Time, Ally Financial Honor Odessa Dealer

The nomination of Collin Sewell, president of Sewell Family of Companies, a Ford, Lincoln dealership in Odessa, Texas, for the 2012 TIME Dealer of the Year award was recently announced by TIME.

Sewell is one of a select group of dealers from across the country who will be honored at the 95th annual National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Convention & Exposition in Las Vegas on February 4, 2012. The announcement of this year’s nominees was made by Kim Kelleher, worldwide publisher of TIME, and Tim Russi, executive vice president, North American Operations, for Ally Financial.

“Auto dealers have a tremendous impact on the viability 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 more than $60,000 in charitable contributions to local community causes on behalf of the dealers. 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. The other 50 nominees will each receive $1,000 to give to a qualified nonprofit organization. To celebrate the valuable contributions of dealers across the U.S., Ally has also launched a digital hub (ally.com/bizhero) 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. Sewell, 39, was chosen to represent the Texas 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.

“I strive to be a great example as a husband, father, leader and community citizen,” says nominee Sewell. “Our team has evolved from a car dealership doing good business to a company making a difference in our comm-
unity.”

A graduate of Permian High School in Odessa and Texas Christian University in Fort Worth, where he earned a B.A. in marketing in 1995, Sewell began his career in the family business working in fixed operations to both understand existing procedures and build relationships with the people on the team. He quickly introduced innovative services and streamlined efficiency with improved processes, earning him the title of president of the Sewell Family of Companies in 2002.

“In the area of community service, Sewell Family of Companies’ Big Serve days send employees, their families and friends out to help an organization that’s in need, from picking up trash to repairing buildings,” Sewell says.  Sewell Family of Companies also leads a Chevrolet, Buick, GMC dealership in Andrews, Texas.