PLANET SUBARU - Key Persons
Aly grew up in Quincy and now lives in Hanover. He speaks fluent Arabic and has traveled extensively throughout Europe and the Middle East.
His name is pronounced like "ollie," which happens to be the name of a skateboarding maneuver where the rider and board leap into the air without the use of hands. The coincidence is appropriate because Aly loves to skateboard. We started the rumor that he invented the move.
On duty and off, Aly likes to stay very busy. He is completing a degree in engineering at Quincy College. He also plays the ukulele, collects tropical fish, and sketches. His ambition is to buy a camper and vacation on the open road, living the #vanlife.
Job Titles:
- Certified Subaru Senior MASTER Technician
Anthony lives in Rockland with his wife and four children. He has worked on Subarus for almost forty years and he helped open Planet Subaru in 1998. He is Planet's Shop Foreman.
In 2022 he was the ASE Technician of the Year selected from approximately one thousand technicians turning wrenches at New England's sixty-four Subaru dealerships.
His favorite auto joke goes like this: A jumper cable walks into a bar. The bartender says "I'll serve you, but don't start anything."
Anthony drives a Subaru Impreza with a six-cylinder engine that he installed himself, perhaps the only one of its kind because Subaru never built an Impreza with that many cylinders.
Ben grew up in Tampa, Florida, and now lives Plymouth. Before joining the Planet team, he was a licensed massage therapist. So if you've found that dealing with a typical dealership salesperson is a pain in the neck, that's knot a problem with Ben. He has the right touch. With a last name that sounds like a used car superstore, it was only a matter of time before Ben fulfilled his destiny of working in the auto industry. And what would a guy named Lotzkar name his son? Miles, of course. For real!
Chrissy Davenport lives in Quincy. She is a natural athlete. She loves to play soccer and volleyball when she can. She also likes to read or watch movies in her spare time.
Chrissy's duties include preparing the large volume of complicated paperwork required to purchase a car. Chrissy is very conscientious, detailed-oriented, and perfectly suited to the exacting requirements of the position.
Chrissy drives a Subaru Impreza.
Joined Planet: 2005
Christa grew up in Florida and now lives in Hull.
One of many women in leadership roles at Planet, Christa joined the Planet Service team as a cashier and earned five promotions over the years, rising to the top job in Planet's largest department. She has been featured in many national media:
Interview with CBT News
Interview with Automotive News
Leading Women presentation
Automotive News commentary
Her work ethic is legendary. When she was pregnant with her second child, TJ, she started going into labor at the dealership. While waiting for her husband to pick her up, she continued to work with customers at the counter, contractions and all!
Christa drives a Forester.
Joined Planet: 2005
Job Titles:
- Co - Owner
- Managing Partner
Dale Lathrop, lives on a lake in Weymouth and is extremely fond of fishing and catching lobsters. He grew up in upstate New York, and he earned his engineering degree from Clarkson University.
Our beloved erstwhile greeter dog belonged to Dale. Dale is color blind, which explains why he would give the name "Blue" to a Silver Labrador Retriever that was kinda greyish-brown. Fortunately, the dog didn't understand English well enough to get confused.
Since joining us in 2002 as a Purchase Partner, Dale rose through the ranks because of his character and integrity, for which he thanks his Mom and Dad. Dale and his wife, Erica, have two fraternal twins who were born prematurely, so they support other parents through the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center NICU Newborn Services Fund.
Dale was a Subaru die-hard even before joining Planet...over the years Dale and his folks have owned twenty-one Subarus. He currently leases an Ascent.
The Boston Voyager featured Dale in an article about area business leaders, and the Automotive News named him a "Notable Champion of Diversity" for his success in attracting a team you would never expect to find at a typical dealership.
He is no relation to Chelsea Handler, but he does bear a curious resemblance to movie stars Michael Cera and Seth Rogan.
He earned a bachelor's degree in marketing from the University of Hartford, but cars are his first love. Turns out he prefers oil funnels over purchase funnels, electrical leads over sales leads, and direct injection over direct mail.
Dave was a Subaru fan long before he joined the Planet team; he bought a new WRX in 2013.
David Gardner, Purchase Partner since 2006, grew up on the South Shore and recently purchased his first home in Weymouth. David graduated from Boston University with a degree in Broadcasting & Film and took off for Hollywood. He actually lived on the same hill as the Hollywood sign.
