| David W. Wilson Wilson Chair Founder
A
graduate of the University of Northern Iowa, David has been involved
in the automobile business for over 30
years. He was vice president and general manager of Covey Lincoln Mercury
in Phoenix, Arizona, for five
years before coming to Toyota of Orange in
1982. Before buying out the former dealer in 1985, he was part owner and
general manager.Mr. Wilson is the owner and president
of twelveautomobile dealerships-employing over 1,200
people. Sales for these corporations now total over $1 billion annually,
making the Wilson Automotive Group the sixth largest privately held
auto group in the nation.
As a 1999 Governor Davis appointee,
David continues to serve on the California New Motor Vehicle
Board. He has been a member of the National Automobile
Dealers Assn. and the American Import Auto Dealers Assn.
for over 15 years, and has served on the National Board
of
Directors of A.I.A.D.A. Other organizations with which David has served
are the Board of Directors of the Orange County Motor Car Dealers Association,
Toyota Regional Dealer Council, and Board of Directors of the Southern California
Toyota Dealers Advertising
Association. He has also been a member of the Board of Directors for the
Orange Chamber of Commerce and was selected Business
Person of the Year by them for 1987. He received the Sports
Illustrated Dealer of Distinction Award in 1988, and the Time
Magazine Quality Dealer Award for
1991. In 1998 he was presented with the A.I.A.D.A. All-Star
Dealer Award for commitment to the community and work with charitable
organizations. A panel of community leaders named
David one of 10 “Local Heroes;” and his likeness appeared on several
90-foot-high billboards at “The Block,” one of
Orange County’s largest retail and
entertainment centers. In June 2000 he was
awarded the prestigious Passkey Award for Business Ethics by the
Ralph W. Leatherby Center for Entrepreneurship and Business
Ethics. Also in 2000 he received the Boy Scouts’ “Good
Scout Award” for exceptional community service. Most recently, Chapman
University honored him as Orange County’s Outstanding
Corporate Citizen at their annual
American Celebration.
David is the first dealer
to ever score a "triple double": achieving Toyota's three
highest awards--the President's Award, Parts and Service
Advisory Council and Board of Governors--for two stores
in the same year. In 2001 a record 9 of his dealerships
(including ALL Toyota and Lexus stores) received
their respective manufacturer’s highest awards for customer
satisfaction. |
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Philanthropy
David and Toyota of Orange
were the originators/sponsors of the 'Round Orange Race
a 10K/5K run with nearly 4,000 participants annually
that raised over $250,000 for Orangewood Children's
Foundation.Recently Mr. Wilson became a member of the prestigious Chapman
University Board of Trustees. He serves on
the Board of Directors of the Orange County Council
of the Boy Scouts of America, and was the Chairman
of their annual golf tournament, which raises nearly
$200,000 annually for Scouting. He also serves
on the Board of Directors of Orangewood Children's
Foundation and was the honoree for their Orange
Blossom Ball, which raised over $300,000 for the foundation.
In
appreciation for David’s generosity to his employees
and the community, the David Wilson Endowment Fund
was established by his employees and friends to benefit
Orangewood. This fund now contains over $500,000
and enables worthy former residents of the Children's
Home to obtain a post-secondary education they would
not otherwise be able to afford. Currently a
number of Orangewood alumnae attend college and trade
or technical schools as a result of this endowment.
In
1999 David contributed $1,000,000 to his alma mater,
to endow a Chair in Business Ethics.
David and his wife Holly live in Laguna Beach, California,
with their two children Alexandra and Cameron. His
two adult daughters, Christine Francis and Logan Tass,
live in Arizona with their families. |
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