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Meet Our Staff - First Texas Honda of Austin
Genny, Will, and Joy Hardeman (Brother and Twin Sisters)
Executive Vice President (Genny) - Managing Partner (Will) - Visionary (Joy)
Hire Date 2/17/1984 (Genny)
Hire Date 7/18/1981 (Will)
Hire Date 2/17/1984 (Joy)
Although Genny is technically older than her twin sister by a few minutes, there was a clerical processing error that resulted in an original hire date of February 18, 1984. After completing her BBA in Finance at SMU, Genny dabbled in, and became quite successful day-trading foreign securities and pig-tail futures in her spare time away from the office. Genny is one of only two employees at First Texas Honda to have their name permanently etched into the cement parking block where she parks her new E-Class sans window tint at the moment. Each weekday you can find Genny, working on homework for the NADA program, through a door-less glass office outside the lower-level restrooms of First Texas Honda. If you don’t know who is who between the ‘twin towers’ as I call them, Genny is the one wearing the hot pink dress. She is also one of the few people, who on a consistent basis, can school and ace serve Mr. Jim Olmstead in tennis. Go Genny, Go!
Austin’s own Renaissance Man, Will is a force to reckon with on the gentleman sporting scene. When he isn’t hustling Hondas like hotcakes or lounging in his salt water pool with his dog, Nash, he is managing the construction of First Texas Honda’s new prime-time location at the Corner of Steck and Mopac. Will says the future location of First Texas Honda will be one of the country’s largest marquis Honda dealerships of its kind; Truly in a class by itself.
When she is not making gray skies blue, Joy enjoys enjoying herself. She is a talented dog-whisperer, an avid cyclist, and a sought-after companion. She is chatty too and enjoys a good crossword puzzle or a late evening walk on the Lions Municipal Golf Course with her two puppies, Ellie and Charlie. As one half of the team that joined the Continental Automotive Group on February 17, 1984, Joy has 25 years of automotive industry know-how. Although currently on hiatus to attend The University of Texas School of Law, Joy enjoys receiving CAG updates from her family and co-workers. Those who missed in work mode (see above photo) can also check Facebook for the photographic chronicle “A Day in the Office- Kicking Butt and Taking Names.”
Beverly Adamberry
Receptionist
Hire Date 8/13/2009 Beverly is a Cajun girl who moved to Austin from Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana. All of Beverly’s family is in Austin now, but she returns to Louisiana often to visit her family’s country home there. Beverly’s main hobbies are traveling and enjoying the Austin music scene. Her first husband was legendary Texas musician Doug Sahm, and she loves going to hear live music at places like Antone’s and the Continental Club. Beverly’s second husband was from England and ignited her love of international travel. She has visited 12 countries and says that London is her favorite city. Beverly is single and has one son, Dalton, and a Pomeranian named Crystal.
David Allen
Technician
Hire Date 5/4/2000 David plays darts and sometimes uses his skill to take people’s money. He enjoys Austin nightlife and going out to bars with his friends. Other hobbies are working on cars and cooking food on the grill. Ribs are his favorite thing to cook.
Leif Amland
Technician
Hire Date 6/30/2007 Leif if an Austin native and graduate of the W.R. Robbins High School. He enjoys spending time with family and friends, and enjoys those times better when there is fishing involved. Leif is a fitness buff and will be buying a mountain bike in the immediate future.
Andrea Baker
General Sales Manager
Hire Date 12/12/2007 Andrea is a native of Houston, but has been a converted “Austinite” since 1998. In that time, she has embraced all the best that Austin has to offer including live music, Longhorn football, and enjoying a cold one on Lake Travis. These activities keep her busy during her free time along with her wonderful husband Brent, 3 active teenagers Julian, Evan, and Caitlyn, and 2 excitable Boston Terriers, Melvin and Matilda. She has over 15 years experience in the automotive and finance industries. In fact, she started out as an 18 year old part-time receptionist at a Houston area dealership, and has held many other positions in sales and management prior to her appointment to General Sales Manager. Andrea loves working at First Texas Honda, and feels the secret to the dealership’s success lies in their obsessively customer focused attitude. She often reminds people “it’s the little things that matter”, and she enjoys meeting the daily challenges to ensure the customers of First Texas Honda have a buying and ownership experience second to none.
Billy Baker
Technician
Hire Date 9/20/2007 Billy is an Aries from Rancho Cucamonga, California. On the weekend, Billy goes to the lake and kicks back on his Crownline. His preferred car is the Ford Ranchero. In fact, Billy traded a ’67 Ranchero for his boat. He also enjoys motorcycles and competitive paintball.
Luis Barba
Service Consultant
Hire Date 8/25/2005 Luis has been at First Texas Honda for four years but has been working in the car business since he was 16. He is married and enjoys spending his free time on the softball field. A self-described sports nut, Luis’s favorite teams are the Cowboys, Longhorns, and Red Sox. It should be noted that Luis is not a new, post-World Series victory Red Sox supporter. He says that he started wearing the “B” hat when he was younger (“B”oston… “B”arba…) and has been a fan since then.
Beau Barrett
Sales Team Leader
Hire Date 4/1/2008
Beau Barrett (a.k.a Beau Smooth) came to First Texas Honda in April of 2008. He has played many roles at First Texas Honda. Beau started selling cars in June 2001, then became a Business Manager, and now he has recently been promoted to Team Leader! Beau lives in Round Rock with his lovely wife and two beautiful girls. He enjoys spending his off time taking his family to fun places, being the human jungle gym for his three year old Anna and nine month old Bella, or playing in his backyard with his Lab Morgan and Maltese Boo Boo. If you are visiting First Texas Honda, and are in the mood for a cup of coffee and good conversation feel free to pop into Beau’s office. He is always up for a good chat.
