Page 43 - Newsletter_Winter_2020

Meet Your Board - Behind the Scenes

The Strong But Silent Workers

Written & Compiled by Rachel Fitzpatrick '93

This is the third installment in the series of articles to introduce, honor and thank a special group of individuals. These
individuals have been, or are currently, members of the HHSAA board. Many have been members of the board for a long
period of time and a few for only a couple years, but all have added to HHSAA and where we are today as an organization. The
first installment looked at our beginning and founder, Lauren Peabody Fitzpatrick ’86, & current president, Nancy Ketch ’82,
and the second installment paid tribute to the lives of two former members who both enjoyed the multi-year reunions, Paul
Porter ’51 and Nancy Russell Hutchinson ’56. This installment will focus on a couple of “strong but silent” members. Both
have done a lot for HHSAA, but only one has their name and/or email address all over HHSAA correspondence. The other
helps to keep the organization focused and financially stable. Both individuals did not want to sit with me for interviews, but
they finally broke down for me. I hope you enjoy this look behind the scenes.

Gerard “Jerry” York Jr. ’70, 1999-Present

Another gifted, but likes to be quiet & behind the scenes, board member; Jerry York
‘70 was brought onto the board in 1999 by Lauren Peabody Fitzpatrick ‘86 and Nancy
Ketch ’82 and continues to serve HHSAA to this day. Jerry is an integral member of the
Fundraising Planning Committee since 2005 and currently acts as Co-chair alongside
Jon McLaughlin. Jerry also works on the financial committee crunching numbers and
creating budgets. His background with York’s of Houlton and University of Maine
Business Major, Jerry brings his financial experience to the board along with his love of
community.
In the Spring/Summer 2013 North Star News edition, HHSAA ran a Spotlight on
Alumni featuring Jerry York with the assistance of a reprinted article from Houlton
Pioneer which was originally from TIME magazine. Below, I have used this article as a
start:
Jerry York, co-owner of York’s of Houlton, a Ford and Toyota dealership in Houlton,
was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award. York is one of a select group of
57 dealer nominees from across the country who were honored at the 96th annual National Automobile Dealers Association
(NADA) Convention & Exposition in Orlando, Florida, on February 9, 2013. The announcement was made by Todd Larsen,
executive vice president and group president, TIME Inc. News and Sports, and Tim Russi, executive vice president, North
American Auto Operations, for Ally Financial.
“Auto dealers play such an important role in the strength of local communities across the United States,” said Russi. “They are
involved in many philanthropic endeavors, contributing their time and money to improving the lives of people in need.” added
Russi.
In its second year as exclusive sponsor, Ally recognizes dealer nominees and their community efforts by contributing $1,000
to each nominee’s charity of choice, which Jerry named HHSAA as his charity. Nominees were also recognized on the
AllyDealerHeroes.com website, which highlights the philanthropic contributions and achievements of auto dealers across the
U. S.
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 also demonstrated a long-standing commitment to community service.
York was chosen to represent the Maine Automobile Dealers Association in the national competition nominated for the 44th
annual award. The award is sponsored by TIME in association with Ally Financial, and in cooperation with NADA. A panel
of faculty members from the Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan selected one finalist from each of the four
NADA regions and one national Dealer of the Year.

www.houltonalumni.com PAGE 43