The DrivingSales Community Development Team

Jared Hamilton

Jared started DrivingSales in 2003 as a way for his classmates at NADA's Dealer Candidate Academy to keep in touch and collaborate on best practices and strategies for running a successful dealership. As founder and CEO, Jared is both the visionary and leader who is the “drive” behind DrivingSales. A third generation dealer, Jared grew up in the car business and is an industry expert in dealership operations and automotive retailing. In 1996, as the Internet was making inroads into our mainstream culture, Jared recognized the enormous impact that the Internet and its related technologies would have on automotive retailing. With experience in all departments and all facets of running a dealership, Jared has helped countless stores grow and capitalize on the opportunities presented by the Internet.

While a general sales manager for a large metro Ford store, Jared led a two-year research project covering the effects of the Internet on automotive retailing, and how the most successful dealers are adapting to it. The project culminated in a series of documentary films, which he released in select small theatres on a U.S. tour. An incurable entrepreneur, Jared is also the founder of Accelerate Automotive, Inc., a dealership consulting and training company, as well as AutomotiveHelpWanted.com, an online job ad and placement service for the auto industry.

With an old-fashioned approach to customer service and financial management, and fast-forward approach to the newest technologies, Jared empowers dealers to take advantage of our changing landscape and realize the success they've only dreamed about before.

Kristen Stanton

Kristen leads DrivingSales' marketing and community development programs. Before joining DrivingSales, Kristen was a marketing consultant for Dealer.com, where she helped develop their email marketing programs. Prior to Dealer.com, Kristen was the director of business development for Edmunds.com, where she helped to grow business and manage relationships with various partners, including AutoNation, AutoUSA, Experian Automotive, CarFax, Dealix, Autobytel, CarsDirect, Cars.com, Geico, Progressive Insurance, and others.

Prior to Edmunds, Kristen began her career in online automotive in 2001, when she joined startup third party leads provider Dealix Corporation. Kristen became the director of marketing for Dealix after it was acquired by The Cobalt Group in 2004. Prior to Dealix, Kristen was the business development manager for Internet loyalty and rewards program company MyPoints, which was acquired by United Airlines.

In 2006 and 2007, Kristen also served as the marketing communications and grant development chairs for the Clean Tech Open, a startup non-profit organization that organizes an annual business plan competition to accelerate the development of clean, environmentally sustainable technologies.

Kristen received her MBA in marketing from the University of San Francisco and a BA in geography, with an emphasis in environmental studies, and a BA in English, both from San Francisco State University.

Steven Richards

Steven leads all of DrivingSales' engineering and technology efforts, and is responsible for keeping the DrivingSales.com web machine humming. Steven is a software and web developer by trade, with over six years of experience developing database-driven web applications for both small and large organizations. Steven actively pursues emerging and evolving technologies, including AJAX and .NET, and helps turn the bright ideas on new tools and applications submitted by DrivingSales members into reality.

Paul Rushing

Paul manages DrivingSales' blog community, which is the largest in the industry in terms of scope of content and number of industry experts contributing. He also leads the charge for building DrivingSales' presence on the major search engines. Paul is passionate about helping dealers optimize their online marketing campaigns for resource efficiency and profit.

Paul brings almost two decades of high-ticket retail experience to DrivingSales, with tenure in the auto industry of more than a decade. He has been an owner and partner in two other enterprises, one as a dealer of manufactured homes and another where he managed several FEMA contracts in the Mississippi Gulf Coast region during the Hurricane Katrina recovery efforts.

Paul has helped a variety of business market their products online, since the late 1990s, and is self taught in many Web technologies and online marketing disciplines, with a specialty in SEO and social networking. In addition, Paul has covered every position in front end operations in the automotive retailing industry and most recently served as an Internet sales manager.

Paul is a native of coastal Georgia where he now resides. Paul is the father of five children who, he says, "are the drive in all" he does. Immediately after graduating from Brunswick High School, he entered the U.S. Army in 1987. Paul is a member of the American Legion and Veterans of Foreign Wars.

Larry Schlagheck

Larry Schlagheck leads all of DrivingSales' business development and sales efforts. He brings a rich background of experience in media sales, marketing, and leadership spanning more than 15 years.

Before joining DrivingSales, Larry was advertising director at Crain Communications' Automotive News for nearly nine years, overseeing a 22-person team charged with sales and marketing for their numerous print, online, and event products. Prior to Automotive News, Larry was regional sales manager at PRIMEDIA's Ward's AutoWorld, where he was twice named the corporation's top sales person.

Larry is a graduate of The University of Toledo, from which he holds a BA in communications. Larry lives in Northville, Michigan with his family.