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Meet Our Staff - Austin Infiniti Family of Employees
Silvestre Alvarado
Detail Technician
Hire Date 7/25/2006 Silvestre is one of the more dynamic technicians in the detail department. After winning the 1976 Pan-American Spelling Bee at the age of eleven, Silvo had a few bright years doing spots for Japanese day-time television. With deregulation in Uruguay, his family's chocolate cookie empire crumbled in the late 1980's, and Silvestre fell on some lean times. He moved to Austin from Lillehammer, France, at the Winter Solstice, 1997. He has been performing 'Bye Bye Miss American Pie' at company picnics since 2006.
Mike Amidon
Infiniti Parts Specialist
Hire Date 3/30/1994 Mike is a natural Austinite, and drives a diesel truck. While attending college classes at night in 1994, Mike started working as a driver for First Texas Honda before transferring to Austin Infiniti in 1995. With over a decade of knowledge with the Infiniti car line, Mike enjoys memorizing OEM part numbers and prices in his spare time.
Tony Anthony
Infiniti Sales and Leasing Consultant
Hire Date 12/13/2004 Tony Anthony was born and raised in Los Angeles and lived in Oahu, Hawaii, for twelve years, before moving to Austin in 1995. He got his start in the car business in Hawaii and has been working car deals for over two decades. He has a wife and two sons and enjoys spending time with his family and watching professional sports and his kids’ sports. Tony’s hobbies include sports, martial arts, and shooting pool.
Mark Bailey
Service Director
Hire Date 12/20/2009 Mark Bailey has lived in Texas for a while now but he is a newbie here in the great city of Austin. Something that people might not know about Mark is he is an avid cyclist and he is looking forward to riding the roads here in town. Considering there are thousands of cyclist on the roads in Austin he will fit right in. GO LANCE! Mark has been in the automotive business for over three decades. He worked for a Nissan dealer for 10 years as a Service Manager and later he went on to be the Fixed Operations Director for Southwest Infiniti in Houston.
Nina Barrera
Accounts Payable
Hire date 8/24/2011 Nina ~ A true Austinite! Nina is a fun, charming, cheerful, friendly, generous, honest, hard working person. Practically any positive descriptive adjective that exists, belongs to her! She loves spending time with her boys; her favorite movie is the notebook; and she loves Italian food. Her favorite celebrity is Sandra Bullock and her favorite sports team is the Texas Longhorns! (Hook ‘Em!). The one thing she is proud of is being the person she is today!
David Basham
Infiniti Sales and Leasing Consultant
Hire Date 9/2/2011
David Bashman was born in Harrisburg, Illinois and moved to Austin, Texas when he was five years old. David’s dream car is a Ferrari Enzo, and his favorite movie is “Lost Boys”. David would describe himself as laid back and very sociable. He loves going to Port Aransas, and loves to eat tacos! David’s family consists of three children (two girls and one boy), his wife and two dogs. The happiest time of David’s life was when he got married to his wife and the birth of his of kids. David is really proud of the fact that he has been in the automobile business for 12 years, 5 of those years in sales, and 7 years in management.
Hector Belloso
Express Lane Technician
Hire Date 7/18/2011
Hector is car enthusiast, but more so a drifting enthusiast. His hobbies can be summed up into one word: drifting. He drifts his gray 240SX Nissan but he also has a white one that he drives regularly. His dream car is a 1991 or 1992 Black Skyline GTR. Before coming to work at Austin Infiniti, he worked at Round Rock Nissan and before that he worked at Town North Nissan. Outside of cars, he has an interest in Anime and favors the Anime convention that is held in Houston, TX.
Sean Bowles
Business Finance Manager
Hire Date 7/16/2010 Sean has lived all over the United
States, starting with Houston, Texas, then moving to Cleveland, Ohio, for a while and then jumped to the west coast to Seattle, Washington. He has been in the car business for 10 years and has sold Infiniti's since 2004. You will be happy to know Sean is the owner of a 2010 Infiniti G37X that he drove across country to get to Austin. He is a newbie here in Austin; Sean moved here June 2010 from Seattle, Washington. His reason for moving is his love of music and food and we think he has come to the right place. Welcome to Austin and our family!
Sharon Briggs
Infiniti Sales and Leasing Consultant
Hire Date 5/9/2005
Sharon is from Corpus Christi, Texas and enjoys swimming, travel, camping, bowling, and cooking. Sharon has over 11 years of experience in the automotive sales field. A single mom of 4 children and a grandmother to 5, Sharon is obviously a very busy lady. Sharon is affectionately called the “Work Mother” because she genuinely enjoys meeting and helping people every day. When she is not at work, Sharon loves spending time with her grandchildren.
Jeff Broaders
Infiniti Parts Manager
Hire Date 11/7/1990 Jeff has the Austin-area little league abuzz with talk as the coach who takes his team to the championship every season. Although the physical prowess with which his own kids excel on the field, or even the line of fathers who ask to be assistant coach (so their own kids can play on Jeff's team) may be considered reasons for his team's winning streak, the true reason for Jeff's success is his education at LBJ High School in Austin. Jeff comes to work each day to sit in his Herman Miller chair.
