Joining the family business

Ryan Carter

A local resident is doing her part to keep her father’s company in

the family.

Elizabeth Rusnak Arizmendi is part of a huge auto dealership

empire. Arizmendi, 41, daughter of Paul Rusnak, who founded the

company, has grown up around cars. The Glendale resident has decided

to get back into high gear after a 10-year hiatus to tout the virtues

of her father’s company, Rusnak Automotive Group.

She will become vice president of public relations for her father,

who over the past four decades has gone from having a fascination

with European cars to owning 11 dealerships at 15 locations

throughout Southern California. The closest is in Pasadena, where the

first dealership was established.

Arizmendi grew up with the dealerships and the cars, so touting

the company was a great fit, she said.

“I remember when DeLoreans were around. The way the doors opened,

it was like, ‘Wow!’ and it was fasci- nating how Porches went so

fast. I’m almost like a guy,” she said.

But Arizmendi, whose husband is a general manager for a Rusnak

dealership, said life as a communications manager in the company is

not all about plugging auto dealerships.

“We’re not all about cars,” she said. “I want to be sure the

public knows we are involved with national and community

organizations.”

Rusnak, the company, is a major sponsor of the Pasadena Pops

Summer Concert Series at Descanso Gardens and the Pasadena Symphony,

she said.