While two nominees came up through the ranks at family-owned stores, another one first worked as an OEM’s analyst before sliding over to the showroom.

In the next group of profiles of nominees for TIME Dealer of the Year Award, these store executives all share what’s important to them — in and out of the showroom.

The awards program, which is produced in cooperation with the National Automobile Dealers Association and sponsored by Ally Financial, aims to recognize the nation’s most successful auto dealers who also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to community service.

Auto Remarketing plans to publish these nominee profiles between now and when the winner is announced during the NADA Convention and Expo that runs later this week in Las Vegas.

Bernie Moreno, president, Mercedes-Benz of North Olmsted, North Olmsted, Ohio

Moreno’s love of cars is what drove him to be a part of the auto industry. His career started at Automobile Magazine where he worked after graduating from the University of Michigan. He then joined Saturn as an analyst and field consultant.  From there, he became a general manager of his first dealership and quickly made it the most profitable dealership in its group.

In 2005, Moreno was offered an opportunity to purchase an under-performing Mercedes-Benz dealership in North Olmsted, Ohio, and turned it into the largest-volume Mercedes-Benz store in the central region — and he now runs Porsche, Saab, Lotus, Infiniti, Buick GMC and Acura dealerships in North Olmsted and Cleveland. He is proud that his company was voted one of the best places to work by his employees in a poll sponsored by the Cleveland Plain Dealer.

“Leaving Boston and moving to Cleveland to begin my dream of owning my own dealership was scary for me and my family,” Moreno acknowledged. “The opportunity presented itself and I knew I had to go for it. The growth we have exhibited has been the most rewarding for me.”

In the area of community service, his main focus for charitable giving is on children, education and health. Moreno supports University Hospital in Cleveland and their Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital and Five Star Sensation event that supports the fight against cancer; American Red Cross; Cleveland Museum of Art’s Summer Solstice event and many other community events. He is a board member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, Cleveland State University Board of Trustees, Cleveland Leadership Center, Tri-C Foundation for Cuyahoga Community College and Lake Ridge Academy.

“Without a thriving community, we will not have a business,” Moreno emphasized. “A community only thrives when all of its members give back. It’s really that simple.”

John Murrey, dealer, Murrey Chevrolet-Buick-GMC, Pulaski, Tenn.

“Like most dealers’ children, I came up through the ranks working in all the departments of the dealership,” Murrey recollected. “Whatever I know or have learned about the auto business came from my father and brother — and stories I heard about my grandfather.”

A graduate of the Webb School in Bell Buckle, Tenn., in 1972, Murrey went on to study business and pre-law at Martin College in Pulaski, Tennessee, and the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. He had various summer jobs while in school with Sharp Motor Co. in Pulaski, the dealership originally founded by his grandfather in 1930 and which his brother now operates as the third generation dealer principal.

Murrey worked at Sharp Motor Co. from 1974 until 1987 when he purchased a Chevrolet franchise and founded Murrey Chevrolet, later adding Buick and GMC. He feels the most rewarding aspect of the business is meeting customers and getting to know them over the years. “Our family has been in the car business in our community since 1930, and hopefully, that longevity speaks for itself,” Murrey said. In the area of community service, Murrey is very involved with his church, Pulaski First Methodist Church, and was chairman of the church administration board and finance committee. He is presently chairman of the staff church and a member of the long-range planning committee.

On the civic front, Murrey furnished driver’s education cars to the local high school and is a member the Giles County Chamber of Commerce and was its past president.

Murrey is proud to earn his state association’s Andrew Jackson Award, which his father won in 1995. “I can’t hold a candle to his accomplishments in our church and community, so I am very honored with this award,” he stated.

Chris Myers, owner and president, Chris Myers Auto Mall. Daphne, Ala.

“I first started working for my dad, in the used car business in Jackson, Mississippi,” nominee Myers shared. “I worked on the weekends. I would wash the cars, change my clothes and then sell the cars.”

Myers graduated from Murrah High School in Jackson in 1964 and earned a degree from the University of Southern Mississippi in business administration and marketing. He worked for Ford Motor Credit in 1964, leaving for a job as a Chevrolet dealer. “I found it was easier to sell cars than repossess them,” he says.

In 1981, he partnered with his brother-in-law, Preston Hood, to create Chris Myers Pontiac-GMC and in 1988, acquired all the corporate stock to become sole owner. Today, Chris Myers Auto Mall sells cars from Chrysler, Dodge, Nissan, Buick and GMC. “As a dealer, the most rewarding experience for me is knowing that the people I have brought into the car industry have matured into some of the most valuable professionals in the business,” he says. “I am thankful for the hard work and time everyone at Chris Myers Auto Mall dedicates to their job to make us as successful as we are.”