Michael Barth
Honda Product Specialist
Hire Date 2/10/2010 Michael was born in Austin and shortly thereafter removed to the deserts of Arabia, where he spent his formative years walking the tar-strewn beaches, nourishing himself on the local hamour and Vimto. His education focused on heatstroke prevention, spam acquisition and languages. As he grew, the citizens of his adoptive nation realized that he would only be a disruptive presence in their strict Islamic society, and he was returned to Austin. Upon transplant he discovered the joys of his native land; plentiful tortillas and avocados. Michael furthered his studies making temporary homes of other exotic locales, Argentina, Spain, and... Arkansas. The small residential college of Hendrix taught him the apiary arts and honed his Spanish skills. Michael kept on in Arkansas, accepting a position with the then most recent outpost of the Mexican government. Under the employ of Mexico, Michael helped his coworkers to decipher the Arkansans and to gain further acceptance among them. The call of his birthplace overcame him in the winter of 2009. The new decade dawns with Michael back in Austin. The END
Angela Berlin
Honda Product Specialist
Hire Date 3/25/2010 Angela was born in Korea, but she grew up in Arkansas. She recently graduated from Hendrix College, where she received her bachelor's in Chemistry. Next year, she plans to attend pharmacy school. Some of her favorite things are being outside, The Office, diet coke, tiramisu, and her Papillion, Ralphie.
Sharon Briggs
Honda Product Specialist
Hire Date 5/9/2005 Sharon is from Corpus Christi, Texas and enjoys swimming, travel, camping, bowling, and cooking. Sharon has over 11 years of experience in the automotive sales field. A single mom of 4 children and a grandmother to 5, Sharon is obviously a very busy lady. Sharon is affectionately called the “Work Mother” because she genuinely enjoys meeting and helping people every day. When she is not at work, Sharon loves spending time with her grandchildren.
Sean Bright
Technician
Hire Date 1/3/2006 Sean grew up in Center, Texas (northeast of Nacogdoches) and has lived in Austin for eight years. Race cars are Sean’s big interest, although he doesn’t do street racing anymore. His birthday is November 8th, and his favorite vacation spot is Cancun. Sean and his wife have one dog, a Lab-German Shepherd mix named Dusty.
Suzette and Justin Burrow (In-Laws!)
Marketing Consultant (Suzette) - Group Buyer (Justin)
Hire Date 1/14/2003 (Suzette)
Hire Date 1/28/2010 (Justin)
For the first 17 years of Suzette's life she lived in a small town outside of Austin called Dripping Springs. Once moving into Austin she started working for the Continental Automotive Group as a part-time receptionist at Mercedes-Benz of Austin. As she grew up she graduated from high school then went to college at Texas State University. Upon graduating from college she went off to explore the real world. She realized that didn't workout and she came back to where she was truly happy, the Continental Automotive Group. She is now working in public relations for the group. If you can't get enough of her from the informative videos on the web (coming soon to our website), then you can often find her at Auditorium Shores playing with her chocolate lab, Luke, and reading a book.
Justin was born in Houston but moved around a lot when he was younger. He has lived in Longview, Oklahoma, Houston, Austin, and Seguin when he was just in grade school. He later went to college in Houston at Rice University and ran track for the school. After college he decided to move to Seattle, on one of his flights back to Austin he met his lovely wife, Jackie, and later had a daughter, Milana. He is now back in Austin and working as a buyer for the Continental Automotive Group. We are excited about him being apart of our team.
David Cantu
Honda Product Specialist
Hire Date 2/10/2010 Mr. Cantu owes the Honda Princess a nice bouquet of flowers, because he hasn’t made time to sit down with her to write HIS company bio. I’m sure he’s a fascinating person; but he seems to be constantly busy with Honda shoppers…I guess I’ll give him a little bit of slack! David’s bio to be continued…
Brian Crim
Technician
Hire Date 3/29/2007 Brian is a local boy and a Round Rock High School Dragon (class of ’96). He has four kids of his own now, and spends his time outside of work playing board and computer games with the children, particularly Monopoly and Warcraft.
Karl Damkauskas
Technician
Hire Date 5/12/2008 Karl was born and raised in the great state of Massachusetts. He came to Austin from Springfield, Mass, almost one year ago. His two dogs are still there watching the house until it sells. In Austin Karl has a deluxe trailer where he hangs his hat. His interests include horseracing, motorcycles, travel, and scuba diving. Given a choice, Karl would rather be diving off the New England coast.
Mike Daniels
Honda Product Specialist
Hire Date 8/27/2007 Mike is a native Texan from Seguin. Mike brings over 10 years of automotive sales experience to the job and enjoys photography in his spare time. Mike has been married to his wife Suzane for 28 years and they have three wonderful children; Jake, Sarah, and Zak.
Chris Davison
Service Consultant
Hire Date 2/10/2010 Chris was born in Houston, Texas and later moved to Austin and graduated from Lake Travis H.S. in 1994. He later went on and got his degree from Sam Houston State University in Criminal Justice in 98'. Chris is definitely an animal lover; he has three dogs, a parrot, and two chickens. He is enjoys watching UT Football and long walks on the beach.
Gloria and Tony DeLaRosa (Siblings)
Title Clerk (Gloria) - Technician (Tony)
Hire Date 8/29/1992 (Gloria)
Hire Date 10/30/2006 (Tony) Gloria worked as a receptionist at the dealership before moving over to her current position as Title Clerk. Gloria says that a lot of people think she’s mean, but she just likes to get her work done. She laughs really hard (you can hear her down the hall) and has a brother, Tony, who works in the service department. Drinking beer is Gloria’s main hobby, and it’s an interest she has had for a number of years now. Born in Taylor, Texas, Gloria is number 12 of 15 kids! She and her husband have one son.
Tony loves everyone, and everyone loves Tony. Also, Tony has never told a lie. Tony currently has three kids and his wife is expecting a baby in May, right around his birthday. When he’s not working, Tony spends most of his time hanging out with his family.
Lesley Reyes and Jennifer 'The Honda Princess' DeLosSantos (Cousins)
Accounts Receivable (Lesley) - Customer Relations Manager (Jennifer)
Hire Date 1/8/2001 (Lesley)
Hire Date 2/11/1998 (Jennifer)
Lesley is an expert at Accounts Receivable; you should see her work a 10 key! Lesley is the proud mother of 3 handsome boys; 2 of which are TWINS. She has also been with the company since 2001 and is one of the nicest employees to work with. Outside of the office she enjoys family time and watching ANY movie Vin Diesel stars in.