He drives a Forester XT.
Deb retired in 2021 after eighteen years on the sales team, and we just couldn't bring ourselves to take down her Planet AutoBiography. Deb was a key member of the early team that built the dealership into the institution it is today. So we created a new position just for her, Planet Alumna, a role that doesn't require her to do any of the hard work at which she previously excelled: serving customers every day with patience, love, and excellence.
The tall woman with the trademark short haircut is so closely associated with Planet that people all over the South Shore refer to her as "the Subaru lady."
She earned a masters degree in biochemistry as a young woman, and would later serve the community in a variety of different ways: mother, tailor, doula, and then salesperson and manager at Planet.
The typical dealership measures sales team tenure in months; at Planet we measure in decades. Deb joined us in 2003. We asked Deb to join our team after she bought a Forester to transport her rowing shell. She is representative of the Planet philosophy of attracting team members from outside the car business.
Debbie lives in Plympton. She has one daughter with her husband Eric, who also works in the automotive industry. She joined Planet right after we opened in 1998.
She is a member of a local womens' investment club. Debbie is such a sweetie that you would be honored to count her among your friends.
Job Titles:
- Certified Subaru MASTER Technician
Derek Duggan lives in Plymouth and joined us in 1999, one of many who joined us in our first year and are still on the team.
He has one daughter and she is the apple of his eye. When not working on a Planet Subaru, he works on his own Subaru--a Forester. His blood type is 10W30.
Dick was born and raised on a dairy farm in Grand Ledge, Michigan, and now resides in Pembroke.
One of several veterans on the Planet team, Dick served for twenty years in the Navy as a jet engine mechanic. Now, as Special Affairs Manager, Dick is our jack-of-all-trades who helps with driving, facility maintenance, and pitching in wherever needed. He could even fix an F4 Phantom fighter jet, if we had one.
He has a degree in Applied Science from Southwestern Michigan College. He still uses his considerable technical skills on a 1951 Case Tractor that he uses to compete in tractor pulls.
Ellie was born in Port Au Prince, Haiti, and now lives in Brockton. Before leaving Haiti for the United States in 2014, he worked in logistics for the International Red Cross, managing relief supplies. His biggest challenges after arriving in the US included learning how to drive in the snow, and navigating Boston's labyrinthine streets (he should have seen how hard it was before GPS!) He earned his degree in Automotive Technology from Porter & Chester Institute in Canton. He grew up playing soccer, so when he's off duty he gets a kick out of watching matches. On duty, he accomplishes his goal of maintaining your car safely because he always uses his head!
Elijah was born in Sparta, New Jersey, and now lives in Hingham with his Doberman (Kiba), Cockatiel (Tiki), cats (Faolan and Kona), and, wait for it, a hedgehog named Flower. He loves animals of all kinds...so much, in fact, that he's a vegetarian.
Elijah is obviously a moral person, and quite amiable too--for he's a jolly good Fellers, which nobody can deny.
Where many of his generation might be more interested in gaming, Elijah is #oldschool and prefers to read. He likes history and also science fiction. As for poetry, well, he leaves that to the prose.
Job Titles:
- Service Operations Manager
Emily was born in Halifax and never left.
She earned a B.S. in Economics from Bridgewater State, graduating magna cum laude. Her college experience taught her the value of a dollar in more ways than one--she worked as many as three jobs at a time so she could graduate without any debt.
She is the only Planet team member with a black belt in Kenpo, which she began studying at 6. She later became an instructor at 13. So when you drive your car home after a service visit and you feel like your car has a little more kick, now you know why.
A hound/yellow lab mix named Libby keeps Emily company when she's not at work with greeter Pabst and his fellow "blue collar workers."
Eric is from Scituate and now lives in Marshfield with his wife, three sons, and a cat named Millie.
Eric originally joined us a few months right after we opened all he way back in 1998, impressing us with his maturity at the tender age of nineteen. (He still holds the record for the youngest Purchase Partner in our history). After a couple years he moved into the financial services industry. But he never found another environment quite like Planet, so he rejoined us and it's like he never left. (Except we all have a few more grey hairs).
