The Laker/Lutz News

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David WIlliams

Community Service Is Top Priority For Williams Automotive Group

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The Williams Automotive Group does much more than just sell and service vehicles from its Wesley Chapel and north Tampa dealerships.

It literally touches the lives of hundreds of people in Pasco and Hillsborough counties by providing meaningful careers for its associates, and by helping people in need through its volunteer and financial support of several local charities.

“It all begins with the commitment of our owners, John and David Williams, who have shown exceptional loyalty to their employees and community since they bought Wesley Chapel Toyota in 2008,” said Therese Bottino, who heads up marketing for the business.

“Active community involvement is so important that it is the most important core value on our mission statement,” she continues. “This commitment comes from the very top of our organization, and we live it every day.”

Williams Automotive Group employs 460 people between its four dealerships — Wesley Chapel Toyota, Wesley Chapel Honda, Lexus of Wesley Chapel and Tampa Honda. Most of its associates live close to their work and are active members of the community.

“We are much, much more than just a car dealership,” said Eric Johnson, director of community partnerships for Williams Automotive Group. “Our first commitment is to make a difference in our community by giving our associates an opportunity to get out and serve.”

Johnson joined the company eight years ago in his outreach role, and was the first full-time community liaison in Pasco’s vibrant automotive market along the State Road 54/56 corridor.

Johnson’s primary responsibility is to identify area nonprofits deserving of help, and then develop programs to help by setting up volunteer events that make it easy for employees to become involved.

“We believe everyone has a desire to serve,” said Johnson. “My job is to create the opportunity by coordinating what support is needed at the charity, so all our associates need to do is sign up and show up.”

In 2018, Johnson set up volunteer programs with 10 different local charities, and had a recording-setting year for employee participation.

“Last year, we had 175 team members volunteering their time to serve at 41 different events,” said Johnson. “That works out to almost one event a week!”

An example is the volunteer work employees do to support Everyday Blessings, a foster home in Thonotosassa whose primary mission is to keep sibling groups together.

“Our associates get to know these kids personally by taking them shopping, signing up for Bingo nights and helping at fundraising events,” said Johnson. “Most of our volunteer events are three to five hours, and employees are given the flexibility to volunteer by adjusting their work schedule.”

Williams Automotive Group works with a variety of charities, so employees can choose to support those that interest them most.

“We have groups that focus on children, others that work with veterans, and those that serve the homeless and hungry,” said Johnson.

“Managers and hourly workers work side-by-side, and it’s a great way for our associates to get to know each other on a more personal level,” add Bottino. “We also encourage associates to invite their favorite customers to volunteer alongside them.”

Ronald McDonald House was the first charity that the company worked with. It added Habitat for Humanity the following year, and continues to welcome new charities every year.

In 2018, charities supported by Williams Automotive Group included:
Everyday Blessings Foster Home
Feeding Tampa Bay
Habitat for Humanity
Hillsborough Education Foundation
Metropolitan Ministries
Pasco Education Foundation
Ronald McDonald House
One Blood
Support The Troops
Trinity Café

In addition, the company has pledged $500,000 to the Moffitt Cancer Center Foundation, which supports cancer research, patient care and education initiatives.

“We set aside for Moffitt a percentage of the sale for every vehicle sold, which our company matches 100 percent,” said Bottino. “I don’t know anyone who hasn’t been touched by cancer, and we are blessed to have Moffitt in our community helping cancer victims and their families.”

Williams Automotive Group believes that people who volunteer their time to help others make for outstanding employees.

“We truly believe that people feel better about themselves when they give back and serve,” said Johnson. “We encourage people to serve by making it easy for them to volunteer.”

Every year the company recognizes its top employee volunteer with its prestigious Volunteer of the Year Trophy. The 2018 winner was Patrick Welsh, a detailer at Wesley Chapel Honda, who has worked at the dealership for less than two years.

“Seeing Patrick receive the volunteer trophy was exciting because it shows that even newer employees can jump on board to volunteer their time and make a difference,” said Johnson.

Because Williams Automotive Group is family owned, it has the ability to make decisions quickly in all aspects of its business, including charitable giving, without the corporate layers often found at other dealerships.

“We see ourselves as your friends and neighbors, and show it every day by our very real commitment to the community,” said Bottino. “Many customers tell us they buy from us because of our charity work, and that makes us very proud.”

Published January 16, 2019

Love — in its many forms — is concert’s theme

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Veterans and active service members will be honored at an upcoming concert, that centers on the theme of love, at the University of South Florida.

The Love Concert, which is scheduled for Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m., will feature the Touch iPad Band, which uses iPads to make music. The band dates back to 2011.

This band, which calls itself Touch, uses iPads to make music. They’ll be featured in a concert at the University of South Florida on Feb. 3. From left are: George Pennington, Jonathan Kladder, David Williams, Jeff Temple and Clint Randles.
(Courtesy of David Williams)

Music at this concert will feature collaborations between Touch and the university’s dance, theater and visual arts to portray stories told by local military veterans, according to David Williams, who is a USF school of music faculty member, as well as a member of Touch.

Other members of Touch are Clint Randles, another USF school of music faculty member, and USF music education students Jonathan Kladder, Jeff Temple and George Pennington.

They will be joined by New York-based singer/songwriter Kat Reinhart; USF alum and Hillsborough County music teacher Nathaniel Strawbridge, students and faculty of USF’s schools of theater and dance; art and art history; and, the singers from the school of music’s A cappella singers, Tones of Gold.