Jennifer DLS is the self proclaimed 'Honda Princess' With 11 years under her belt I guess she deserves the title! Jennifer is one of the 'Go to Gals' in the dealership and looks forward to a long career at FTH. Outside the office she enjoys family gatherings, sand volleyball, and tending to her 1st home on 5 acres with her new husband. She eloped in La Jolla, CA this December!!!
Mike Deltz
Honda Product Specialist
Hire Date 11/18/2002 Mike's son, Grant, is one of the coolest kids around! They both enjoy being active in sports, watching UT football, and hanging out. Mike is a dedicated Sales Representative and has one of the Highest Customer Satisfaction scores returned by customer feedback. Mike has also received many accreditations from American Honda Motor Company.
Andrew Dimayuga
Honda Product Specialist
Hire Date 7/5/2010 Andrew is extremely new to Austin and Texas for that matter. Andrew moved here from Jersey City, New Jersey. Surprisingly, he does not possess the Jersey Shore cast member accent, which can be a tad disappointing. He makes up for his lack of a quirky speaking voice with his talent on a guitar. Live music and family were his main attraction in his decision making to spread his wings and head to ATX. Andrew is excited to be here and would like to join your band!
Chris Dugas
Sales Team Leader
Hire Date 6/18/2001 Chris is from Lockhart, Texas and has been selling Honda automobiles for over 8 years. Chris is an avid outdoorsman who enjoys bike riding, fishing, boating and kayaking. Chris also has a “green” thumb when it comes to growing agave plants.
Gary Dydalewicz
Shop Foreman
Hire Date 7/30/1990 Gary has spent 19 years with the Continental Automotive Group and has over 30 years of experience servicing Hondas. He has been married for 31 years and has two sons. His older son is a senior at Texas A&M, and his younger son is a left-handed pitcher who was drafted out of high school by the Astros organization. Gary, who has always been a big Astros fan, traveled up to see his son play single A ball with the Lexington Legends this past summer. When he’s not working or watching baseball, Gary enjoys riding his motorcycle, hunting, and fishing.
Rick Egbert
Parts Manager
Hire Date 6/19/1995 Rick Egbert has been employed by Continental Auto Group since 1995, starting at Mercedes Benz of Austin and moving up to First Texas Honda! A 1967 graduate of Texas Western (UT El Paso), he owned McAllen Imported Car Center from 1975-1995. His brother Larry still owns Egbert’s Mercedes Repair in McAllen. Rick and his wife Kathy (an RN and Published Author) have the best daughters and 4 most perfect grandchildren in the world!
Patrick and Don Elmore (Son and Father)
Technician (Patrick) - Courtsey Van Driver (Don)
Hire Date 8/2/2004 (Patrick)
Hire Date 6/26/2007 (Don)
Patrick was born and raised in Austin and a graduate of Reagan High School. He is a fisherman and a family man (two kids in college, two at the house). Once in a while he gets the remote control to himself and when he does, he catches a fishing show off the DVR.
Don is a big golfer (handicap of 7) and also enjoys playing the guitar. He and his wife of 18 years have two grown sons and six grandchildren. With all kids and grandkids here in Austin, Don tries to spend as much time as he can with his family.
Ashley Flowers
Internal Consultant
Hire Date 12/28/2007 Ashley grew up in Austin and is currently taking classes at ACC. She wants to be a first grade teacher and have a really big family (she loves kids). The beach is Ashley’s favorite place to vacation, but, even though she loves the water, she thinks that jet skiing is the scariest thing ever. Ashley has never been outside of Texas but would love to travel. Florida is the place that she would most like to visit, and she really wants to be in two places at once.
James Garcia
Technician
Hire Date 12/1/2008 James has been married for 17 years and has a six-year-old daughter. James enjoys taking trips with his family and surprised his daughter with a Disneyworld vacation this past summer. They traveled all the way to the entrance of the theme park without telling her where they were going! James restores old air-cooled Volkswagens and generally enjoys drinking beer and working on cars. He is also taking ballroom dancing lessons and hopes to do that competitively one day.
John Martin Garcia
Express Lube Technician
Hire Date 9/3/2008 John Martin is a native Austinite and graduate of Del Valle High School. On the weekends he likes to watch football (his teams are the Pittsburgh Steelers and Dallas Cowboys) and drink Budweiser. John also enjoys spending time with his three-year-old daughter and taking her swimming. Everyone tell John congratulations when you see him- he and his wife Erica are expecting another baby on Cinco de Mayo!
Gary Gasca
Retail / Back Counter
Hire Date 8/7/2006 Gary has one daughter and enjoys spending time with his family. Bacon-wrapped shrimp is his favorite food, and he loves outdoor activities like camping, bike riding, and saltwater fishing. Gary actually just returned from a vacation in Rockport, where he caught a bunch of redfish. Gary also spends a lot of time cleaning his truck. The truck has a killer stereo system in it, but Gary will probably be deaf by the time he is 45.
Wylane Clark and Shane Gilbert (In-Laws!)
Accounts Receivable (Wylane) - Corporate Internet Sales Manager (Shane)
Hire Date 11/27/1996 (Wylane)
Hire Date 7/14/2003 (Shane) Shane Gilbert started his career at First Texas Honda in the service department back in 2003. Shane took a 3 year hiatus to become a stay at home dad and came back to the dealership in 2008 (to protect his sanity – hats off to all moms and caregivers). Shane Gilbert is proud to be a decorated veteran of the US Air Force and served in Dhahran and Riyadh Saudi Arabia during Operation Desert Shield and Storm. When not at work running the Internet Department at First Texas Honda, Shane enjoys spending time with his wife of 20 years, Kelly, and his two boys Christian and Caleb.
Wylane is the Official 'Go-to Gal' If you have a problem in the dealership, she will point you in the right direction to get it handled, but make sure to bring her a receipt for the charges! Wylane Facts: She was raised in Oklahoma but doesn’t bleed Crimson (but her sister DOES)! She’s an amazing Nanny, Mother, Wife and Cook! Other than that Wylane is just an overall 'Lovely' person.
Angelica Gomez
Service Cashier
Hire Date 3/6/2010 Angelica is one of our born and raised Austinites here at First Texas Honda. Angelica delights in hanging out with her friends, family and boyfriend in her spare time. In her previous life, before Honda, she waited tables at an old fashioned malt shop and worked with kids at extend-a-care.
