Nancy Sparks is the incoming KADA Chairwoman. KADA recently interviewed Nancy so our members could learn more about her as she begins her work in her new position.
Tell us about your professional background. Did you always aspire to be part of the automotive industry?
I did not actually. It started with my late husband, Pat DeCastro. He wanted to be a dentist, but he sold cars to work through college and kept moving up. Ford promised him a point after he started troubleshooting for them. The point came up in Cincinnati, but he expanded into northern Kentucky, and his group of dealerships became the Kerry Automotive Group. Kerry is a family name.
All this happened before I was even in the picture. Once we got married, we started a family right away, and I became a stay-at-home mom with two children; a daughter and a son. I was the quintessential soccer mom attending PTA meetings.
Sadly, Pat passed away suddenly on Christmas Eve in 2013 after a surgical procedure. I was 58 at the time, and the children were in their mid-to-late thirties. Kerry Automotive Group had 450 employees and five general managers who all promised to help me if I took on Pat’s job.
Describe your educational background. What did you study?
I wanted to be a primary education teacher at an elementary school. My college years definitely benefited me at the dealership, and so did the skills and leadership experiences I gained while my children were growing up. I really learned how to deal with people.
Are there any specific individuals who had a major impact on your career?
Pat surrounded himself with talented, loyal and dedicated people. They guided and educated me, and they are still with me now. They are my right-hand people.
My attorney, Bruce Krone, is one of them. He was the business attorney and our family estate attorney, too. He has been the most loyal, dedicated partner and friend I could ever ask for.
What is the most rewarding part of your career?
Manufacturers knew I had to run the enormous stores I inherited, and they were leery because I had no experience in the business. But I have successfully handled all the obstacles and challenges to become the dealer principal in all 11 franchises, and I am now the CEO.
Also, I am deeply proud of retaining all of our quality employees. We really haven’t lost anyone.
What do you think will be some of the auto industry’s dominant trends in the next 5-10 years?
It’s definitely the transformation to EV and how the industry will handle these challenges. But EV alone is not the answer to our energy and transportation problems. Switching to EV will mean solving problems with the power grid, charging stations, materials, and battery supplies. I think we are headed toward a combination of three technologies: EVs, fossil fuel vehicles, and hydrogen fuel cells.
Another important trend is finding the sweet spot for inventory levels. It’s advantageous for manufacturers and dealers not to have as many vehicles on dealer lots; however, we still have to find the optimal point.
Why is it important to be a KADA member? What makes it beneficial?
Pat didn’t join any auto associations, but when I took his place, I knew that I needed to learn everything that I could and that I could benefit from this additional resource.
We are in the tri-state area of Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio, and we are two minutes from the river and bridge into northern Kentucky. We have three Ohio stores and eight Kentucky stores.
I therefore eventually joined four different associations from these locations:
- KADA
- NADA
- GCADA
- OADA
The associations help keep me current on trends. They also educate me about the legislative issues involved in our business, and they provide helpful resources to enable me to better my business.
It’s great to be able to represent KADA to the legislators in the northern Kentucky area. The added bonus about getting involved in KADA has been the wonderful friendships that I’ve built with other dealers, office managers, sales managers and colleagues around Kentucky.
Not getting involved is a mistake, and those who don’t join are definitely missing the boat.
What inspired you to serve as a leader within the association?
When I was asked to join the Executive Board as Treasurer of KADA, I saw it as giving back. I thought it was an opportunity to continue to learn all that would be done in a year.
What I didn’t realize was that being the Treasurer was just a stepping stone. Four years later, I am now the Chairwoman.
Are you involved in any civic or charitable organizations?
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Ronald McDonald House
- The Red Cross
- The Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund
My sister’s daughter had a heart transplant when she was a year old. Her heart was the size of a strawberry and was failing when she was diagnosed. Now she is a very spunky 7-year-old. We are totally indebted to the hospital, and that’s one of the reasons I feel strongly about giving back.
If you look back at your career and life, what would be three things that you have learned that you would pass on to a younger member within the auto industry?
- Continue to learn at every opportunity that arises to stay current and move your store forward.
- Surround yourself with the best people you can find.
- Treat every employee and customer with the utmost respect. Doing that has taken me just as far as everything else I’ve learned. You have to show employees how important they are to the store’s success.
Describe your all-time favorite vehicle (it can be one you’ve owned or something on your wish list). What are you driving now?
My favorite vehicle is a Volkswagen beetle. When Volkswagen decided to stop making them, I bought a 2019 turbo convertible bug.
I love sedans, and my regular car is the Nissan Maxima.
Tell us about your family.
I grew up in Cincinnati with four brothers and three sisters. My maiden name is Brady, and everyone called us the Brady bunch.
After being Nancy DeCastro for over 40 years, I recently married Tim Sparks in June.
Tim was one of Pat’s general managers. I didn’t know him well because everybody told me, “The stores are perfect, he’s perfect, and you don’t need to go down there.” But four years ago, I asked Tim to be the president of Kerry Automotive Group. He’s pretty awesome. We fell in love as we worked together.
In addition to my children, I have two grandchildren, 26 nieces and nephews, and now we are moving on to grandnieces and grandnephews. It is a great Irish-Catholic family! Tim has three boys, and our children all get along. It’s truly been wonderful to expand our family even more.
What is your favorite way to spend your free time? Do you have any unusual hobbies?
I love to cook and entertain, paint, garden and spend time with family.
I am a real color person, so I love painting still lifes with pastels of anything botanical, like a bowl overflowing with fruit. You can get gorgeous colors with pastels.
Any last words?
My life is being a dealer, and I am grateful for it. I would never have imagined myself running dealerships and being the Chairwoman of KADA, but I wouldn’t change my journey for the world.
