The Greater Washington area has a long history of influential business leaders powering the growth of our region and the strength of their communities. On November 20, the Washington Business Hall of Fame will welcome four such leaders to receive our region’s signature lifetime business achievement award. The Hall of Fame brings these visionaries (the best in business) to the table with the next generation of leaders (the next in business), through an experience that connects and inspires us all.
The 2024 Hall of Fame Laureates are no strangers to media coverage. If you live in the Washington region, chances are you’ve seen their names in headlines for years. What you may not have witnessed is these trailblazers telling their stories in their own words. That’s what this series brings you – the insights, lessons and life advice that these Laureates have to offer based on a lifetime of success.
Washington’s best in business:
GEOFFREY POHANKA
From overcoming dyslexia to working at the family business as a teenager, Geoffrey Pohanka underscores that there are countless pathways to success for high school graduates.
Read the full Q&A to get to know Geoffrey – a leading influencer in the automotive industry and one of this year’s Laureates.
GEOFFREY PohANKA
CHairman
Did you have a mentor over the course of your career? If so, who was it, and how did they impact your career trajectory?
Geoffrey Pohanka: My parents, John and Jean Pohanka, had the greatest influence on my life. I am the middle child of three and was diagnosed at an early age with dyslexia. Fortunately, my parents recognized I had special needs, and working with my school, Sidwell Friends, they provided the tutoring I needed to help overcome my learning disability. My parents led by example. They modeled honesty, compassion, forgiveness, sharing, making a difference, being there for others, listening, being supportive of the community, and finding your passion: all qualities I seek to emulate.
In eighth grade, my family and I recognized that Sidwell Friends School, which at that time was involved with experimental education such as open classrooms, was not the best learning environment for me. We made the life-changing decision to have me attend high school at Saint James School near Hagerstown, Md., where I boarded for four years. Saint James’ small classroom size and traditional teaching methods gave me the learning opportunity that I needed to thrive. From there, I went on to graduate from Colgate University. I have been on the Saint James Board of Trustees for 20 years and recently served as chairman of the board. The school had a major impact on my life, and I can now help other students enjoy the same opportunity I had.
“My parents led by example. They modeled honesty, compassion, forgiveness, sharing, making a difference, being there for others, listening, being supportive of the community, and finding your passion: all qualities I seek to emulate.”
What is the hardest job you have ever done? What made it so difficult?
Geoffrey Pohanka: The automobile retail business is a challenge unto itself. We have many different businesses under one roof, and no one could ever be an expert in all of them. I have been very involved in the auto industry, outside of our dealership, and most recently served as the 2023 Chairman of the National Automobile Dealer Association (NADA). NADA has a staff of 250 people and represents 16,000 new automobile dealerships with three primary concentrations: manufacturer relations, federal government relations and dealer training. We also coordinate with over 100 state and metro automotive trade associations.
My priorities at NADA were ambitious, and most have or will come to fruition. One goal was to get ahead of issues, instead of just reacting to what had already happened. I am the originator of NADA’s Principles to Guiding Auto Retails Future, and I am pleased that these principles have largely been supported both by dealers and manufacturers.
Amid the automotive industry’s transition to electric vehicles, I have worked hard to improve relations both with the state and metro trade associations and the auto manufacturers through their trade association, The Alliance for Automotive Innovation. This has proved challenging due to a number of factors, including costly investments, adherence to state and federal regulation timelines, electric vehicle affordability, the lack of a reliable and convenient public charging network, and an inadequate supply of available electric models.
What is one thing you want the Greater Washington business community to know about your company?
Geoffrey Pohanka: I think the Pohanka Mission Statement says a lot about us:
Do it right the first time
Make it easy for the customer
Make it easy for the team member
Find a way to do it better, faster, cheaper and without sacrificing service
Our corporate culture has been created over a century of business. We care about our team members, our customers, and our community. We are proud that people can join our company and thrive, including two of my partners who, after respectively starting as a part-time switchboard operator and a lot attendant, now have ownership of our company.
We are also very involved in supporting our community through philanthropic efforts, such as funding free dental care at the Mona Community Center in Clinton, Md., adopting two elementary schools, and supporting JA Finance Park® in Prince George’s County, Md. I am especially proud that the Prince George’s County Public School system now requires financial literacy education in their high schools as a requirement for graduation – an initiative for which I have long advocated.
If you could choose one person to have dinner with, living or dead, who would it be and why?
Geoffrey Pohanka: The first person who comes to mind is Abraham Lincoln. President Lincoln came from humble beginnings, was self-made and rose to the presidency during the Civil War. My deceased brother, Brian Pohanka, was a lifelong historian and recognized Civil War expert. Through him I learned of the horrible toll the war exacted on this country and the importance of its outcomes. Despite the catastrophic circumstances, President Lincoln was steadfast and continued to lead through significant challenges until he gave the United States the ultimate sacrifice: his life.
The global pandemic has caused young people to reconsider the connection between their education and the uncertain future. What should students be doing today to help prepare them for a successful tomorrow?
Geoffrey Pohanka: I believe that a college degree is not essential to achieving success in life. Certainly, a post-high school education can advance learning on many subjects and allow time for maturity, but it is certainly no guarantee of a successful career. My grandfather, Frank Pohanka, founded our company in 1919. He only had an eighth-grade education after running away from home to become a jockey, but this was not a barrier to his success. There is an incredible demand for employment from many different trades that can offer an efficient and reliable economic return. It is important that one’s chosen profession is not only enjoyable and fulfilling, but also that it meets one’s need for economic stability.
“There is an incredible demand for employment from many different trades that can offer an efficient and reliable economic return. It is important that one’s chosen profession is not only enjoyable and fulfilling, but also that it meets one’s need for economic stability.”
If you had to pitch a new business concept today, what would it be and why?
Geoffrey Pohanka: I have essentially worked my entire life in our family business, starting during the summer when I was 13 years old. The only exception is when I worked seasonally during college for Amtrak on-board services (I have a lifelong interest in railroads and follow the industry).
In thinking about innovation as it relates to our family business, it occurred to me that the connection people feel to buying and owning cars is strong and often emotionally driven. People buy a car and then keep shopping for the next one. People name their cars. There is something about the new car smell that people like. During a behind-the-scenes tour of Disney World, I learned that they release piped chocolate cookie smell near the entrance to their bakeries, knowing that the smell will activate the taste buds of visitors. Maybe releasing new car smell into the showroom would have the same effect!
You’re invited to support Geoffrey Pohanka’s induction into the Washington Business Hall of Fame. All proceeds benefit Junior Achievement of Greater Washington’s work to prepare local students to be ready for the future.