreciation for the automotive industry and how it’s changed our lives and has given us all the life we have today,” Kennedy said.
In honor of Women’s History Month, NADA is honoring women in auto retail like Kennedy, who work every day to make dealerships a great place for women to develop a career and succeed professionally. Learn more about the Women Driving Auto Retail initiative and follow following WDAR on Facebook.
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