Cindy Bruce
Receptionist
Hire Date 12/27/2007 Cindy Bruce was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania but her Mama got her as fast she could to Texas! So you could call her a “Texas transplant”! She first moved to Austin 20 years ago and loving it, even though she left it a couple of times, the city just keeps calling her back. In her spare time, she enjoys watching movies and playing with her two little poodle “fur babies”. Cindy’s favorite car is a Infiniti convertible, anything else would be uncivilized. Her favorite food is everything, she’s on a “see food” diet! Her favorite movies are “Gone With the Wind” and “The Ten Commandments”, true classics to her! If she could meet anyone it would be Jesus Christ, for the sacrifice he made to the world. Cindy’s favorite sports team is the Houston Astros, because they always struggle and are the underdogs. She was so proud of them when they went to the World Series a few years ago. They will win one soon!
Suzette Burrow
Macho Marketing - Consultant
Hire Date 1/14/2003
Suzette grew-up in a once little town near Austin, Texas called Dripping Springs. She started working for the Continental Automotive Group at the age of 17 as a receptionist at Mercedes-Benz of Austin. From Mercedes-Benz of Austin she bounced around to First Texas Honda and then landed at Austin Infiniti. During her time at Mercedes-Benz, she met her husband, Andrew Burrow. Today she works as a Marketing Consultant for all 4 dealerships! If you can’t get enough of her from the informative videos on the web, then you can often find her at Matt’s El Rancho, her favorite Mexican food restaurant in Austin. Suzette is an avid reader and was recently excited to learn that public libraries are free! Suzette and Andrew have a chocolate lab named Luke who loves swimming in Town Lake and playing fetch at Auditorium Shores. They just recently acquired a new fun dog, Lexi - a full bred Boxer. Our favorite quote from her is, "I drove a Hyundai today....I am SO blessed to drive a Mercedes-Benz!"
Cesar Campos
Window Tint Installer
Hire Date 7/23/2008
Cesar Campos was born in Mexico and moved to the United States and more specifically Austin in 1990. Cesar’s dream car is a Acura NSX. In his spare time, Cesar enjoys being with family in his spare time and his favorite movie(s) are Friday and Friday After Next. Chris Tucker is Cesar’s favorite celebrity. His favorite food is Mexican. The best place Cesar has traveled to would be Miami, Florida, but if he could visit anywhere in the world it would be Acapulco, Mexico. Cesar’s first job was at Chuck E. Cheese, which he describes as “crazy”, with all the kids there.
Mack Cansler
Online Chatter
Hire Date 6/3/2005 Meet Mack, the happiest guy here. He knows everybody, meets everybody, and loves everybody. If you’re ever looking for a smile, this guy has got it! Here is a little bit of Mack’s background. He ranched in the Panhandle of Texas for 20 years. He then owned his own insurance agency for 31 years. During that time he phased into the Automobile business and did that for 10 years. Within the automobile business he was in management for 4 years, sales for 4 years, and internet sales for 2 years and counting. He is currently stationed here at Austin Infiniti, inside the Business Development Center where he is our online chatter for our four dealerships. Outside of work, Mack takes great pride in his family. He is one true family man.
Anthony Celedon
Porter
Hire Date 6/18/2002 Anthony is from Austin and a graduate of Reagan High School. He has one daughter and his favorite pastime is watching movies, and he has several hundred DVD's in his collection. On a beautiful Sunday in Austin, you can find Anthony at a park.
Cres Celestino
Vehicle Delivery Specialist
Hire Date 8/8/2007 Cres is yet another Austin native and graduate of Anderson High. He spends his free time with his two sons and daughter, and is involved with their little league baseball teams. He describes himself as 'Here to raise everybody's spirits.' He enjoys cutting the grass and had to borrow Timothy's John Deere lawnmower last weekend after he yanked the starter cord clean out of his Honda.
Allen 'Big Al' Clauss
Infiniti General Manager
Hire Date 9/1/2000 The big cheese of the Infiniti corps, Allen leads by example. He is living proof that you can be straightforward and honest in the car business and still be successful. Born in Los Angeles in the back seat of a Chevy, Allen feels at home around cars. He is a San Diego State University Aztec and has been living in Austin since 1993. His hobbies are reading, travelling, and riding his bicycle. A little known fact: Allen keeps four quarters, his house key, his desk key, the store key, and vitamins in his trousers pocket. He does not use a key ring. Allen has 4 kids and counting: David, an LSU grad; Kristen; Eden; and the newest addition, Lucy.
JW Cooper
Business Finance Manager
Hire Date 3/7/2005 'OK. Life is what happens when you’re not looking.' JW never even planned to be in the car business, but looked around one day and had been a Finance Manager/Director for 20+ years. He has one wife (one of them was REALLY lucky), two kids (grown and paid for), two grandsons (how did that happen?), and enough loose change to support a minor golf addiction.
Karl Craigie
Infiniti Sales and Leasing Consultant
Hire Date 12/15/2008 Karl, a Texas State graduate, has been selling luxury cars since 1992. When not selling cars for fun and profit, Karl likes to spend time at his two sons' sporting events, play a casual round of golf, or spend an occasional weekend at the beach.