Pete Gonzales
Retail / Back Counter
Hire Date 8/13/1993 Pete began as a driver at Honda before moving to the warehouse and then to his current position in parts. Pete’s hobbies include cycling, playing with cars, and spending time with his family. Pete and his wife, a pharmacy technician, have two children and enjoy going out for family dinners on Sundays. Pete’s daughter is a kindergarten teacher, and his son works as a technician at Mercedes Benz of Austin. Pete is currently modifying a 2006 Ford Mustang and enjoys going with his son to the drag strip in Marion, Texas, to drive and watch races.
Reyes Gonzales
Express Lube Technician
Hire Date 11/25/2008 Reyes is from the Rio Grande Valley and has been in Austin for the past four years. When he’s not working in the service department, Reyes plays basketball and other sports with friends and also likes taking his dogs to the park. Reyes has a Lab named Manu and a West Highland Terrier named Poncho.
Matthew Grube
Technician
Hire Date 1/19/2006 Matt has lived in Austin for the past 15 years and says that one of the things he enjoys most about the city is the nightlife. If you see Matt out on West Sixth or Fourth Street, order him a gin drink (his favorite is Bombay Sapphire). Matt also enjoys kayaking and playing the drums, bass, or guitar. Italian motorcycles are another one of Matt’s interests. He likes driving really fast and goes to the track to race. Matt also spends time with his dog, Pong, a black Lab-Great Dane mix.
David and Christy Heenan (Married)
Technician (David) and Used Car Inventory Manager (Christy)
Hire Date (David) 11/16/2009
Hire Date (Christy) 05/03/2010 Meet Mr. & Mrs. Heenan. These two love birds met at First Texas Honda around 2003, then tied the knot in 2006 (during their LUNCH BREAK, by the General Manager’s judge buddy!) David has been turning wrenches since he was 15yrs old and Christy has experience assisting service directors, writing service, tinting windows, and now Managing our growing Used Car inventory. In their spare time the Heenans LOVE watching movies and entertaining their three girls, Brooklyne, Haley, and Juliana.
Sergio Hernandez
Technician
Hire Date 1/10/2002 Sergio has pet Tarantulas as work. We were going to try to have one of them in the photo, but she didn't take to liking that idea. - Sergio's Manager Garrett seems to be deathly afraid of the little spider...
Geoff Horni
Honda Product Specialist
Hire Date 8/12/2009 Born in Olympia, WA, but raised in Texas since first grade making him a 95% Texas native. He served 4 years in the U.S. Navy, and 10 years at a U.S. advertising agency before finding his place at First Texas Honda. He likes to spend my free time with his wife and family. His hobbies include irritating the wife with his video game habit and irritating joggers on his mountain bike.
Craig Hotmann
Dispatcher
Hire Date 8/24/2000 Craig’s dad owned a Honda dealership in Houston, so Craig grew up learning about Hondas. He has been working in the automotive industry for 29 years, and his wife of 19 years is also in the car business. They have two children and live out in the country with dogs, cats, chickens, and a turtle named Willie. Willie wasn’t named after anyone in particular; he just looked like a Willie. Craig’s hobbies include photography and guitar, and his favorite restaurants are Houston’s, The County Line, and Iron Works. Craig’s relatives came to Industry, Texas, in the 1830s and were some of the earliest German settlers in Central Texas.
Dave Jackson
Honda Product Specialist
Hire Date 7/5/2010 A Chicago native, Dave visited Austin fifteen years ago and always had his eyes set to move here and five months ago he took the much anticipated plunge. Dave loves to travel; he has been to many places ranging from Indonesia to New Zealand. Austin is an exciting place for someone with interests like Dave that include live music and spicy food. Dave has two great kids, which he adores.
Julie Jackson
Retail / Front Counter
Hire Date 6/10/2002 Ms. Jackson was born in Kerrville, graduated from Hayes High School, and lives in Manor with her 1966 El Camino. She likes to spend free time fixing up this prized Chevy. Julie has not yet taken on the responsibility of pets or houseplants. She is an Aquarius and likes music. The last show she saw was the 'Hard Luck Heroes' at Headhunters.
Tonya Janowski
Cashier
Hire Date 5/4/1999 Tonya was born in Nebraska and is a huge Huskers fan (see office décor). She is married with two teenage kids and has been serving customers at Honda for 10 years. Tonya loves watching sports and has fun giving people a hard time, especially her co-workers. Tonya’s favorite color is Huskers red.
Oscar Jaramillo
Sales Porter
Hire Date 10/14/2008 Originally from Mexico City, Oscar has lived in Austin for 24 years and loves the city for its people and (relative) calmness. Oscar’s wife is still in Mexico so he travels there to visit but is kept busy in Austin with his four kids. He enjoys taking the kids to the movies or out to eat or to Zilker Park. Oscar also likes watching soccer and cheers for the Mexican national team.
Lois Jordan
Honda Product Specialist
Hire Date 5/21/1990 Lois Jordan has been selling cars for over 30 years in Texas, 20 years at First Texas Honda. Lois has been married for 44 years to Mr. Darrell Jordan. Together, they have raised 5 children and have 12 grandchildren, and 2 great-grand children. Lois loves decorating, sewing, and making clothing for her grandchildren. Lois's wall in her office is covered with Salesman of the Month plaques. I think she has more than everyone else combined.
Bobby Lara
Courtsey Van Driver
Hire Date 1/25/2002 Robert retired after 35 years with the US Postal Service and has been driving customers at Honda for the past eight years. He enjoys playing golf and loves to give Huskers fans HELL because he’s such a big UT fan (and because it’s easy to make fun of Nebraska fans).
Diana Lespron
BDC Client Care Representative
Hire Date 8/6/2004 Diana moved to Austin from Phoenix Arizona. She has two children, a son and a daughter. When she is not at work she likes to go on evening bike rides or walks with her children. She also likes to dog sit, go to local parks, shop, and to just hang out with her family and dear friends. Diana is always smiling and is a pleasure to work with. Her favorite color changes daily and is based on a variety of different factors.
Karl Lewis
Honda Product Specialist
Hire Date 5/15/2000 Karl is from Kinston, North Carolina but has called Texas home for over 23 years. Karl served in the US Air Force for 8 years and has been selling cars for over 10 years at First Texas Honda. When not at work, Karl enjoys writing poetry, screenplays, and singing at church. Karl has two wonderful children, Ashton and Alicia.
