Diana’s patience, leading-edge creativity, and natural leadership abilities have made her the perfect fit as Next-Level’s Director of Project Development & Design.
In her role, Diana brings together her love for organization with her knack for seeing the big picture, guiding innovative projects from those first “what if” conversations all the way to the finish line. Her connection to the automotive world runs deep—growing up with a father who owned his own auto shop in Romania, she spent her childhood helping out, taking cars apart and putting them back together again. Those hours in the shop, watching the intricacy of bringing a car back to life, fascinated Diana, and that spark still drives her passion today.
She is the kind of person who sees a challenge and immediately starts thinking about solutions. With our diverse, multi-generational team, her collaborative leadership style shines as she brings everyone together and keeps projects moving smoothly from start to finish, making sure everyone feels heard and valued along the way.
Beyond her professional work, Diana is also pursuing her passion for holistic health through a graduate-level doctorate program in Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture. When she’s not working or studying, you’ll find her enjoying the great outdoors—camping, hiking trails, and kayaking.
Ray began his career in the automotive business over 47 years ago, working in every facet of the dealership for the first 21 years and consulting/developing others for the next 26 years. Ray started in the sales department learning the business from the ground up. He also worked in parts and service, completing his dealership career with ten years as a Fixed-Ops Director.
Ray guided a large metro store that operated two shifts, open daily from 7:00 am – midnight. His dealership was top ten in the country for CSI, always profitable, and had a staff that remained together for years.
Dean Estep provided Ray with the opportunity to launch a second career as a facilitator by permitting him to teach a class with only 24 hours to prepare. Ray studied the material, taught the class successfully, and the next (as they say) is history.
Ray’s dealership foundation launched the second half of his career where he naturally took to developing and consulting for dealerships and the aftermarket. For the past 26 years, Ray has worked with over fifteen manufacturers in various roles including: facilitator, corporate team leader, remote learning host, coach, webinar presenter, course designer, focus group moderator. He joined Service Operation Specialist, a national recognized training company where he progressed from project manager to National Field Manager. Ray also has experience in assessing, consulting and training coaches and staff for Bombardier Powersports dealerships in the US and Canada.
Ray’s thorough understanding of Fixed Operations leads to instant credibility among dealership personnel and he is thrilled to rejoin Dean Estep and the Next Level Automotive Group team.
In his spare time, Ray enjoys restoring older vehicles, riding motorcycles and boating.
