Spotlighting one of LaGrange's native sons for Black History Month 2024. Entrepreneur William Pickard was born to William Pickard and Victoria Woodyard on January 28, 1941, in LaGrange, Georgia. 

William F. Pickard is the founder, Chairman, and chief executive officer of Global Automotive Alliance, one of the country's leading minority-owned businesses.  Under his leadership, the business became the first minority-owned group of plastic parts suppliers to service the top three U.S. automakers.  

In addition to his role with GAA, William F. Pickard, Ph.D. is the Executive Chairman and Founder of GAA New Ventures, Co-Managing Partner with MGM Grand Detroit Casino, CEO of Bearwood Management McDonald's, and a co-owner of five back-owned newspapers.

Pickard caught his first glimpse of the automotive world in the 1950s when his parents moved the family to Flint, Michigan, a city built on the car industry. 

Pickard earned an associate's degree at Flint Mott College and a bachelor's degree in sociology at Western Michigan University.  He then earned a master's in social work at the University of Michigan.  In 1971, he graduated from Ohio State University with his Ph.D.

Dr. Pickard's 50-year entrepreneurial career began as a McDonald's franchisee in Detroit, Michigan, in 1971.  Since its founding in 1989, GAA has generated more than $5B in sales with eight plants in the U.S. and Canada and services corporations, including Boeing, Mercedes-Benz, Ford, General Motors, Chrysler, Delphi, Johnson Controls, Starbucks, Home Depot, Merck, the U.S. Marine Corp and the City of Detroit.

He has served on numerous business and non-profit boards, including Asset Acceptance Capital Corporation, Michigan National Bank, LaSalle Bank, Business Leaders for Michigan, National Urban League, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Detroit Black Chamber of Commerce, and the Board of Directors of the National Park Foundation.  He is a lifetime member of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

In 2019, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer awarded Dr. Pickard "The Michigan Lifetime Humanitarian Award.  In addition, he was awarded "Michiganian of the Year" for his exemplary business success, civic leadership, and philanthropy.  He was the first Chairman of the African Development Foundation in 1982, appointed by President Ronald Reagan, and under President George H.W. Bush, he was appointed to The National Advisory Committee on Trade Policy Negotiations (1990) and the Federal Home Loan Bank Board – Indianapolis Bank of Indiana (1991).  In February 2021, he was appointed by the Commonwealth of the Bahamas as the first-ever honorary consul for the State of Michigan.

In his latest book, Surviving the Shift, Dr. Pickard shares that a positive attitude, the ability to adapt to change, and the willingness to learn from failure are all good markers of a successful person.  But what does it take to become a successful entrepreneur who can create something out of nothing?  Someone who can start from the bottom and work their way to the top?

As one of the country's most successful Black entrepreneurs, Dr. Pickard knows a thing or two about overcoming failure and mistakes to become an extraordinary entrepreneur.  In his book, he details the highs and lows of his entrepreneurial evolution and offers seven proven principles for embracing change and building wealth. 

The information for this article was taken from the companies website https://gaasolutions.com/

about the book . . .

A positive attitude, the ability to adapt to change, and the willingness to learn from failure . . . these are all good markers of a successful person. But what does it take to become a successful entrepreneur—someone who can create something out of nothing? Someone who can start from the bottom and work their way to the top?

In Dr. William Pickard’s new book, Surviving the Shift, this is exactly what he provides. As one of the country’s most successful Black entrepreneurs, Dr. Pickard knows a thing or two about overcoming failure and mistakes to become an extraordinary entrepreneur. In this book, he details the highs and lows of his entrepreneurial evolution and offers seven proven principles for embracing change and building wealth. Surviving the Shift will teach you how to:

· Develop positive vision and attitude.

· Prepare for opportunities.

· Understand that financing is not that difficult.

· Build good relationships.

· Choose a team with the right talent and skill set.

· Learn from failure.

· Cultivate strong faith.

Successful entrepreneurship requires a shift in thinking, planning, and doing. It requires avoiding the many pitfalls people often face in business. Whether you are a new college graduate ready to make your mark on the world, someone who is trying to figure out the next step for their career, an aspiring entrepreneur, or you want to explore new ways to grow your business, you have the power to become the person you were meant to be. This book is your road map, and Dr. Pickard has equipped you with everything you need for your journey.