Pub. 1 2018-2019 |Issue 3

22 Mike MacDonald Ha of Fam e Induc t s M ichael G. MacDonald was born to Lawrence Charles and Dorothy MacDonald in Detroit Michigan. Growing up in Ferndale Michigan he attended St. James Elementary school, Detroit Cath- olic Central High School and Oakland Community College in suburban Detroit. In High School he lettered in hockey and concert band. In 1985 he happily mar- ried Louise, his soul mate and business partner. Between them they have five children, 14 grandchildren and two great grandchildren. Mike enjoys sharing his passion of competitive cycling, Nordic skiing, paddle boarding and snowmobil- ing with his entire family. Most of all, he enjoys spending time ocean fishing with Louise on their boat in Maui, Hawaii. Mike began working for his father Larry and grandfather Gordon Wilson Sr. at Trumbull Chevrolet in downtown Detroit, Michigan. He gained not only automobile experience but life lessons working in the heart of Motown. He moved to Salt Lake City Utah in mid 1978 to work for his Uncle Gordon Wilson at Gordon Wilson Chevrolet in Murray Utah. Working his way up from desk clerk to Salesperson of the Year then Sales Manager. In 1981 he moved to Jerry Seiner Chevrolet working his way from Sales Manager to General Manager, then to partner in Jerry Seiner Buick as well as Operations Manager for the Seiner Organization. In 1991 Mike went to work for Ken and Robert Garff at the Ken Garff Organization as General Manager of Ken Garff Ford in Murray, Utah. Later he became a partner with the Garff’s in Bountiful Lincoln - Mercury - Mazda. In 1998 Ford Motor Company consolidated its Salt Lake markets of Ford, Lincoln and Mazda dealerships, which became the Utah Auto Collection. Mike was an owner in the Utah Auto Collection where he was Vice President of Fixed Operations, overseeing 13 dealerships. In 2002, after Ford abandoned the Auto Collection initiative, Mike was awarded the Mazda franchise in Bountiful, Utah. He was chosen to build their first reimagined Mazda Retail Revolution dealership in the country. In 2005 he added Suzuki and in 2010 he was awarded the Mazda franchise in Orem Utah. He served on the National Dealer Council for Lincoln Mercury where he became Chairman for Mazda’s National Dealer Council as well as Time Quality Dealer for Utah in 2013. He served on the New Car Dealers Board of Directors for over 13 years and was Board President in 2009. He continues to serve on the New Car Dealers Insurance Trust Board. Mike served on the St Joseph School Board of Directors, overseeing the building of a new school. He has been Chairman of St Vincents School Annual Fundraising Campaign. Currently he serves on the Board of Directors Executive Committee of Loving Spirit, a nonprofit for death and grief healing. He supports organizations as Huntsman Cancer Institute, Utah Food Bank, Prevent Child Abuse of Utah, Susan G. Komen and St Vincent de Paul. The New Car Dealers of Utah is proud to welcome Mike MacDonald into the 2019 Hall of Fame and recognizes his contribution to his community and the automotive industry. 3