Charles Curry
Infiniti Sales and Leasing Consultant
Hire Date 9/26/2011
Charles Churry moved to Austin in 1999, and in his spare time enjoys gaming, particularly on the Sony PlayStation 3, Call of Duty and Borderlands. Charles’ personality can best be described as positive, upbeat, and energetic. He has a pet beta fish named Rambo! Charles’ has two daughters who are 17 and 14, and he enjoys taking them shopping. Charles is not a fan of team sports, but he enjoys watching boxing. Mr. Churry was raised in the Houston area, which he describes as a city of a lot of people and a lot of traffic.
Akeem Disu
Infiniti Sales and Leasing Consultant
Hire Date 11/21/2005 Born February 12, 1972, even as a young teenager, Akeem has always had a unique sense for business operation. One might argue that his greatest talent lies in business process improvement, and his ability to lead others. His ability to lead others effectively can easily be found in his passion for life. His older brother Randy was the single most influential person in his life. Akeeem attended La Grange High School in La Grange, Texas. He was an outstanding student, and a great track and cross country runner. His favorite subject was science. In particular, he loved biology.
Steve Donovan
Infiniti Service Consultant
Hire Date 9/30/2002 Steve was born in Barbados, one of 7 Donovan siblings. His family moved to Florida in 1958. He started working on cars at his dad’s gas station when he was 13 years old. Later in his life he attended St. Louis University for a year and ended up in Austin after a trip to Mexico in 1973. He moved to San Marcos in 1979, then in 1983 he was selected as Dallas Region Master Technician. This was the same year his son, Derek Dylan, was born. Went on to be Service Manager at San Marcos Nissan, Town North Nissan/Suzuki/Mitsubishi and Rising Sun Automotive until 2002 when he joined Austin Infiniti. Steve likes working on everything and enjoys the company of his 3 girls Elise (Lotus), Lorry (Honda), and Cher (My Girl). He particularly loves sunsets and cherry muffins.
Bob Fiegel
Technician
Hire Date 9/12/2002 I wish I could make this up: Bob was one of four back-up punters on the 1984 OU football team. I could make this up: He was born in Arlington, Virginia; He has a wife and son; His favorite movie is Gladiator; He loves 'doing anything after 5:30.' Bob has beautiful and pearly white teeth.
Mike Fleming
Technician
Hire Date 1/23/1996 Few people do what they love nonstop and get paid for it. Even fewer understand the blessedness of clear water. Austin born, Mike Flemming is master of a little piece of paradise on Lake Austin not far from Hudson Bend. He is a Travis High School alumnus. His two kids and some money go to Texas Tech. Mike Flemming is a car racer. He also water skis more than you do. I wish every Austinite the good fortune of meeting this gentleman.
William Ford
Infiniti Sales and Leasing Consultant
Hire Date 11/24/2010
William came to us from outside the automotive industry. After a long career selling "stuff" he decided to pursue the old adage, "find something you love and you'll never have to work another day in your life".
He loves cars so after some research, he set his sites on working for Austin Infiniti. "It was obvious that the combination of Infiniti's amazing product line and the incredible reputation of the dealership, it was the only place for me. I feel very fortunate to be here." he said.
Rather than sales, William believes his job is to help his customers find a vehicle they love and then move heaven and earth to make ownership a reality.
Married to his lovely wife Joan since 1978, they have three grown children of whom they are VERY proud. When he's not here at the dealership, he's on the golf course. "it's my only vise" he says.
Richard Galvan
Technician
Hire Date 8/22/1988 Rich is another local boy, graduating from Manor High. The only time he has been to Manor Downs was when the Grateful Dead played there in 1985. The set list that day opened with a strong Half Step followed by some lackluster Mexicali tracks, followed by one of the best Let it Grow efforts in G.D. history. His interests are fishing, sports, fishing, outdoors, fishing, golf, and more fishing.
Alex Garcia
Porter
Hire Date 7/8/2011 Alex Garcia loves soccer! However, he has had to stop playing ever since May 2011. During one of his games he badly injured his tailbone and he wife said that he’s not young anymore and he needs to stop playing. He’s been playing for 30 years! Alex has three children: a son of 16yrs that tried 3 different sports and then found his calling as an XBOX player, a daughter of 13 yrs who is a kickstar, and a 10 year-old daughter who loves to play with their puppy MAX, who is a mix between a German Shephard, Weiner, and Bull Dog.
Gil Garcia
Pre-Owned Sales Manager
Hire Date 10/16/2007
Gil was born in California and has lived in 10 different states. He has over 12 years of sales experience. His passion is customer service, BBQ, and beer. He is living one of his dreams by building a backyard bar with a tropical oasis theme. He will work non-stop to make you a loyal customer. Gils motto: 'Changing what people think of car salesmen one client at a time.' Just recently, at the company's holiday bowling party, he and his trusty sidekick Troy won "Best Bowling Costume" and placed 3rd out of 18 teams. Way to go guys!
Elizabeth Giral
Service Cashier
Hire Date 5/6/2011 Meet Elizabeth Giral. A wonderful addition to the Austin Infiniti Service Family. She started working here at Infiniti because a friend of hers at our Mercedes-Benz of Austin store informed her of the opening! She absolutely loves it here. Before, she worked in a law firm with mainly women. She says that working with mostly guys is very different; there is not as much drama. She also previously worked in immigration (residency, citizenship) and she still does it every now and then for close friends. She has 4 children. She adores watching her 11 year-old boy play baseball. Her 18 year-old son is about to attend UTSA beginning in the fall, her 17 year-old daughter is happily married, and her 13 year-old son loves to draw. She loves her family, and she loves her job!