As a younger man he played safety on the Randolph Oilers semi-pro football team, rubbing shoulders (and colliding) with players who would later join the NFL. After the injuries piled up, he became a referee. We think you'll have a ball working with Eric, because he's a real catch.
Evan was born in Plymouth and never left!
He has a twin sister, born seconds after him, so when they disagree he likes to pull rank and remind her that he's the older brother. Of course they're not identical twins, but they share a special bond, including eerily similar scars on their chins and left knees that they acquired horsing around as kids. Neither was born at the time Planet Subaru opened in 1998, which makes many of us feel old, especially his father, Parts Conductor Steve Crosby, who is now Evan's boss!
Evan has a striking tattoo on his right arm that features a mythical fusion of a red panda and a wolf, likely the only one of its kind in the world.
Evan drives a Subaru BRZ, very slowly, lest he pass his dad on the way home.
Jaime was born in Plymouth, and lives there today, but not without a few voyages in betwe en. On her way to a B.A. in Communication at Bryant Univer sity, Ja ime spent a semester on the Gold Coast of Austr alia, an exper ience she des cribes as the best four months of her life.
Jaime hails from a family of educat ors...her mo ther and two sisters are teachers, and Jaime wo rked in colle giate admission s before joining Planet.
James Greene, (that's Greene with an "E"), grew up in JP and now lives in Milton with his wife and daughter. He came to Planet with degrees in Mathematics and Political Science from Villanova; while there he worked as a Sports Editor for the school's newspaper. He later earned an MBA from Suffolk University.
James has been recognized by Automotive News for his accomplishments, winning their "40 under 40 Award."
As Sales Operations Manager, his duties include managing our huge inventories and making sure everything runs smoothly with your vehicle and your experience.
James spent his earlier years working for some of Boston's most prominent political leaders, including former Senators Ted Kennedy and John Kerry, and former Boston Mayor Tom Menino.
James is an avid Boston sports fan. He leases a Subaru Ascent.
Joined Planet: 2009
Jameson was born in Weymouth and lives now in Whitman.
Jameson comes by his heavy metal goatee honestly; he formerly was a drummer in a rock band.
He has always worked with his hands. Before he joined Planet, he was a gunsmith. There he learned the importance of avoiding shotty workmanship. He can handle really tough jobs because he's surprisingly strong for a guy who worked with small arms.
Jason was born in Braintree and now lives in Quincy.
He earned his degree in Automotive Technology from Universal Technical Institute.
Before joining Planet, Jason serviced paratransit vehicles for the MTA. Because those vehicles are in use all day transporting citizens with special mobility requirements, he worked the overnight shift: 11pm to 7:30 am. After working like a vampire for years, he was ready for a bright ray of Planet sunshine.
Jason stays sharp and fit by training in the Brazilian martial art of Jiu Jitsu. We love it when he tells jokes because he is so good at the punch line. And when it comes to servicing your Subaru, Jason is a real heavyweight.
Jill was born in Hanson and now lives in Pembroke. Like many of our team members, she was a customer before she joined us, first buying a 2011 Impreza and now driving a Legacy. We knew her as the amazing server and bartender at the Scarlet Oak Tavern, and after the birth of her son necessitated a better schedule, she accepted our long-standing invitation to bring her considerable gifts to Planet. She cares for a rescue dog from Tennessee appropriately named Nash. Asked to describe her mixed-breed characteristics, she describes him evocatively as a dog that has one ear up and one ear down! Off duty, to leaf her worries behind, she loves to visit national parks. She would like to do s'more travelling in the future, visiting the remaining 25 states she has yet to see.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Special Affairs Manager
Jim was born in Wilmington, Delaware and now lives in Hanson.
He looks nothing like the Godfather of Soul or the Cleveland Browns fullback, but, much to his chagrin, this does not stop anyone from asking! Fortunately he has a great sense of humor. His friends call him Brownie.
He earned his degree in electrical engineering from Fairmont State University in West Virginia, and retired from a career in IT. That makes him the perfect person to do our long road trips because he's used to everything being backed up. He knows all about hard drives. He gets great fuel economy, too, because he doesn't use the air conditioning--he just opens up Windows.
He's a dad to two college-age kids and loves to golf, drum, garden, and cook.
Joe was born in Plymouth and lives there today with his wife and three kids: a toddler, a baby, and a golden retriever named Balto.
