Valley Dad Inspires his Step-Daughters to Work Alongside Him
By Liesl Babicka • Photo courtesy of the Walker Family
Meet Andy Walker – the finance director at Avondale Toyota. This stepfather of two oversees the day-to-day financial operations of this West Valley car dealership. Andy, and his wife, Tina, have both worked in Arizona within the car industry for the past twenty years. They ultimately inspired their two daughters, Annaliese and Alicia, to end up in the same industry.
Walker’s youngest, Alicia, has been familiar with her stepfather’s hardworking ways since he offered her an opportunity for her first job as a teen. She applied with her resume, and had a job interview with her stepdad, before she went on to quickly learn to file and document paperwork for Avondale Toyota. She even caught the company up from several months of backlog. Since starting in 2016, Alicia has worn several hats within the company such as a Wholesale Title Clerk, Used Car Assistant and Documentation Specialist, and now works as an administration assistant. In 2021 she graduated from Watts College of Public Service & Community Solutions at Arizona State University with a bachelor’s degree in tourism development and management.
Walker’s oldest, Annaliese is a graduate of the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication at Arizona State University, where she obtained a degree in sports journalism. Annaliese spent the last seven years working for a digital agency as well as a variety of MLB teams including the league itself creating content and growing audiences on several digital platforms including Instagram, X (formerly known as Twitter) and more. She started her own company, Brewed Social Marketing, to assist businesses in social media growth, keeping brands in front of audiences and building content marketing techniques. Based in Texas, Annaliese has several clients of her own, including Avondale Toyota where she has curated impactful content.
Andy, with the help of Tina, created an environment that inspired hard work, innovation and passion amongst their daughters ultimately leading them to the automotive industry at Avondale Toyota.
Do you know a local rad dad? Send an email to monique@rakmagazine.com to recognize an exceptional dad in your life!