Kent, Tanner and Garrett Liming (Grandfather, Grandson, and Son)
Wholesale Buyer (Kent) - Future 4th Generation Employee (Tanner) - Service Director (Garrett)
Hire Date 8/21/1977 (Kent)
Hire Date 5/26/2028 (Tanner)
Hire Date 10/7/1996 (Garrett)
Did anyone know that Garrett’s grandfather served as LBJ’s personal pilot? Garrett is a native Austinite with a long family history in Austin and at First Texas Honda. Often referred to as a third generation Honda employee, Garrett’s dad Kent began working at the dealership when Garrett was two years old. Garrett joined the team 20+ years later and now heads up the Service Department. In 2002, Garrett encountered an especially difficult customer and decided to marry her (“with permission from her dad and my boss”). Garrett and his wife have two children, ages three and two, and enjoys traveling around the US. Baseball is one of Garret’s big interests; he plays in an amateur men’s baseball league and is already looking forward to coaching his children. Garrett also enjoys outdoor activities and Mexican food. His favorite Mexican restaurant here in Austin is Jardin Corona’s.
Kent began his career at First Texas Honda in 1977 when his son Garrett was just a toddler. Ten years later, Kent’s twin brother Brett joined the Continental Automotive Group and is now Finance Manager at Mercedes. Kent says that he and Brett used to be identical twins but Brett didn’t learn to love food as much as he did. Kent attributes his long stay at Honda to both the employees and management. He enjoys working for a family-run, locally owned and operated business where everyone knows your name and values the work you do.
Kent races a 1970 Vintage Formula Car in the CVAR racing organization and has been his class champion seven of the past eight years. Music is another one of Kent’s interests, and he has played guitar in numerous bands throughout the years. Highlights include playing an opening set for Jimi Hendrix and also before Eric Burdon and the Animals. Kent now uses his musical talents at his church, where he volunteers as a music director. Kent and his wife Helene live out in Driftwood, a town so small that all the city limit signs are on the same pole. Even with all his interesting hobbies, Kent says spending time with his family and grandchildren is what he enjoys most.
Juan Carlos Morales and JR 'Jamica' Lopez (Uncle and Nephew)
Parts Specialist (Juan Carlos) - Parts Warehouse (JR)
Hire Date 6/2/2008 (Juan Carlos)
Hire Date 5/8/2008 (JR)
Carlos is a native Austinite and graduate of Pflugerville High School. He likes to paintball, play basketball and football, go fishing in Bastrop, and hang out with his three pit bulls: Zeus, Baby, and Mya. Carlos also loves Chinese food, and his favorite movie is Love and Basketball.
Although he graduated just two years ago, "Jamicia" (as Diana our receptionist knows him by) does not remember anything noteworthy about his days at Pflugerville High School. He has a Ducati 1098 motorcycle. He would like to taste a purple margarita from Baby A’s when he turns twenty-one (next year). JR is presently hoping his parents will move out soon so he can take over their house.
Levi Lohrman
CAG Austin - IT Director
Hire Date 5/19/2008 Levi offices upstairs at FTH, right next to our main server, our surveillance monitors, and some obsolete computer equipment. He signed the papers on his new (well, new to him) Subaru Forester the morning of his interview here (a Honda CR-V was his second choice). We're not saying that's the reason he was hired, but it definitely didn't hurt his chances. He is now the master of all things IT for First Texas Honda, so if you have any computer-related problems, feel free to ask. Oh and don't steal anything from Levi's office ... It is frowned upon.
Jarrett Ludwig
Honda Product Specialist
Hire Date 11/15/2007 Jarrett grew up in the shadows of the First Texas Honda and graduated from McCallum in 2003. He has six years in the automotive industry. One day Jarrett would like to work in law enforcement. He enjoys everything about water, especially playing in it. Not many people know this, but Jarrett is actually alergic to his job here at First Texas Honda. Hard work makes him break out in hives...
Paul Mancillas
Technician
Hire Date 6/1/2006 Paul began working in the service department as part of an internship through McCallum High School and later decided to become a full-time employee. His hobbies include working on cars and spending time with his girlfriend. They like to watch movies together, and Paul’s favorite movie is The Bronx Tale.
Symone Marshall
Cashier
Hire Date 3/6/2010 Symone Marshall has lived her whole life here in Austin and she sure is enjoying herself. She just recently joined the First Texas Honda crew about 4 months ago. She really enjoys the work and she finds the people here quite funny. She is going into her senior year of high school and she is an avid Volleyball and Kickball player. Green is her favorite color and she absolutely loves Chinese food. Her favorite Chinese restaurant is one that is down in Corpus Christi!
Melissa Massey
Honda Product Specialist
Hire Date 3/25/2010 Meet Melissa; she’s originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana but has been in Austin since 1998. We are excited to have her cheerful presence on our team. When Melissa isn’t busy corresponding with customers she enjoys cooking, gardening, and riding the motorcycle with her better half, Charlie.
Carlos Mata
Technician
Hire Date 8/12/2008 Carlos hunts close to home. After graduating from McCallum High School in 2006, he took a short walk down the street and found a job at the First Texas Honda. He enjoys sports, and was a wide receiver and a forward on the varsity Knight football and basketball squads. His fiancée's name is Yeimi and their daughter's name is Yaelly.
Darryl Meaux
Network Administrator
Hire Date 3/1/2010 Daryl is no stranger to the car industry, and after 15 years of being an outside source for the IT department, he has decided to join the group as an IT specialist. He enjoys spending time with his family when he is not at work. He loves to travel, watch sports, and stay active by being outdoors including time on the lake.
Desiree Baca and Jonathan Mercado (Married)
Reservationist (Desiree) and Technician (Jonathan)
Hire Date 9/29/2008 (Jonathan)
Hire Date 9/29/2008 (Desiree) Jonathan comes to Austin from Lubbock, Texas. He enjoys working out, shooting hoops, and working on cars. His son Jeremiah is eighteen months old. His motorcycle is a Suzuki Hayabusa.
