2026 TDOY Nominee

Melanie Funkhouser is one of 47 dealer nominees from across the country who will be honored at the 109th annual National Automobile Dealers Association Show in Las Vegas, Nevada, on February 5, 2026.

The TIME Dealer of the Year award is one of the automobile industry’s most prestigious honors. It recognizes the nation’s most successful auto dealers who also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to community service. Funkhouser was chosen to represent the Washington, D.C. region in the national competition — one of only 47 auto dealers nominated for the 57th annual award from more than 20,000 nationwide. 

Funkhouser began her automotive career outside the family business as a cashier and service advisor at Martens Volvo of Washington. She joined Fair Oaks in 1999 and helped launch the store’s first website, CRM and internet sales department. Funkhouser has since served as finance manager, sales manager, service manager, controller, GM, vice president and now president & CEO. She is a graduate of the University of Vermont and twice completed the NADA Academy.

“I didn’t grow up assuming I would work in the car business and my dad never assumed that for me either,” Funkhouser said. “Sitting across from him for that first interview, I realized I wanted to be part of what he had built. My dad’s example taught me that our business is about people first, processes second and profits will follow.” 

Under her leadership, Fair Oaks Motors has invested continuously in its people and facilities. Major upgrades include a tiled, brightly lit service shop with in-ground lifts and Matrix fluid distribution, expanded off-site shop capacity for heavy-duty trucks, a 2022 full dealership renovation with modernized customer areas, a retail boutique and upgraded employee spaces.

The store is EV-ready with six Level 2 and two Level 3 chargers. “Customers still tell us our shop is the cleanest they’ve ever seen — an environment where they’d be happy having a picnic on the tiled floors,” Funkhouser noted. “When employees work in a clean, comfortable, well-equipped environment, they’re empowered to deliver the best possible service.” 

Funkhouser’s performance and customer focus have earned repeated recognition, including the Stellantis Customer First Award for Excellence and the Carfax Top Dealer award.

Funkhouser served on the Washington Area New Automobile Dealers Association board and on the NADA Dealer Operations Committee. She is a NADA NextGen member and supporter of the NextGen PAC and she champions dealer education — sending managers to Academy courses. She strongly supports the Washington, D.C. Auto Show for its role in consumer education and industry engagement. 

“I believe the dialogue among fellow dealers and partners is invaluable,” she said. “I support every effort to protect the franchise system and invest in the education that strengthens our teams.”

At the onset of COVID, Funkhouser made the high-stakes decision to keep her entire team on payroll, dividing staff into two alternating four-day teams to protect health, continuity of service and livelihoods. That choice forged lasting trust and allowed the dealership to rebound quickly with a full, motivated team. 

“It was unclear whether we’d even be allowed to stay open,” she said. “Many immediately laid off employees, but I decided we would keep everyone on payroll. We split into two teams — four days on, four off — so if one had an outbreak, we could still serve customers. The outcome was powerful: our people stayed employed, our essential-worker customers could count on us and we hit the ground running with a full, motivated team.”

Fair Oaks Motors’ culture is anchored by a written Vision Document and core values — Integrity, Respect, Care, Initiative, and Work Ethic — reinforced through regular coaching. The dealership provides SmartDollar Premium financial-wellness tools to all employees and partners with Car Motivators for semi-monthly professional coaching, improving onboarding, communication and retention. 

“Our most important change has been building a stronger culture rooted in a written Vision Document,” Funkhouser said. “When someone falls short, we document, coach, and support — sometimes the solution is training, other times it’s helping with personal struggles. These values have directly tied to performance, from record Fixed Ops to our best used-car month ever.”

Her approach to difficult market cycles is similarly transparent and people-first.  

“During the 2008–2009 crisis, we cut costs, I stepped in as Service Manager, and we asked everyone to take a temporary 10% pay cut,” she recalled. “We secured Ally as our new floorplan partner, kept selling and servicing and lost very few employees. That perseverance was rewarded when we were awarded the Dodge franchise from a competitor across the street.”

Funkhouser also points to customer care as the dealership’s core reputation driver. “When a pre-owned purchase developed repeated issues, we took ownership — picked it up ourselves, repaired it and when problems persisted, we traded the guest into a brand-new vehicle,” she said. “Afterward, he thanked our team and asked if he could pray for our dealership. Moments like that prove standing behind what we sell and putting the customer first aren’t policies — they’re who we are.” 

“Being nominated now is especially meaningful,” Funkhouser said. “Just last week, my father — who founded our dealership — passed away after a long battle with cancer. I accepted the nomination for him. I tell our team that each of us is responsible for the livelihood of the other 99, and this honor underscores that shared responsibility and the values he instilled in me.”

Funkhouser was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by the Washington Automobile Dealers Association. Funkhouser and her husband, Cory, have two children, Roman and Quentin.