To quote Maya Angelou, “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.”
After 25 years with Jim Ellis Automotive Group, the number of people that have been impacted by how great Vice President Tracie Maloney made them feel is too many to count. She is someone who motivates, inspires, cheers on and cares more deeply than most. The stories of Tracie giving someone a chance when nobody else would or going out of her way to be there for an employee during a hard time are infinite. She is someone who values her employees and thinks often about what is best for them.
“Tracie always made decisions based on what she believed was best for the organization and she would go the distance to argue her point,” said Jim Ellis Vice President Rob Waggoner. “She did it because she cared. She cared about what was right for the company and the people that work here.”
Tracie has spent over 28 years in the automotive industry. While working at Crescent City Motors in New Orleans, Tracie visited Atlanta for a wedding and decided to stop by an Audi dealership to see how a “big city” dealership did things. After a tour, the Audi Atlanta sales manager tracked her down at her dealership in New Orleans and offered to fly her back to Atlanta for an interview. Jimmy Ellis offered her a job at the interview and she accepted immediately. After starting in sales, she worked her way up through the company before becoming a Jim Ellis vice president seven years ago.
Tracie has made an indelible impact on the Jim Ellis Automotive Group over the past 25 years. “Tracie’s perseverance as a person made her the type of leader and mentor who recognized perseverance in others,” said Volvo Stores Executive General Manager Michael Gerbick. “With that ability, she grew them, pushed them, and never sugarcoated anything, creating a pathway of success for them as future leaders. I am grateful for everything she taught me in the last 10 years, as I wouldn’t be where I am today without her believing in me.”
During her time in leadership at Jim Ellis, Tracie’s stores set the standard and pace for giving back to the community. It became hard to keep up with all the causes her dealerships were supporting and contributing to. And it was even more special to know that often times, Tracie was investing her own time and energy with those organizations or getting to know them behind the scenes to better understand their needs and how she could help support them.
“From the moment I met Tracie, I knew I would enjoy working with her,” said Chief Marketing Officer Shane Whigam. “In addition to being super passionate about her work and taking care of customers, she was also heavily invested and interested in the success of her team, and one of the most generous people I have ever met.”
And as if all those qualities were not enough, Tracie brought her brilliance to the table at Jim Ellis. Sitting in a room with Tracie while talking through planning and management items was like entering an alternate universe. You could almost visibly see the wheels turning, but most of all could feel the gears connecting as they turned. Her intelligence in leadership was something to be admired, and most who worked with her or for her did just that.
“Tracie has been an amazing leader and mentor,” said Tracie’s Marketing Director Erica Dailey. “She’s always been passionate about encouraging our personal success and development. I’ve loved seeing her incredible energy for finding innovative ways to build our business. I can’t tell you how often I think to myself, ‘What would Tracie do?’ I am filled with gratitude for all she has done for our team.”
It is easy to see why Tracie will be missed at Jim Ellis Automotive. And while this is technically a well-deserved retirement, nobody expects to see her sit idle for long. But until she determines what is next for her, we wish her the best as she enjoys quality time with her loved ones!