Shealea Greer
Infiniti Sales Manager
Hire Date 9/21/1998 Starting in the car business in 1996, Shealea has helped customers with their vehicle needs since 2001. Shealea was the Internet Sales champion at Austin Infiniti from 2002-2007 and still holds the company record for most vehicles sold over the world wide web! Shealea is a loving and caring, outdoorsy girl with a sense of adventure and a passion for hiking and camping with her husband Tony and her two boys, Brent and Gabriel.
Bryan Hardeman
Principal
Hire Date 11/2/1978 “The Infiniti brand is all about performance for its hip young crowd,” states the owner, Mr. Bryan Hardeman, of the brand he acquired in 1991. “Infiniti has really come into its own in recent years. To start, there was really only the Q sedan. Now they have great-selling SUV’s, coupes, convertibles, and luxury sedans, all with the standards people expect from a leading Japanese import.”
Mr. Hardeman is known around the dealership as an all-around nice guy and family man above all else. His family includes his loving wife, Rebecca, and their three children, two of whom (Will and Genny) work at the dealerships taking on day-to-day management. Their youngest (by two and a half minutes), Joy, is attending Mr. Hardeman’s alma mater, UT in her second year of law school. Mr. Hardeman boasts about how proud he is of the spread here at Continental Automotive Group and how the average employee has worked for him for an incredible 17 years! “The car business is a people business, and having the right people be a part of our family here is the most important thing, and we have the right people!”
Joy, Will, and Genny Hardeman (Brother and Twin Sisters)
Visionary (Joy) - Managing Partner (Will) - Executive Vice President (Genny)
Hire Date 2/17/1984 (Joy)
Hire Date 7/18/1981 (Will)
Hire Date 2/17/1984 (Genny)
Michael Harris
Technician
Hire Date 1/21/2010
Mike Harris hails from chilly Colorado Springs. Mike started working for Nissan right out of high school in 1974 and is now an Infiniti Master Tech. Mike made the switch to working on Infiniti's in 1994. In his spare time he loves to ride his BTX 1800 motorcycle around the beautiful Hill Country. Mike also is a motor airplane enthusiast.
Nicholas Harris
Express Lane Technician
Hire Date 8/18/2011 Nicholas Harris was born and raised in the beautiful city of Austin. Nicholas’ dream car is the Nissan S13 Silvia. His favorite food is Mexican, and if he could meet anyone (dead or alive) that person would be the Texas broadcasting legend Cactus Pryor. The best place Nicholas has traveled to would be the Land of the Rising Sun, more specifically Okinawa. He can be described as outgoing and is happy all of the time. His first job was being a marine in the United States Marine Corps. Nicholas had to spend three months in boot camp to get that job!
Stephanie Hayes
Infiniti Sales and Leasing Consultant
Hire Date 2/24/2011
Stephanie Hayes has been in the car business (internet sales and floor sales) for 13 years!!! She sure does know her stuff. She decided to join us here at Austin Infiniti because (a) she loves Infiniti (b) it’s a beautiful store (c) her boyfriend drives an Infiniti (he has actually bought 3 Infiniti’s from us) (d) she heard about the great customer service from our employees. Her favorite hobby is cooking, anything and everything. She never likes to cook the same meal; she enjoys experimenting. Her love for cooking doesn’t steal her away from the restaurants though; she really enjoys going out and trying new food, and then sometimes going home and cooking that meal herself. Besides cooking and eating, Stephanie loves to travel. She has been all over the United States and has also visited England, Spain, and Scotland (her favorite so far). Her favorite place in the US to live is Austin because of the great scenery, the live music, and the atmosphere in general. Stephanie is very passionate about animals and has a cat named Boo Kitty. Welcome to the family Stephanie!
Dave Henricks
Infiniti Service Consultant
Hire Date 10/23/2000 If we had a soccer team at Austin Infiniti, Dave would not be the coach because the guys around here 'would not need any coaching.' His daughter Kara chose soccer as a sport when she was young, and Dave’s life has never been the same. He now plays twice a week and referees three times a week. Kara is in college and is taking a break from the sport. Dave is a former mechanic turned service writer and says hello to his wife, Michele.
Ulises Flores (Brother), Noe Maldonado (Brother), Maria Herrera (Sister)
Porter (Ulises) - Porter (Noe) - Customer Concierge (Maria)
Hire Date 2/19/2007 (Ulises)
Hire Date 3/30/2008 (Noe)
Hire Date 7/26/2007 (Maria)
Ulises nacio en Mexico, Mexico. He has twenty years in the Austin area and three kids. His interests include volleyball, futbol, and time outside. For vacation, he almost always goes to the beach, and Cancun is one of his favorite destinations.
Noe es de Mexico Jefe. Vive en Austin mas de vente anos. Noe tiene dos hijos. Por los Domingos, a el le gusta comer fajitas de carne asada.