We first met Joe when he bought a new Impreza hatchback at Planet Subaru. We liked him so much we rescued him from a boring career in property management, and now he has a lot more fun delighting customers the Planet way.
Before the kids arrived, he played drums in a funk and R&B band named "Chowda." Joe cymbalizes the interesting folks who populate our unusual team.
Joined Planet: 2014
Judy was born in Kingston and now lives in Halifax, with a New Hampshire stint in the middle.
She discovered a passion for travel during a high school year in Mexico. To develop her language skills, she earned a BA in Spanish literature at Elmira College. She went to work in a travel agency, and later the cruise industry. So if you're knot shore you want the typical dealership runaround, Judy has mast'd the art of no-pressure car sales. You'll have a hull of a time buying your next Subaru!
Kelly was born in Weymouth and now lives in Rockland with her cat Apollo.
She earned a bachelor's degree from Bridgewater State in Business Management, minoring in Accounting and Finance.
Kendra was born in Hanson and resides there to this day. She graduated from Bridgewater State University with a bachelor's degree in Communications.
She has owned her own horse since she was 12 years young, a Welsh/Conammara mix named Star because of its lone Texas-shaped blaze. If you need to hoof it in to Planet at the spur of the moment, you'll appreciate Kendra's unbridled enthusiasm!
Kendra has a very rare genetic inheritance enjoyed by a tiny percentage of people--she has only one dimple. Growing up, this protected at least one cheek from all those old aunts who loved to pinch dimples at family reunions!
Kendra drives a Crosstrek.
Kendra was born in Plymouth and lives there today.
Kendra works with her dad and brother, so the Planet Parts Department is very much the Crosby Show!
She is one of many women who are thriving in every Planet department. She drives a 2005 Outback that she maintains herself.
Before joining the team, she attended Johnson and Wales University where she studied Culinary Arts. We recruited her because she is a whisk-taker and she was ready to try something different. Customers think she's sweet because she never deserts them and she makes every transaction a piece of cake.
Kristen (she's a ten, not a tin) was born in Rockland and recently moved to Abington.
Earlier in her life, Kristen studied Kenpo karate for a decade, finishing her training just shy of a black belt. Now she spends her time away from work making jewelry, a hobby where she really shines.
Before she joined Planet, she worked in accounting at MIT's meteorology department. Cirrus-ly. She also worked at MIT's Kavli Institute for Astrophysics and Space Research. Sirius-ly.
Nicky was born and raised in Hawaii and now lives in Bridgewater. She moved to Massachusetts for the weather. She came to our Planet in 2003.
She brings to Planet a big dollop of Hawaiian sunshine in her smile and cheery manner. She played basketball competively in Hawaii for the Pahoa Daggers.
Nicky drives an Outback.
Job Titles:
- Lead Service Administrator
Paulette was born in Fall River and now resides in Mansfield.
A coastal native, it's no surprise she loves all things marine. She won a wristwatch in a fishing contest at age 6, and took her first solo trip on an O'Day sailboat at age 13. Paulette and her husband fished on the Westport River during their courtship.
Paulette earned her B.A. from Stonehill College, and she has pursued a few different career paths, including stay-at-home mom and legal assistant. She worked almost a decade as a dental hygienist. Why did she move on? "I had cleaned the teeth of over 13,000 patients, and I asked myself, what else can I do with my life other than prophylaxis?!" It was just the same "grind," day after day. It just wasn't "full filling" anymore!
She made us smile when she joined the Planet team, and you'll really appreciate her flossify of putting the customer first!
Paulette drives an Outback.
Rob was born in Plymouth and now lives in Pembroke.
He joined Planet in 2000, when he was only 17, so he has grown up with us. After a couple of decades working in the parts department listening to our bad puns, you could say he's tired and exhausted even after taking a lot of brakes.
He's really into clean living and good nutrition. His few vices include a wicked coffee addiction, a passion for the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and lots of tattoos.
Roberta was born in Boston, grew up in Norwell, and now resides in Pembroke.
Before she "did the books" in the Accounting Office at Planet, she "did books" at the Pembroke Public Library. She handled the transition well, but is still getting used to our one-floor building after coming from a workplace with so many "stories!"
Here's a true story: she won her bright red car after entering a mail-in sweepstakes. When she went to pick it up, it had a hood ornament in the shape of a sauce bottle!
