SUNDAY, APRIL 4, 2021 D10
WOMEN OF ACHIEVEMENT
THE NORTH PLATTE TELEGRAPH
2021 Women of Achievement Finalists BUSINESS
children was priority one. In 1975, Fair went to work for Union Pacific. In 1978, she was promoted to man- ager. She worked at the diesel shop until 1984 and was then transferred to the yard office as manager of administration and purchasing. She traveled various locations with the railroad, learning all phases of each de- partment. She loved every aspect of the railroad and enjoyed working with people. She is a member of Our Redeemer Donna L. Fair
Donna Fair created Donna’s Office Service in 1994 after leaving Union Pacific for health reasons, and she continues to work with railroaders. She built the com- pany from scratch and now it reaches over 30 states, said nominator Julie E. Sprague. Fair started her employment with Nash Finch Co. for 10 years, then Crown Prince Packing in the Transportation Department. She enrolled in numerous night classes at Mid-Plains Community College. As a single parent, providing for her
Lutheran Church of North Platte. She was on the United Way and Crime Stoppers boards for 15 years each. She is a member of the Union Pacific Employees Club and NARVRE, working as secretary for the North Platte chapter. “She is not only an outstanding profes- sional business woman with impeccable customer service skills, but she is an out- standing employer with high moral and ethical standards,” wrote Sprague, who was hired by Fair in April 2020.
Robyn Foote
ership and is its dealer principal. Foote is a respected member of the NADA FF52 dealer 20 group, which is a group of 20 auto dealers from all over the United States who meet quarterly to re- view their business data and progress. Foote has four children “who accompa- nied her to work many, many times over the years,” Bill and Kathy Summers wrote. Moreover, “she treats her employee as if they are family, taking the business tag- line ‘Families are our business’ to heart,” wrote nominator Christine Anderson. years at activities to support North Platte Public Schools. He said King embodies this idea: “If you need help to get something challenging done, find one of the busiest/ hardest working people you know to help.” “Over her career Gina has carried her talents, lessons learned, relationships and accomplishments close to her heart,” he said, “and it is from this pure caring she has given and continues to give back to our community in so many ways, always with a smile, when a lot of others would have al- ready justly gone home.”
Summers Ford, Lincoln, Honda, Nissan. She worked for several years in the fi- nance department and worked her way up into sales management and then was gen- eral manager. She attended the National Auto Dealer Academy in McLean, Virginia, learning the details of each department of the auto dealership and becoming qualified to be- come a dealer principal. Now, after nearly 30 years of work- ing in the automobile business, she has purchased a major percentage of the deal-
Robyn Foote of Bill Summers Ford is one of very few women who own and oper- ate automobile dealerships. She started by selling cars and worked her way up in the business. After graduating from Kansas State University, she went to work selling vehi- cles at a Ford dealership in Lincoln. She then went to work for her parents, Bill and Kathy Summers, in Concordia, Kansas, as a finance manager. She moved with them to North Platte in 1998 when they purchased the business now called Bill Gina King is the owner of A Cut Above Salon & Spa in North Platte. Nominator Joe Staroska lauded her personal guidance and compassion toward her employees, along with her management and business skills. “Even as a very young adult, I feel Gina had a drive for achievement along with a genuine kindness and compassion for family, friends and acquaintances,” said Staroska, who graduated with King in 1992 from North Platte High School. “These valuable traits are the business magic that is around us all. However, to harness and
Gina King
capture this genie in a bottle is the trick, and that talent is something Gina very much has to her credit.” Staroska recalled, “In July of 2001 I found myself for the first time sitting in Gina’s chair at her shop ... Wow, how her business has grown since then! I was inspired to see the pride and passion of such a genuine per- son growing her business with the dedication and care needed in building a solid business foundation, and continuing to expand and grow with employees under her guidance.” King and Staroska have volunteered for
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