For Jeff Ronspies, a business degree from Northeast Community College was the first step toward a more than 30-year career in auto sales.
Ronspies has been in the auto business in Norfolk since 1993, including the last 27 years with Courtesy Ford. He has been sales manager at Courtesy since 2004, and his chief responsibility is overseeing the dealership’s sales team.
“My main focus is helping them succeed,” he said. “I know if my salesmen are successful, the business will be successful.”
Ronspies said building and maintaining relationships is the secret to success in his business.
“We don’t sell cars, we maintain relationships. That’s what sales is. It’s about making a relationship with a customer, earning their trust, and then basically making a friend.”
Ronspies grew up in Pierce and graduated from Pierce High School in 1991. After high school, he spent two semesters at Wayne State.
“I realized it wasn’t for me,” he explained. “I needed to get a degree and get into the workforce. And I knew I wanted to be customer oriented, in a place where I could make a difference.” The business program at Northeast was the right fit.
Ronspies said his two semesters at Northeast went fast. “I needed a lot of credits,” he said. “I sloughed off a little at Wayne, taking the minimum credits for a full-time student. When I transferred to Northeast, trying to graduate in two semesters felt rushed. There was one semester I think I took 21 credits.”
Immediately after graduating from Northeast in May of 1993, Ronspies landed a job at Paul Spady Motors as a salesperson. In six months, he was promoted to finance and insurance.
“Although I didn’t have a lot of experience in the car business,” he said, “I think my degree from Northeast helped me get that position and helped me advance to where I am now.”
Ronspies followed the same path five years later when he began working at Courtesy Ford. After six months in sales, he was promoted to finance and insurance.
“There were a lot of good people at Courtesy Ford when I started there,” he said. “They picked me over others, and I think it was because of that Northeast degree.”
Ronspies remembers his instructors from the year at Northeast and remains in touch with some of them. Instructors he recalls from that time include Clint Schukei, Marlin Sekutara, and Lin Behmer.
“I still use the business law I learned from Clint Schukei,” he said. “And Lin Behmer’s accounting class helps me every day. My job starts with a sale and ends with accounting.”
Ronspies and his wife, Jennie, live in Pierce. They have three adult daughters and a 4-year-old granddaughter. In addition to spending time with them, Ronspies enjoys golfing at the Pierce Community Golf Course where he is a member and past president of the board.
Ronspies urges young people to consider Northeast Community College for their post high school education.
“I wish high schools would push that more,” he said. “That two-year degree is priceless.”
Northeast Community College encourages all alumni to share their stories by visiting northeast.edu/giving/alumni. Alumni are also encouraged to join the Northeast Community College Alumni Association group on LinkedIn by visiting www.linkedin.com/groups/1996723/.
###
