Glenn Kashima has been giving away Toyota Corollas to high school graduates every year for a decade. An active member of the local Orange County community, a highlight of his role as parts and service director of Tustin Toyota is rewarding a local graduate with perfect school attendance with a new car each June.
“We’re very involved in the community,” Kashima said. “They give to us; we want to give back.”
The Orange County community is special to Kashima personally. His family moved to the area in the 1960s, and he credits the active Japanese American community with welcoming them.
“The cultural center helped us a lot because we didn’t know any Japanese Americans out here,” Kashima said. “It made it very easy to get familiar with this area and get used to the surroundings.”
In addition to his part in the annual car giveaway, Kashima has personal roles in multiple community organizations, including the Boys & Girls Club of Tustin and the Children’s Hospital of Orange County.
Kashima’s dedication to his community is apparent through the relationships he has built in his 14 years at Tustin Toyota, both with his coworkers and customers. Interested in vehicles from a young age, he started his career as a parts delivery driver and worked up to his current position as parts and service director. His priority is making sure each customer feels comfortable and at ease at Tustin Toyota.
This ethos is shared throughout the dealership’s culture and has been recognized by the Toyota President’s Cabinet Award, which Tustin Toyota has won for 12 consecutive years. This is Toyota's most exclusive and prestigious honor. Limited to a maximum of a dozen dealerships in the country, the award recognizes select dealers for their operations excellence, high volume sales, and most importantly, outstanding guest satisfaction performance.
“I think the success of Tustin Toyota is the people,” Kashima said. “I can’t say that enough. It takes a team of people here and dedicated people to make this dealership successful.”
This year, NADA has developed a storytelling series that will generate greater awareness of AAPI Heritage Month and of those who are making a difference in the AAPI community. To read more stories like this, bookmark www.NADAheadlines.org as a favorite in the browser of your choice and subscribe to our newsletter here:
