1976 – San Francisco, California
Mrs. Brooks and her husband established Ellis Brooks Chevrolet on Van Ness Avenue in San Francisco in 1940 and she has continued its operation since 1963. She is one of the first women to be accorded a franchised dealership in the United States. She has been past president of the San Francisco Motor Car Dealers Association, past director of Greater San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, member of the San Francisco District Advisory Council of the Small Business Administration, member of the board of directors of Junior Achievement of the Bay Area and president of the Dealers Association of San Francisco (1992-1993). She was appointed to the San Francisco Airport Commission by Mayor Jordan in 1992, to the California Department of Motor Vehicles Board by Governor Wilson in 1993 and she is a founding director and chairman of the Western Women’s Bank. She has a daughter and two sons. Mrs. Brooks expanded her San Francisco dealership to include a Nissan franchise and, with her son, Ellis, Jr., has had Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Cadillac, Buick and Honda dealerships in northern California.