Desiree moved to Austin from Lubbock and is a big Tech fan. She and her husband Jonathan, who also works in the Honda service department, have a two-year-old named Jeremiah. On top of working and chasing after her son, Desiree is also taking classes to be a certified nurse midwife. She loves shopping and is a diehard Twilight fan- one day she’ll leave her husband for Edward Cullen.
Joe Mills
Technician Mentor
Hire Date 2/7/2008 An Austinite since 1974, Joe has been in the automotive repair business for over 30 years. Joe joined First Texas Honda in 1984 as a mechanic/technician and is currently mentor to several technicians. Through hard work and dedication, Joe is proud to have consistently maintained his ASE master technician level of expertise in the automotive field.
In his personal time, Joe and his wife of 20 years enjoy taking trips on his Honda Valkyre and spending time with friends and family. They have four sons, two of which are grown and have started families or careers of their own. His youngest son, Sammy, plays various sports for the Liberty Hill High School Panther’s. Bobby is in his first year at Abilene Christian University studying Psychology.
Hilda Mitchell
Hire Date 8/21/1997
Hilda was born in 1941 in Breslau, Germany, now Poland. She has been married for 48 years to Joe Mitchell and has three sons, Kevin, Randy, and Eric and two grandchildren, Colton and Meg. Hilda came to America in 1961 and has been employed by First Texas Honda for 12 years. Hilda loves to shop at Costco and loves to cook German food. Hilda loves plants and animals of all types and she feeds homeless cats at FTH every morning.
Davd Moll
Honda Product Specialist
Hire Date 3/25/2010 David has been in Austin for over 10 years and wouldn't be anywhere else.In the past he has worked on the lake and has done everything from boat repair to managing a small crew at a local marina.When not working, he's with his wife, Stephanie, and daughter, AJ, grilling a thick steak or hanging out at the park.
Teddy Mooney
Warranty Administrator
Hire Date 11/21/1988 Teddy has been serving customers at First Texas Honda for over 20 years and says that it has been great working for Mr. Hardeman.
Zepp Moore
Technician
Hire Date 9/27/2007 Zepp grew up here in Austin and names Guerro’s as his favorite Mexican restaurant. He loves working on cars and motorcycles and also likes playing and watching pretty much every sport, especially basketball (plays every Sunday) and UT football (just watches). Zepp is also recently engaged! He and his fiancé Amanda are planning a July wedding.
Jim Olmstead
General Manager
Hire Date 7/10/1989 Jim Olmstead, a Forth Worth native, moved to Austin in 1969 and began working with the Continental Automotive Group that same year. Jim was practically born into the automotive business, as his father was a service director and then an automotive shop owner for over 30 years. Jim has worked and gained recognition in every dealership department: service, parts, sales and finance. Jim is currently serving as an officer for the Austin Automobile Dealers Association and has for the past 12 years. He also served honorably in the US Marines. Jim plays high level tennis and has gone as far as the Texas State Tournament. He is a steadfast Longhorn fan and rarely misses a football or basketball game. Jim has three grown children and three adorable grandchildren that he and his wife Diana love to spoil.
Preston Oquin
Technician
Hire Date 2/22/2007 Preston is originally from Colorado and moved to Austin when he was in fifth grade. He returns to Colorado at least once a year to visit relatives or go snowboarding. Preston also likes riding his sport bike (an SV650S) and taking it to the track to race. His favorite bands are Tool and the Def Tones.
Thomas and Emilio Pardo (Father and Son)
Porter/Greeter (Thomas) - Technician (Emilio)
Hire Date 3/8/2001 (Thomas)
Hire Date 8/4/1994 (Emilio)
Thomas has been in the car business all his life. His favorite past times are fishing, NASCAR, and spending time with his wife at home and eating her home cook meals…yum! His son Emilio has worked at First Texas Honda since 1994. Emilio has a couple of hobbies such as riding motorcycles and cars in general. He says that he doesn’t necessarily like working on car on his own time because he get enough of that at work but looking and learning about cars is one of his favorite past times. If he could travel anywhere in the world he said he would go to Eygpt to see the pyramids and learn about the history of the country.
Michael Tyler Pelham
Honda Product Specialist
Hire Date 7/5/2010 A self-proclaimed Honda Guru, Tyler grew up on our showroom floor. Away from work he can be found running along Town Lake, playing with his three cats, but more importantly his German Sheppard, or speeding around in his beloved Accord V6. Tyler’s proud to be working with the First Texas Honda family.
Jessica Pena
Cashier
Hire Date 8/27/2008 Jessica is another native Austinite and graduate of Austin High School. Jessica has two children, ages seven and nine, and a Chow named Oso. She loves music and once sang in an alternative rock band. Jessica still enjoys singing from the audience; she loves live music and is a big concertgoer. A favorite concert memory is when she got to go backstage and meet 311 and the Wu-Tang Clan.
Jeff Perantoni
Honda Product Specialist
Hire Date 3/25/2010 Mr. Perantoni was born in New Orleans, Louisiana and has lived in Austin since 2008. Jeff is a 3rd generation Honda employee; both his sister and father have previously worked for First Texas Honda. After chatting with Jeff I can’t express JUST how much he LOVES cereal, basketball, cereal, tubing, and cereal.
Kim Pierce
Financial Services Director
Hire Date 7/14/2007 Thanks to Beau Smooth, Kim is known to our team as KKRED. She is originally from the Midwest but believes she is now a "naturalized" Texan since she has been here for 28 years. Kim has 2 grown children that she spends as much time with as their schedule will allow. She is fairly new to the car business, starting originally as a part time receptionist. Her background is in insurance for 25 years, but is happy to spend the rest of her career at FTH. In her rare spare time, you will either find her winding down with a diet cuba-libra or dreaming about her next vacation to "anywhere with a warm beach, cool drink, and a hot blackjack table"
Armando Ponce
Service Drive Manager
Hire Date 6/6/2001 Armando is a father of three and husband of one who spends most of his free time with his family. Armando likes being outside and has fun going fishing and camping with his kids. Although his wife doesn’t love the outdoors as much as Armando, one thing they do enjoy together is watching college sports. Armando is a Longhorn fan but loves watching every college football team (except LSU). Armando admits that his wife is better at predicting the winners, especially with college basketball.
