JEFF FIELDER Editor
Jeff.fielder@nspiretoday.com
SCOTTSBLUFF – Dionna Russel is the owner/president of Russel’s Automotive, located at 112 West 27th St. in Scottsbluff. Russel’s Automotive is celebrating its 45th year in business. Dionna has been working in the automotive repair industry for 19 years, including 15 with Russel’s Automotive. She became a majority owner of the business in March 2017, and her brother, Stacy, is a part owner. They bought the business from their dad, Larry Russel. Dionna is ASE certified in brake repair, and she’s also certified in air conditioning repairs. Her main responsibility now at the shop is as a service advisor. She’s a 1996 graduate of Gering High School, and she earned an associate’s degree in general studies from WNCC in 1999.
Q: How much have you enjoyed working in the automotive industry?
RUSSEL: “This is something I’ve always been interested in because I grew up working in the automotive shop with my dad. I was always daddy’s little girl, so whatever he was working on, I was always right by his side. Whatever he did always interested me. I saw him getting his hands dirty, so I wanted to get my hands dirty, too. I would even follow him when he did projects around the house, like working on the underground sprinkler system. I always wanted to be like my dad.”
Q: How much did your interest in automotive repair grow as you got older?
RUSSEL: “It grew a lot. I continued to watch my dad work on cars, and every time I watched him, I would learn something new. As I started getting more hands-on with mechanical repair, I got even more interested in it. I didn’t mind getting dirty and getting cuts on my hands.”
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