Fernando H. Varela
Fernando H. Varela, President of Varela Group and All-Star Dealerships with locations in Palestine, Kilgore, Abilene, Texas, and Muskogee, Oklahoma, began his career with Ford Motor Company and acquired his first dealership in Palestine, TX, in 1994. Fernando is a 25-year Rotarian, Founding Chairman of the Alliance of Ford Motor Minority Dealers, and has served on the Ford National Dealer Council.
His leadership experience includes serving as a former board member of the Palestine Independent School District, past Vice President of the Palestine Chamber of Commerce, and former chairman of the Ford Motor Minority Dealer Association. He is past chairman and current board member of the Ford Dealer Advertising Fund and sits on several boards, including those of the Dallas Chevrolet Advertising Board, the Texas Automobile Dealers Association, and the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce.
His accolades include nominations and awards from Time Magazine, Urban Wheels, Northwood University, and the Greater Dallas Hispanic Chamber of Commerce. Fernando is also a member of the Ford Motor Company National Hispanic Advisory Board and a past chairman of NAMAD.
He actively supports youth education, community projects, and veterans through donations and fundraising. Fernando is married to Alana, a BS Nurse Practitioner, and they have three children: Nicholas, Managing Partner of All-Star Dealerships; Christina, a Texas Tech University and Oxford Brookes University graduate; and Avery, a Texas A&M Business School graduate.