The event will benefit a local organization that helps disadvantaged veterans.

The event will take place at the USF School of Music Concert Hall, 3755 USF Holly Drive.

General admission is $15; students and seniors are $10; and veterans and active members of the military are $5. Tickets are available at the Arts Box Office, (813) 974-2323 and at the door 90 minutes before show time.

Published February 1, 2017

Trail skips East Pasco

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Pasco County will be left out of one of the longest segments of the state’s Coast to Coast Connector Trail, but efforts are expected to continue to include the county in future projects.

The Florida Department of Transportation is opting for a northern trail route that winds through Hernando and Sumter counties and the city of Webster for the Coast to Coast Connector Trail, known as the C2C trail.

The department of transportation rejected alternate southern routes that would have passed through Pasco County, citing safety and relocation issues, and environmental concerns.

Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez, left, studies a map as David Williams, a planning manager for the Florida Department of Transportation, talks about the state’s recommendation for a segment of the Coast to Coast Connector that skips Pasco County, but does go through the town of Webster. In the background, Webster Mayor Kelly Williams looks on. (Richard K. Riley/Photo)
Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez, left, studies a map as David Williams, a planning manager for the Florida Department of Transportation, talks about the state’s recommendation for a segment of the Coast to Coast Connector that skips Pasco County, but does go through the town of Webster. In the background, Webster Mayor Kelly Williams looks on.
(Richard K. Riley/Photo)

State officials also said a southern route would add about nine additional miles to the C2C trail, which would boost construction costs.

About 80 people attended the last of three public meetings, hosted by the the state transportation department on April 7.  Other meetings were in Sumter and Hernando counties.

Many came away from the April 7 meeting disappointed that the Sumter trail segment wouldn’t pass through a single Pasco town or city.

“It’s so important to us, not only as a destination, but for economic impact to the community and tourism,” said Dade City Mayor Camille Hernandez.

Transportation officials and their consultant, Orlando-based VHB, conducted a feasibility study for what is known as the South Sumter Connector Trail, the largest remaining segment of the C2C trail. The study looked at three northern routes through Hernando and Sumter counties, and two southern routes through Pasco and Sumter.

The purpose of the project is to build a trail segment connecting the Good Neighbor Trail to the South Lake Trail. That link also will interconnect with the James A. Van Fleet trail, which winds to the Withlacoochee Trail. When finished, the C2C will be about 270 miles of new and existing trails in nine counties, including the Starkey Wilderness Trail in west Pasco and the trailhead for the Withlacoochee.

The planned trail segment would fill the gap in the C2C trail, which when finished will link Pinellas County in the west with Brevard County in the east.

Pasco County Chairwoman Kathryn Starkey also suggested another alternative, which would tie in the cities of Webster, Lacoochee, Trilby and Dade City.  That proposal was not part of the study, which will conclude in June.

The transportation department’s preferred route would cost about $21.4 million. The southern routes would cost about $25 million to $27 million.

The next phase is an approximately two-year study of environmental and engineering issues that would begin in late 2016 or early 2017. The trail then would be designed, right of way secured and, finally, construction would begin.

The entire process is likely to take multiple years.

Hernandez and others plan to keep lobbying for the entire Pasco community, in this and future projects.

Constructions of several trails or links with existing trails are in the works in Pasco, and also between Pasco and Pinellas County. They eventually will link with the Suncoast Trail and Hernando. A multi-use trail beside U.S. 301 is planned as a future link for the Hardy Trail, in Dade City.

Dade City council members were scheduled, on April 12, to consider a letter supporting Starkey’s proposed route, as well as a connector loop suggested by Pasco County Commissioner Ted Schrader. That action was slated for consideration after The Laker/Lutz News’ press time.

The letter, which would be sent to state transportation officials, also will request that directional signage be installed at the Good Neighbor Trail to let bicyclists know of trails available in Pasco.

Dade City resident Mark Pinson is heading up a petition drive to gather signatures favoring a trail that would include Dade City and other Pasco destinations.

“Bikers want destinations,” Pinson said. “Dade City is a great destination. You want a place to eat and have a cup of coffee.”

Several trails come close to Dade City, but they don’t connect, he said.

Hundreds of bicyclists flock to Dade City and San Antonio to enjoy scenic rides, he added.

Brooksville resident Art Frassrand checked out proposed routes on a display map prior to the transportation department’s slide show, and listened to David Williams, a planning manager for the department, as he explained the agency’s decision process.

“This is easily the most feasible route,” Williams said.  “It’s a lot easier right-of-way wise. We won’t take as much frontage.”

Frassrand wasn’t persuaded.

“I think the southern route is the best,” Frassrand said.

It would trail through the Withlacoochee State Forest, and offer “the prettiest views,” he said.

Williams said forestry officials weren’t in favor of the C2C going through the state forest. He also noted hunters who said a bicycle trail would disrupt their hunting season.

However, Frassrand said bicyclists share the forest with hunters now for off-road or dirt bike riding.

Pinson said the northern route followed along busy highways.

“It’s probably a more unsafe route for bikers,” he said.

The extra nine miles that bothered transportation officials wouldn’t be an issue for bike riders, especially those planning an across-the-state jaunt, Pinson said.

“This is the prettiest nine miles of the whole trip,” he said.

Published April 13, 2016, Revised on April 15, 2016