And Myers shares that success with the community. He provides drivers education and coaches’ vehicles to high schools; sponsors the athletic department at the University of Southern Mississippi, as well as provide an annual academic scholarship to a worthy recipient; donates $500 each week to a local organization that’s helping the community; raises money for the Daphne YMCA; and has consistently supported and invested in outstanding local health care through the Thomas Hospital Foundation.

Myers is also a goal sponsor for St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital, having helped raise more than $1 million dollars during the last 15 years, and those funds have had a direct benefit on patient care in South Alabama. He also sponsors the Salvation Army and Prodisee Food Pantry, Baldwin County’s largest nonprofit emergency food pantry. “Each year, we strive to help feed those in need not only during the holiday season but year round,” he highlighted. “We impact so many on the Eastern Shore it is hard to choose just one important achievement that really stands apart from the rest.”

Dick Olsen, president, Bison Ford, Great Falls, Mont.

Olsen began his career in the car business while still in high school. He worked as a porter in the service department at his father’s dealership. In college, Olsen would return to the dealership during the summer to write service orders, and after graduation, he became a salesman. From there, Dick became F&I Manager and then Office Manager. Eventually, Olsen purchased the dealership from his father and became president of Bison Ford.

Since Olsen’s father founded the dealership in 1937, Bison Ford has been a family business — and a successful one at that. Olsen’s mother, Fern, was an integral part of the company, serving as the secretary/treasurer until 1986. Olsen’s daughter, Whitney, is currently vice president.

In addition to Bison Ford, Olson is also chairman of Helena Motors, a Ford-Toyota-Lincoln dealership and Helena Auto Center, a Buick-GMC-Honda dealership.  Olson has been active in the auto industry, serving as president of the Montana Automobile Dealers Association, MADA’s insurance company Big Sky Life, and the Montana Ford Dealers Advertising Association.

Olsen and his family donate a considerable amount of their time and resources to a number of charitable organizations. But their level of commitment and dedication to one charitable program in particular is truly inspiring.

Olsen and his wife, Debbie, are active in their church’s prison ministry outreach program and every Tuesday evening, they push book carts and provide library books to more than 400 inmates at the Cascade County Adult Detention Center. During the holiday season, Dick and Debbie Olsen collect gifts from members of their church and deliver them to the children of inmates.

“My wife, Debbie, and I feel that our purpose in life is to make a positive impact in our community, doing whatever we can to help those who are hungry, homeless, incarcerated (or are children of those incarcerated) or struggling in other ways,” Olson explained.  “We have tried to make a real difference through our personal involvement, contributing our time and effort and by sharing our personal and business resources with those in need.”

Geoffrey Pohanka, president, Pohanka Automotive Group, Marlow Heights, Md.

Pohanka grew up in the dealership world. His grandfather founded the Pohanka dealer business in 1919 in the nation’s capital. Forty years after that, Pohanka’s father took over and at age 13, Pohanka joined his dad to work in the parts department.

Today he holds the title as president of Pohanka Automotive Group, which was recently ranked in the top 30 dealership groups in the nation in new-vehicle retail sales. His stature in the industry made him a media resource during the depths of the recent recession, as he was interviewed extensively on national and local media with regard to the bailout of the manufacturers, Cash for Clunkers stimulus program and the closing of thousands of auto dealerships.
Along with holding several prominent positions within the automotive business, as well as winning numerous awards, Pohanka has contributed greatly to his community. He is a board member for the Greater Prince George’s County Business Roundtable, a non-profit, nonpartisan business alliance of chief executives, formed to improve the county’s political, economic and community environments.

Pohanka is a trustee for the Saint James School, where he is an alumnus, and has made financial contributions to scholarship funds and capital campaigns.  He also created the Pohanka Family Foundation, which makes substantial contributions to the community, including a program that enables college students to broaden their education at historic site through summer internship programs.  The foundation also underwrites the cost of National Park Service Rangers to attend seminars designed to strengthen their commitment to high-quality history teaching and funds the preservation of civil war battlefield sites.  He also supports many other important causes.  “What gives me the greatest satisfaction is giving generously to a few people and organizations who are trying to make a positive difference in people’s lives,” Pohanka stressed.

More nominee profiles can be found at allybizhero.com.