Natalie Procell
Evening Receptionist
Hire Date: 4/26/2010 Born and raised in Austin, Natalie enjoys finding new music and going to see shows. She is currently enrolled at ACC and hopes to be able to take opera lessons someday soon. She is also the proud owner of Astro, the best chihuahua in the world!
Lorenzo Ray
Evening Porter / Detailer
Hire Date 6/21/2004 Lorenzo Ray, from Plain Dealing, Louisiana, is THE biggest LSU fan. He loves football and spent time playing tailback in a semi-pro league. (Ask him to see his huge championship ring.) For the past 10 years Lorenzo has also worked at LBJ High School, where he loves getting to know the LBJ football players and following them in their college careers. The players are all over the country and give Lorenzo tickets to come see them play. The baby of ten (!) children, Lorenzo considers himself a family man and goes back to Louisiana often to visit everyone. He has three kids himself, the youngest of which lives here in Austin.
Teri Rank
Sales Team Leader
Hire Date 9/14/2009 Teri has two daughters, ages 19 and 21, and a five-month-old granddaughter. Port Aransas is her favorite vacation spot in Texas, and she loves Italian food. For the past three years, Teri has worked as co-director of Safe Haven Animal Rescue and has adopted five dogs through the organization. Teri is mom to Gus, Ziggy, Haley, Geogia, and Bud.
Ruben Reyes
Porter / Greeter
Hire Date 5/3/2010 Ruben Reyes just recently joined the First Texas Honda team about a month and a half ago. He is already in love with it; he loves the job, the people, and the customers. He and his wife have 3 kids and a whole bunch of grandkids. In his spare time, Ruben loves to go fishing with his son-in-law. He hasn't caught anything big yet, but he's still hoping! Outside of fishing and working, his all time favorite thing is to hang out with all his grandkids here in Austin.
Joe Reyna
Honda Product Specialist
Hire Date 5/5/2008 Born in Corpus Christi, Texas, Joe joined the U.S. Army after high school and served his country for 10 years. Joe is a dad of six kids (3 boys and 3 girls), and as if that wasn't enough he also does a radio show for a Tejano Music station in Austin, Texas and is known in the Tejano industry as "Crazy J".
Caleb Reynolds
Service Consultant
Hire Date 10/7/2008 Caleb joined First Texas Honda a year ago but has over ten years of experience in the automotive industry. Movies are one of Caleb’s big interests, and he enjoys making short films and writing screenplays with his friend. Gladiator is his favorite movie. Another hobby is SCCA racing, where Caleb likes both watching and racing himself. Caleb has a one-year-old daughter named Marley (after Bob) and a Beagle named Roxy.
Teresa Rodriguez
EXPRESS Service Advisor
Hire Date 7/5/2010 Teresa is from a big family and started her life out here in Austin, Texas and never found a good reason to leave our great city. By far her favorite food is her mom's one of a kind of peppered steak. Teresa has a seven year old son whom she adores and loves to spend time with. Teresa's second favorite past time, after her baby boy is dancing, anywhere, anytime, to any music, Teresa WILL cut a rug!
Craig Sager
Service Manager
Hire Date 6/18/2003 Craig has lived in Austin for over 20 years and has been working in the automotive industry since 1995. He sold cars before switching over to the service side and now assists customers as a Service Manager. Craig has a 10-year-old son and says that his hobbies are the three things that they do together: hunt, fish, and play baseball. Craig helps coach his son’s baseball teams but doesn’t need to provide much coaching when they’re hunting. His son bagged his first deer, a 10 point buck, when he was only seven years old.
Jennifer and Jeanne Schull (Twins)
Accessory Sales / Sales Team Leader
Hire Date 10/1/2009 (Jennifer)
Hire Date 6/17/2008 (Jeanne)
Jennifer loves her cat Saba and also loves to gamble. She likes playing at the casinos in Vegas (her favorite is the Bellagio) but generally enjoys anything that you put money on; it doesn’t even have to be a real game. Jennifer has been playing the piano for a long time and is now learning how to play the guitar. Her teacher/boyfriend already thinks she’s a natural. Jennifer also just recently retired from bartending after 10 years at various bars around Austin. Looking at Jennifer and her twin sister Jeanne, you may think that they are indistinguishable… almost.
Jeanne is very cool and is one of the nicest people to buy a car from at First Texas Honda. She has just recently been promoted from Aftermarket Accessories to Business Manager! She has been adding a sprinkle of fun to our family for just over one year now. She has an educational background in Sociology and Business from UT Austin and spent a few years living in London. At home, Jeanne spends time with her long-haired Chihuahua, Ziggy Stardust. Her favorite color is black because she appreciates and identifies with the classiness of the color, not because she is into Goth. She also refuses to go on Chris Dugas's Ridgeline pulled boat. Jeanne, or her twin, can often be seen in two places at once.
Michael and Michael Self (Father and Son)
Technician and Express Service Technician
Hire Date 10/20/2008 (Michael)
Hire Date (Michael) Mike has a Harley Davidson motorcycle and doesn't really like to take photos. He is very friendly and fun to talk to.
Born/Raised in Bastrop, TX. Graduated Bastrop H.S. 08'. Interests: Football, Sport bikes, working on his Chevrolet Silverado, and anything that involves cold beverages.
Angie Shaul
Hire Date 9/6/2007
Angie is a homegrown Austin girl who graduated right around the corner from McCallum High School. She just moved into her own place and, on top of her work at Honda, is also taking classes at ACC. Gymnastics is her favorite class so far. Angie enjoys spending time with her family and visiting relatives in Houston. Her favorite restaurant is Sao Paulo’s Brazilian Restaurant.
Timothy and Rachel Shook (Brother and Sister)
Marketing and Internet Sales Director (Timothy) - Internet Assistant (Rachel)
Hire Date 5/15/2004 (Timothy)
Hire Date 5/26/2009 (Rachel) For hide-and-go-seek my little sister fits just right in the Honda Ridgeline hidden trunk compartment. I wonder if the twins can fit at the same time... Any bets? My favorite Honda by far is the Insight Hybrid. Those blue and green eco games are so fun. Plus, if you draft behind semi's on 183 you can get about 60 mpg. Oh, and with the back seat folded down one can transport 500 pounds of manure and still get 40 mpg - or so I've heard...