Soy de nacionalidad Mexicana. Radique por 20 años en el D.F. Soy casada, tengo dos hijos a los cual amo demasiado. Llegamos a este país mi esposo y yo para poder brindarles un mejor futuro a nuestros hijos. He trabajado muy duro para poder estar donde estoy, pero la vida sigue y tenemos que seguir hacia delante. También, tengo una mascota. Es un perro que se llama 'Taz'. El es muy inteligente y adorable en la casa. Todos lo queremos mucho. El es el bebe. En mis momentos libres me gusta ir al cine, mirar televisión, y tomarme uno tiempo para estar con mi mamá.
Jose Huerta
Detail Specialist
Hire Date 3/17/2006 Jose's favorite day is Friday, and he loves guiding tourists down to Laredo. He has two beautiful daughters. Jose is from Zacatecas, and he has a night job at the state Capitol building writing legislation.
Chris Jackson
Infiniti Parts Specialist
Hire Date 8/22/2002 LBJ class of 1993 valedictorian and varsity football captain, Chris Jackson learned that 'women are different in college' and wishes he could give his diplomas back for a few more years at Central Missouri State and Blinn Junior College in Brenham. He has three babies and eats chicken every Tuesday night. He is distantly related to Dave Henricks, as anyone can see in their 'one mind, two men' teamwork mentality. Keep up the good work, guys!
Troy Johnson
Infiniti Sales and Leasing Consultant
Hire Date 6/17/2008 Species: Car Salesman. Genus: Geekdus Athleta Artis Snoborus (Athletic Geek, Art Snob). Troy was born lucky into a house with electricity and running water in Nebraska, in a town of about 1600 people. On days off work he can be found trail-running at the Green Belt with his dog Kjelsi (pronounced Chel-see, it’s Norwegian) or playing soccer. He would like to be a college professor focusing in Ancient Historical Studies, Linguistics and Symbology. Troy enjoys music like Mastodon, The Melvin's, David Bowie, and The Clash, books and graphic novels like The Walking Dead, and Planetary as well as ancient history and linguistics, and movies (his favorite is The Usual Suspects). 'Gimme the keys you...'
Vannak Van Kong
Technician
Hire Date 1/13/2003 Born in Panom Penh, Cambodia, Vannak is also a talented speller. He has a wife and son. He worked as a security officer when he was a student, and he came to Austin in 1994. He plays volleyball religiously every Sunday.
Nicholas LeFebvre
Infiniti Service Consultant
Hire Date 8/7/2006 Nick followed his wife to Austin from Yorba Linda, Orange County, Los Angeles, California, in support of her insurance career. He has four children. His hobbies include RC car racing, fishing, and sleeping on Sundays. In another life he is a popular game show host. Nick recently got some nice props on http://www.yelp.com/biz/austin-infiniti-austin-2
Diana Lespron
BDC Client Care Representative
Hire Date 8/6/2004 Diana moved to Austin from Phoenix, Arizona. She has two children, a son and a daughter. When she is not at work she likes to go on evening bike rides or walks with her children. She also likes to dog sit, go to local parks, shop, and to just hang out with her family and dear friends. Diana is always smiling and is a pleasure to work with. Her favorite color changes daily and is based on a variety of different factors.
Jennifer Lim
Marketing Intern
Hire Date 9/13/2011 Jessica Lim was born in Fort Wayne, Indiana and moved to Austin in 2010. Jessica enjoys biking, baking, and crafting in her spare time. Her favorite food is Thai food and anything extra spicy. If Jessica was on a deserted island, the five albums she would want to have for entertainment would be Nashville Skyline by Bob Dylan, Crooked Rain, Crooked Rain by Pavement, White Light/White Heat by The Velvet Underground, InnerSpeaker by Tame Impala, and Everybody Knows This is Nowhere by Neil Young. Jessica does not own any pets, but is currently saving up to adopt a puppy. If she could visit anywhere in the world, that place would be Malaysia because the paternal side of her family lives there. Jessica was a radio DJ for Indiana University’s student-run radio station, this may surprise some because she may seem shy but on-air feels very relaxed and comfortable. Her first job was being a prep cook for her father, who is an executive chef. The happiest time of her life would be the four years she spent in Hoosier Country at Indiana University.
Cara Logue
Macho Marketing - Graphic Designer
Hire Date 9/23/2011 Cara is an import from Seattle, the red-headed product of a Microsoft employee and a librarian. Since moving here she has really learned to appreciate rain but loves swimming in the puddles Texas calls lakes.
Warm fuzzies are dogs, puppies, Subarus & tacos. Cold prickles to her are mean people and running out of avocados for the tacos.
Levi Lohrman
CAG Austin - IT Director
Hire Date 5/19/2008
Levi controls earth, wind and water at Autin Infiniti. He is recently married and is a huge fan of his Motorola Droid (you know you want one). Sometimes Levi randomly shuts down our phone system and turns the power off so he has a reason to visit our Taj Mahal of an Infiniti Dealership. If you have any computer-related problems, feel free to ask. Oh and don't steal anything from Levi's office... It is frowned upon.
Javier Marrufo
Porter
Hire Date 8/19/2009 Javier is outgoing and bilingual; he teaches Rachel Spanish on a daily basis, but we have yet to see results. His hobbies include everything and his favorite color is burnt orange. Javier is a huge fan of basketball and his favorite team is the Lakers. Some of his other many hobbies include playing Twisted Metal on PlayStation and eating McDonald's ice cream cones.
