Women steer auto industry into the future

Editor's note: Sixth in a series of guest commentaries written by area high school and community college students. When you picture a typical car dealership, what comes to mind? I have asked myself the same question over the past few years and used to come up with the stereotypical answer of a sleazy salesman trying to make a quick buck. That is a common misconception for many car lots nationwide. One local dealer is changing that perspective with not only their integrity but with the employees who call the shots. Roseville Chevrolet is known as Northern California's #1 Chevy dealer. They have roughly 200 employees across the dealership, about 25 percent of whom are female. That is higher than the national average of 23 percent, according to the U.S Bureau of Labor Statistics. Not only is the representation of women in a variety of roles at Roseville Chevrolet, but most management positions are held by powerful women. Penny Case has worked in the service department in the automotive industry for almost 41 years. She started in the back office then switched roles to a service advisor and eventually became a part of service management. Reflecting on what made her stay in the automotive industry, Case said, "It was a challenge to do the same type of work the guys were doing. I enjoyed it. I enjoyed the cars. I enjoyed the people." Case loves her job, but that doesn't mean she didn't face challenges as a woman. "Everyone knows that in this line of business, this is a man's world. They kind of looked down on women. They thought women weren't capable of working on vehicles or even diagnosing. It was a challenge to me, and I am the type of person that had to prove them wrong. I ended up being better than some of the technicians." The service department isn't the only one breaking industry stereotypes. General Manager Elizabeth D'Amore has been challenging the male-centric stereotype in automotive for 30 years. Starting as a saleswoman, she has faced many hurdles, including sexism, harassment and an overall underestimation due to her gender. Her resilience, determination and overall strength is an inspiration to many in the industry. "I have five older brothers so I have a very good sense of self. They made me feel strong, empowered and very capable." D'Amore said. "They never cared of what others thought of them, so I didn't care what others thought of me. I have very much always been this person." D'Amore has led Roseville Chevrolet to the top spot as "Northern California's #1 Chevrolet Dealer." Being a woman in such a powerful position comes with its own set of challenges and responsibilities for her. "I am still underestimated and overlooked. I have been doing this for 30 years and I got to the top of my game. I've pretty much smashed the glass ceiling in the car business," D'Amore states. "Being a woman in my position gives young people in the business a different perspective that wasn't there when I first started. The unique position it offers Roseville Chevrolet is growing new kinds of technicians, sales people and an overall inclusive environment. It's good for both customers and employees." While it's a common industry standard to have such a male-centric environment with positions focused on sales and service, there is one position that has been mostly female run across the board. Melinda Briggs has been in the automotive industry for 32 years and a prominent business office manager for 26. She started as a file clerk then transitioned to service secretary. Briggs was the first internally promoted business office worker at Merced Toyota. She then learned every role in the business office and worked her way up to management. Briggs detailed the difficulties she has faced in her position, stating, "In the automotive business especially, if you are in a position where you aren't directly earning a profit, certain people above would consider you as a nobody if you aren't earning the company money. But in a sense we are." She elaborates, "Our job is to try to cut expenses. Find errors. It's great when you find an owner like who we have here who acknowledges that and appreciates that." Although the business office is a female-saturated department, Briggs still faced the same challenges that come with working in the automotive field as a woman. "For the longest time, I was the only female manager that was in any of the meetings because I was the only female manager in the store. As a woman, we are more compassionate than our male co-workers and we often get dinged because of that or seen as too soft. If you act the same way as a man does, you're being too hard. A majority of the time, there was no middle ground." Roseville Chevrolet is unique in the way women are in high-powered positions across the dealership, from their admins to service to even their general manager. They highlighted their compassion, resilience and multitude of talents they bring to not only the dealership but to the industry. According to Forbes.com, "Women influence 85% of car buying decisions and are 62% of car buyers, and there are 1.4 million more women with driver's licenses in the U.S. than men." If more women are consumers, why aren't companies fostering a more female-inclusive environment? Well, General Motors as a company is paving the way for more women to work in the industry. They have incorporated many programs to empower women in the automotive space such as the Woman's Dealer Advisory Council which, according to General Motors, "includes women dealers, women in automotive retail management and other key stakeholders." As a consumer, it is refreshing to see a prominent automotive dealer take strides to become inclusive and show everyone what they have to offer. It is my hope as a woman to see other dealers across the nation take note of how beneficial and capable women are in every opportunity given to them. Kathleen Lawhead is a student at Sierra College.