Kristen Simmons
Document Processor
Hire Date 6/17/2010 Kristen was born in Illinois and shortly thereafter made her way to San Antonio. Her father was stationed in the South Texas city while in the Air Force. Kristen is a pup to Austin, calling our lovely city home since July 1st. Her extracurricular activities include hiking the greenbelt and town lake to satisfy her love of nature. When Kristen is indoors she frequents her neighborhood library to dive into a great read. Kristen is planning on taking classes at ACC this spring semester to learn about HTML web design and digital editing. She is a licensed esthetician and worked for a top spa in San Antonio. This is Kristen’s first time in the car biz and she is excited to see where it goes.
Jeff Smith
Service Consultant
Hire Date 9/8/2008 Jeff is a native Austinite now residing on Lake Buchanan. Jeff has been a service consultant for more than 21 years and continues to enjoy his work at First Texas Honda. He is always glad to help anyone! Jeff has been married for 22 years and has two fantastic grandchildren.
Louise Swanepoel
Technician
Hire Date 3/15/2010
Louise grew up in South Africa up until her and her family moved to the United States in 1996. She went to University of Texas and graduated with a bachelor degree in English and German. Her favorite hobby is Martial Arts, she even boxed in the Austin Golden Gloves and WON! She said the funniest thing about her is that she still lives with her parents while she is paying off student loans. We are excited to have her apart of our team!
John Takenaka
Honda Product Specialist
Hire Date 3/25/2010 John was born in Korea, grew up in Hawaii, and has lived in Austin since 1985. John worked for Mrs. Baird’s for 20 years so being a family dealership, we knew this spoke highly of his loyalty. You can find John on the golf course in his spare time; not to mention with his 2 great kids. “All I can say is I like people and I'm a Happy Go Lucky kind of guy”
Bob Towne
Service Advisor
Hire Date 8/17/2006 Bob lived in Amman, Jordan, for two years during his childhood but otherwise grew up outside of Washington DC. He soon realized what he was missing in Texas and moved to Austin in 1974. He obtained a degree in radio, film, and television from UT (the same thing Levi studied at UT) and loves watching and making movies. One of his short films was actually included in a KLRU program and played on television. If he had to make a list of his favorite movies it would include The Godfather, Dr. Strangelove, and Lawrence of Arabia. Bob also enjoys cycling and spending time with his wife Susan, a theatrical costume designer. Bob has lots of interesting facts about his relatives: he had two great, great (plus lots more greats) grandaunts who were hung during the Salem Witch Trials and also has family who came to Austin in a covered wagon in 1852.
David Tran
Honda Product Specialist
Hire Date 8/16/2002 David Tran was born in Vietnam and moved to the United States when he was 2 years old. David started his career at First Texas Honda in 2002 and has over 9 years experience in the automotive sales industry. David took a brief hiatus to start a graphics design company called Evolution Graphics which specializes in visual advertisement applications. David is an avid runner (4 miles a day), loves automobiles, and is fluent in Vietnamese. Welcome back David!
Frank Tran
Technician
Hire Date 7/15/1999 David was born in Vietnam but moved when he was two months old Originally from southern Vietnam, Frank moved to the US in 1984 and lived in Minnesota and California before settling in Austin in 1997. Frank worked as a mechanics teacher in Vietnam and quickly found his way into the automotive industry after moving to the US. He has been working on Hondas since 1994 and has served customers at First Texas Honda for the past ten years. Frank loves Japanese gardens and enjoys working in his own garden, where he grows vegetables and various plants and flowers. Frank has a brother and sister in here Austin and has traveled back to Vietnam twice to visit his family there.
Craig Valashek
Honda Product Specialist
Hire Date 7/5/2010 Craig originated from Iowa, but has been in this “everything is bigger” state since 1973 and specifically Austin since 1988. Craig is in love with Austin because of its “laid back atmosphere.” Everyone at First Texas Honda will be on their best behavior from now on because Craig was in the criminal justice field for 30 years, ranging in titles from police officer to parole officer and was also involved with the federal system. Coming out of retirement or what Craig referred to as his own personal hard time, Craig wanted to do something completely different and we are lucky that he decided to make this his new and exciting venture! Craig is a family man with a loving wife and two grown children, his eighteen year old is starting UT this fall. In his spare time he likes to jog and he use to ride motorcycles, very robo cop of him!
Craig Walton
Service Consultant
Hire Date 6/19/2007 Craig grew up in Austin and earned his degree from Texas State University. He is a UT football fan and enjoys outdoor activities like hunting, fishing, and camping. Craig’s favorite restaurant is Outback, and his favorite movies are crazy comedies like Space Balls. One thing you may not know about Craig is that he was once a professional model. A few years ago, the sporting goods store Academy paid Craig to pose in pictures that they used in sales fliers, advertisements, and store posters. If you’re ever in an Academy store in Louisiana, you may be lucky enough to see a photo of Craig fishing on his boat.
Chris Wanken
Honda Product Specialist
Hire Date 7/5/2010 Raised in Dallas, Chris and his family just moved back to Texas mere months ago from sunny L.A. Chris before entering the car business was into politics and worked two years in the Clinton White House in D.C. He possesses a B.A. from UT-Dallas and a M.A. from George Washington. Chris also has experience in investment banking, which should come in handy to let his customers know what they can do with all the money they are going to save while buying their no-haggle Honda. Chris is a family man, married to his special lady and raising two kids, an eight year old girl and a four year old boy.
Christian Wright
Honda Product Specialist
Hire Date 4/15/2008 Christian is from Denison, Texas and spent 12 years in the automobile business in the Dallas Metroplex area. He has been in Austin for over a year now and brightens everyone’s day at First Texas Honda. Christian enjoys all types of water sports, and is a formidable tennis player as well. Among many other accolades, Christian is proud to have graduated from the same high school as Sully Sullenberger.
Jack Wright
Service Consultant
Hire Date 7/30/2001 Jack came to Austin 12 years ago from Alexandria, Louisiana. He loves living in Texas but is still a huge LSU fan. Jack and his wife Soonee have three kids and a German Shepherd named Nikki. Aside from spending time with his family, Jack enjoys watching sports and drinking beer.
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