Camey Gonzales Martinez
Infiniti Sales and Leasing Consultant
Hire Date 8/15/2006 Camey has been in the car business since 1994. She has been with Austin Infiniti since 2006. She is married and has 2 boys. She was born in Rockdale, TX, grew up in Elgin, TX, and now lives in Round Rock, TX. She usually stays busy with work and being a baseball/football/basketball Mom. Her favorite thing to do on her off time is to spend time with her boys.
Gabriel Martinez
Detail Specialist - Handyman
Hire Date 9/30/2002 Quando no esta trabajando, Gabriel le gusta descansar. Tiene dos hijos y cree que 'lo bueno es poco.' Su parte favorito del trabajar es 'Make Ready,' pero el espacio para limpiar hace frio en el invierno y calor por el verano.
Chad May
Business Finance Manager
Hire Date 5/11/2007
Put your guns up! Chad May, our resident Finance Manager is a Texas Tech Alumni and proud of it. On any given game day he will roll out his official Tech welcome mat to the dismay of his finatic UT co-workers. Chad is always up for a good laugh and keeps it light, even though he's got quite the bustling home life with four kids running ammuck. This small town boy from Odessa, Texas, is a former Marine (do not mess with him) who is lucky enough to have a loving wife and family sticking it out with him in the trenches. Do not ask about his pets!
Darryl Meaux
Network Administrator
Hire Date 3/1/2010
Daryl is no stranger to the car industry, and after 15 years of being an outside source for the IT department, he has decided to join the group as an IT specialist. He enjoys spending time with his family when he is not at work. He loves to travel, watch sports, and stay active by being outdoors including time on the lake.
Candy Mejia
Infiniti Warranty Claims
Hire Date 10/24/2005 When you have a warranty issue with your car and a bitter taste in your mouth, you need a Candy rush. There is nothing slow about this man, who is an avid runner and sports enthusiast. Candy even moves across the service center with a runner's clip. When asked what he does not enjoy, Candy quipped, 'Technicians!' He only slows down on Saturdays while he enjoys the company of his two grandkids.
Cindy Melendez
Billing Clerk
Hire Date 7/22/1010 Cindy came to Austin Infiniti straight out of high school. Cindy is thinking about getting her degree in social work, but at the moment she is undecided. When Cindy is outside of Austin Infiniti's service door, she loves to go dancing to Latin music. She also has a Chihuahua named Lillia.
Donato Melendez
Shop Maintenance Technician
Hire Date 9/23/2010 Donato Melendez was born in Honduras and moved to Austin in 1989. In his spare time, Donato enjoys exercising and going to the park. His favorite food is chi su, a local food in Honduras. Donato has two daughters, Cindy and Michelle. A fun fact about Donato is that he played soccer for the Honduras team, Club Platences. Donato is very proud of being a good father and helping his daughters with their education and a good upbringing.
Luis Melendez
Detail Specialist
Hire Date 9/26/2005
Luis is described by his peers as the hardest working guy at the dealership. It actually took almost two full work days for Luis to have time to answer questions for his bio! Luis is another Austin Subaru employee who came to Austin from Honduras. He and his wife, Ihza, have a teenage son, Carlos. Luis spends his free time downtown and loves Salsa and Merengue dancing. He also enjoys watching MLS games when he has the time.
Ruben Melendez
Detail Specialist
Hire Date 6/14/2001 Rueben le gusta oir musica salsa, meringue, rock. Puede usted encontrarle en la discoteca ‘el Cielo.’ El es de El Progresso, Honduras y tiene vente anos en Austin. Rueben tiene quatro hijos.
Tony Miano Jr.
Infiniti Parts Specialist
Hire Date 7/18/2003 Tony was born in Lubbock but grew up in Austin, where he played on the two-time state runner-up Anderson High Trojan Basketball team, coached by the legendary Tyron Johnson. He has been re-hired more times than any other other employee at Austin Infiniti and has experience in every department. His hobby is water sports, and your boy 'goes big' on the wakeboard.
Joy Morales
BDC Client Care Representative
Hire Date 10/31/2001 Joy grew up in Greenview, Illinois, population 750, and came to the University of Texas in 1979. She has one daughter and has been married for many years. 'To the same guy,' she adds. Her family is a Boxer family, and their current dog is their third in this breed. She is a dedicated Longhorn fan, evidenced in the burnt orange FX35 and the season tickets. Her favorite player of all time is Earl Campbell. And she is an Aquarius.
Jose Ortiz
Detail Specialist
Hire Date 10/25/2006 Jose es de Zacatecas tambien, y el le encanta cantar en Karaoke. El trabaja bien duro, 'como burro.'
Jonathan Parra
Technician
Hire Date 5/3/2010
Johnathan, or "Cookie", as he goes by in the shop, drives in everyday from BBQ town Lockhart. He does not mind his drive to work; however, he says it is pleasant and free from traffic. Johnathan loves to play paintball in his spare time when he gets the chance; his gun of choice is a Smart Parts ion. Johnathan got into the car business by taking tech classes in high school and recently graduated from Universal Technical Institute. He loves working at Austin Infiniti and does not mind his nickname.
