There was a tie for the first time in the Women Driving Auto Retail video contest. Leslie Jefferson, an acquisition executive at Pohanka of Salisbury in Maryland, and Alicia Rivera, assistant service director at Trophy Nissan in Dallas, were named the winners at the NADA Show in Dallas last week.
The video contest, started in 2018, is part of the National Automobile Dealers Association’s Women Driving Auto Retail initiative, which highlights women working in dealerships and encourages other women to pursue automotive careers. The contest celebrates women who work in all areas of the store.
The two women each received a $1,000 gift card and complimentary registration to the 2024 NADA Show in Las Vegas. The eight runners-up received $500 gift cards. Here are the videos from Jefferson, Rivera and the runners-up.
Jefferson was in a motor vehicle accident in 2020 that resulted in a spinal cord injury. But she made a remarkable recovery and was working full time from home in three months. Four months later, she was back at the dealership. She has been with Pohanka of Salisbury since 2013.
“No matter if you’re a woman or a man, walking or rolling, there’s room for you in this industry,” said Jefferson, who uses a wheelchair.
Rivera started her career at Trophy Nissan 14 years ago at age 20. She was just looking for a way to make money to support her mom but quickly realized she could make a career in the industry.
She has run the dealership’s Business Development Center and its car rental operations. She wants to be a service director and eventually a general manager with her own store.
She said women are proving themselves capable in the auto industry.
“We bring something different to the table,” she said. “We bring different ideas. We see things in a different perspective.
“My advice for women that are hesitant about choosing this career path would be go for it. The sky is the limit.”