Ryan was born in Boston, grew up in Lowell, and now resides in West Roxbury.
Ryan graduated from Northeastern with a BA in Criminal Justice and he earned his law degree from Suffolk University. After a short, successful career as an attorney, Ryan decided he preferred the collaborative environment at Planet over the adversarial legal profession.
He grew up working hard in his family's restaurant business, which explains why his buddies like to call him "Mak-n-Cheese" or "Big Mak." He also responds to "Mak Daddy," but he prefers Ryan.
Ryan speaks fluent Cantonese with a Boston accent. He also speaks perfect English befitting an attorney, using his language skills as a volunteer attorney for an organization that serves the underprivileged.
The owner of seven Subarus over the years, he currently drives a Crosstrek; his wife drives a Solterra.
Joined Planet: 2014
Scott is a native of Marshfield and still lives there with his two boys, who are seventeen months apart in age, and close enough in size to lead the casual observer to think that they are twins. He insists they never fight. Ever.
Scott has a bachelor's degree in management from Northeastern University. Like so many others on the Planet team, we recruited him from outside the car business so we wouldn't have to break any bad habits. Before joining Planet, Scott worked at one financial company for 23 years, in software support. We predict that he'll be around to help you with your next Subaru, and eventually your kid's car too!
He drives a Subaru WRX.
Joined Planet: 2012
Stephanie was born and raised in Brockton and now lives in Halifax.
She has a bachelor's degree in food service management and an associate's degree in pastry arts, both from Johnson and Wales University. Though she planned on a career in the restaurant industry, let's just say she took a big whisk and beet it to Planet in search of a better work/life balance.
Stephanie loves shoes, the more bedazzled and unusual the better. You'll enjoy working with her because she likes to Converse and she's really a good sole. And because she sells cars the Planet way, she's no sneaker.
Off duty, she skates on a local amateur roller derby team known as the Brockton Bruisers.
She has a dog named Rocky Road, a mix of Rhodesian Ridgeback and American Staffordshire Terrier.
Steve was born in Hanover and now lives in Plymouth. He camps with his wife and four kids for a week at a time in a small RV; his wife tells him that he enjoys these trips.
Steve has spent his entire 30-year career in Subaru parts and helped open Planet Subaru in 1998.
Steve drives an Outback.
Job Titles:
- Certified Subaru MASTER Technician
Steve Merrill lives in Hanson with his wife, two boys, and a hound dog named Elvis. Just kidding...that would be a good name for a hound dog, but his real name is Charlie.
Steve was quite an athlete: he played baseball, lacrosse, hockey, and even semi-pro football. Fortunate for ailing Subaru's everywhere, Steve ultimately chose auto service over athletics.
When he was 14, he rebuilt a 1969 Dart Custom. Now, after a long day turning wrenches on Subaru's, he goes home and turns wrenches on a 1967 Coronet. He commutes in an Outback.
Joined Planet: 2005
His full name is Cuahtemoc, which means "Descending Eagle" in Nahuatl, the language of the Aztecs. For short we call him Temoc, pronounced "Tay-moke." If your command of languages is more limited than Temoc's (he speaks four), you're welcome to call him "T."
His small automotive fleet still includes the first car he ever owned, a WRX from 2002--the first year if was offered in the United States. His lifetime dream is to compete in professional motorsports. He has cars on his mind day and night; no wonder he occasionally wakes up "exhaust ed."
Temoc is also a gym and nutrition enthusiast. He likes to taco about fitness. You'll be pleased everything worked out when he works on your Subaru because he sets a high bar.
Zach was born in Plymouth and now lives in Carver.
He earned his mechanic stripes early, helping his father maintain a '88 Chevy C1500. A kinesthetic learner, Zach figured out fractions as a boy handling SAE wrenches and sockets (3/8", 5/16").
Before joining Planet, and without any formal Subaru mechanical training, he bought a defunct 2003 WRX wagon and resurrected it with major engine and transmission repairs. For Zach, working on Subarus is not a job, it's a way of life!
He's an omnivorous reader of many genres from epic poetry to anime. His favorite authors include Dante, Kishimoto, and Jeff Lindsay. You could say that when he needs to check out, he heads for the library, which he finds is good for his circulation. No wonder his weekends are always fully booked.