Mark Perritte
Infiniti Shop Foreman
Hire Date 1/21/1991 Foreman Mark grew up in a motorcycle dealership and raced motorcycles from 1969 to 2004. Just before retiring from the sport, Mark won the 2002 WERA road championships in the clubman division and finished third in the in the 2003 CMRA lightweight superbike expert race. He jocks a Ducati. Mark and wife, Mary, spend time in Yellowstone, Sonoma, and the Grand Canyon.
Adrian Pina
Technician
Hire Date 2/2/2006 Adrian hails from Cedar Creek, Texas. He generally flosses his teeth while driving to work on his Ninja Motorcylce. He has two smart and beautiful children. His specialty in the shop is 'Motor Work.'
Anthony Raglin
Infiniti Sales and Leasing Consultant
Hire Date 6/13/2007 Making car deals happen since 2006, Anthony is deep down a true 'family man'. Four kids of his own plus one grandson keep Anthony going. Second to family and work comes late night Law & Order or a good football game, followed by genuine Mexican cuisine.
Monte Reger
Infiniti Service Consultant
Hire Date 10/28/2004 Born in Stinett, TX, and raised across the southwest, Monte was a professional mechanic for elite motorcycle road racing teams before shifting into service consulting. He continues to do tuning and enhancement work on bikes out of his garage. He has been married eighteen years and has two cats.
Alfredo Ruiz
Technician
Hire Date 1/31/2005 Alfredo nacio en El Slavador y tiene 21 anos en Austin. Le gusta hacer 'what he is doing.' He has two daughters.
Erica and Josh Sandoval (Married)
Service Cashier (Erica) - Technician (Josh)
Hire Date 1/9/2009 (Erica)
Hire Date 8/24/2006 (Josh)
Erica is a sterling individual from beautiful Corpus Christi, Texas. She has three years in the capital city and can't get enough of the live music. The best concert she has seen recently was the Lucero show at Emo's. She goes skiing in Colorado every year and has two cats.
Corpus Christi born, Josh came to Austin to increase his exposure to music. Initially into country and western megastars Clay Aiken and Joaquin Phoenix, he discovered the sublime sounds of Grindcore Metal on Red River. This music resonated with him and he soon had a life-sized tattoo of Grandma on his thrashing forearm. Other concert-goers in the crowd appreciate such a loving fist-pump. He has some other sweet tattoos and two cats. Family is a big source of inspiration in his life.
Victoria Seidenberger
Accounting - Title Clerk
Hire Date 2/19/2007 Victoria was born in Pflugerville under the sun sign Aquarius. She has fourteen aunts and uncles on her mother’s side and more cousins than you can count. Victoria is characteristically fun-loving, she likes the beach, the lake, the outdoors. She has one daughter and one son, and her mommy job is also her hobby. Victoria also goes by Valerie, Veronica, Vanessa, or Valentine, depending on her mood.
Rachel and Timothy Shook (Sister and Brother)
Infiniti Exchange Specialist (Rachel) - Director of Marketing and Internet Sales (Timothy)
Hire Date 5/26/2009 (Rachel)
Hire Date 5/15/2004 (Timothy)
Rachel enjoys life. She loves to do most things outside (thought she is particular about the weather). She most commonly plays Soccer and Ultimate Frisbee, but enjoys the occasional Football, Croquet, Racquetball, Sand Volleyball, and Halo. When she is hungry, her immediate reaction is to get a bowl of cereal or a cup of goldfish. She is also a dog-love, and if ever she talks to a customer who mentions their dog, Rachel will no doubt invite the dog in for a few pets.
Tim: I room at home with a hot, firm-bodied, G37-driving, blonde attorney and three needy beagles, Diesel, Turbo & Skippy. I have a passion for excellence, multi-tasking, website design, Internet marketing, and animals. Those who know me best would describe me as 'extremely excessive.' Others, including my sister, Rachel, would say I am just plain lucky. And it's better to be lucky than good, any day of the week!
Christopher Sofia
Macho Marketing - Graphic Designer
Chris has a colorful mind with a vivid recollection of his previous life in Philly. From being hit by a moving parked car, to once pushing a gas-less jeep over a speed bump, Chris’s stories of grandeur and disillusions make for fun times in the office. Everyday Chris goes down to auditorium to play with his best friend Chloe and on the 27th of each month you can find him at 24 Diner, milkshake in hand. His latest kick – Chicken and Waffles!
Jessica Torres
Receptionist
Hire Date 1/15/2011 Meet Jessica Torres, AKA Jess, Jessie, J or her new favorite name, Elena (??). She was born and raised here in the beautiful city of Austin. However, she did leave for one month to live in Chicago, but quickly came back because she just could not stay away. She is the only female in her family; she has nothing but overprotected brothers, cousins, and uncles. She graduated from Jon B. Connally High School and is currently attending ACC. During the weekend, she is a Latin dance who performs in various Texas Salsa Congresses. Actually, she won first place in Bachata at the Dallas Salsa Congress. Jess loves all kinds of music and is a Leo, but does familiarize a lot with Lions. She absolutely loves animals and is the mama of a Lhasa Apso named Teddy Bear. She also loves to cook and her favorite foods are in the Italian and Mexican categories. Her Chinese animal is a monkey.
Noelia Torres
Office Manager
Hire Date 5/16/2000 Noelia is a Virgo, so she doesn't lie and she doesn't embellish. A consummate accountant, she is from Robstown, Texas, graduated from Texas State, and has lived in Austin for nine years. She works out regularly and describes her style as straightforward. She takes the TV show Ghost Whisperer quite seriously and is overcoming an unfounded fear of non-physical spirits.
Dung Tran
Technician
Hire Date 2/5/2007 Your man, Tranny, was born in Vietnam and graduated from Connelly High School in Austin. He went to the University of Texas on a scholarship to study engineering and computer science, but dropped out when the material was not meeting his standards of intellectual stimulation. He still studies automotive design and thinks in his sleep about future cars. His favorite website is craigslist.org. Formerly considered an outside shot at this year’s Infiniti Push Off, Tran is coming on strong as a legitimate contender. Odds-makers point to his compact wingspan, high cadence, and mental strength as indicators of good form and safe betting.
Carlos Rocha and Orlando Urbina (Uncle and Nephew)
Technician (Carlos) - Parts Specialist (Orlando)
Hire Date 9/12/2002 (Carlos)
Hire Date 9/6/2005 (Orlando)
Carlos was born in Leon, Nicaragua, and came to Austin in 1986. He has over fifteen years in car maintenance. He has some very interesting stories to share and two sons, Matthew and Caleb, to listen to them. Carlos has 'no comment' on Jesus' claim on the pushup title. And as a little demonstration of his CTI (cool and tough index), Carlos went head-to-head with newcomer, Tran, in a friendly competition that lasted a hell of a lot longer than I thought possible.
Asked if he could overcome his uncle Carlos in a pushup contest, Orlando replied 'I already did.' He was born in Leon, Nicaragua, and graduated from Aikens High School in 2005. His car is an M45. Orlando keeps a bench press in his office and can be seen lifting upwards of 350 pounds.
Craig Valashek
BDC Client Care Representative
Hire Date 7/5/2010 Craig originated from Iowa, but has been in this “everything is bigger” state since 1973 and specifically Austin since 1988. Craig is in love with Austin because of its “laid back atmosphere.” Everyone at Austin Infiniti will be on their best behavior from now on because Craig was in the criminal justice field for 30 years, ranging in titles from police officer to parole officer and was also involved with the federal system. Coming out of retirement or what Craig referred to as his own personal hard time, Craig wanted to do something completely different and we are lucky that he decided to make this his new and exciting venture! Craig is a family man with a loving wife and two grown children, his eighteen year old is starting UT this fall. In his spare time he likes to jog and he use to ride motorcycles, very Robo Cop of him!
Manny Valentin
Tire Care Specialist
Manny – our very own Tire Care Specialist. He was born in Ponce, Puerto Rico and moved to Austin in the Fall of 2008. He grew up mostly in Holyoke, MA and is glad he got out of the cold and into warmer weather. Though I’m sure he wasn’t expecting over 70 days of 100+ degree weather… His favorite food is anything Spanish OR anything and everything that Ana cooks. Who’s Ana? Ana is his future wife! Way to Go Manny! He also has a daughter named Angelina. Manny has been in the Auto Industry for 4 years now and is proud to be representing Dealer Tire here at Austin Infiniti.
Virak Vann
Technician
Hire Date 8/18/1997 Virak comes to Austin from Cambodia by way of Connecticut. An Austintacious dude since 1996, he lives happily with a wife and two children. He loves fixing cars and playing in souped-up cars. His current project is an ’89 Chrystler Conquest. The boys in the internet office look forward to the photos...
Nicholas Vargas
Technician
Hire Date 8/2/2010
Nicholas is originally from Armadillo and the only thing he really misses about being there are his family and friends. Nick likes everything about Austin, especially its world famous music scene. Nick likes being a technician because he enjoys working hands-on. When he is not at work you can find Nick playing with his two small kids and two chi-weenie dog mixes.
Saul Vela
Technician
Hire Date 9/2/2010
Saul came to us from Brownsville, Texas. He started working on cars because of his dad and uncles. They did their own mechanic work, so he started doing his own, too. Saul to this day works on his pride-a '92 Z28-in his limited spare time. This is not the first time Saul has worked for Austin Infiniti. He worked here from 2006-2008 and is happy to return.! Saul has two kids, 3 boxers, and a Dachshund. He says they are a lot of fun!
Larry Williams
Service Valet Driver
Hire Date 8/1/2010 Larry's son-in-law, Chad May, one of our Finance Managers here, was the one who got him to take his position here in the Service Department. Chad did not want his father-in-law "just sitting around all day." Larry is newly retired from law enforcement, where he worked for the majority of his career as a cop all around the state of Texas, and then the last few years as a jailer. So everyone watch out, Larry can take you down! Not only is he trained for the field, but he also has plenty of experience with children. Larry has 5 grown kids of his own, 17 grandchildren and 4 great-grandchildren. Wow! The man is more than capable for the Service Valet Driver position he loves, and enjoys having fun with the people he works with on a daily basis. To top it all off, Larry is a proud owner of a Scottish Terrier named Broadie.
Jason Youngblood
Photographer
Hire Date 8/23/2010 Jason moved to Austin in March 2010 from the frozen tundra; that is, Wisconsin. Jason has been playing Disc Golf since 2001 and competing in the PDGA (Professional Disc Golf Association) since 2007. He is also a photographer, artist, and musician!
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