Ensuring "First" Milestones are Not the Last

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By Deanna Hirsch, Acting Director of Philanthropy

This year’s annual fundraiser had a different energy than in years past, thanks in large part to people like Amanda Gordon who made the night — and our work — possible. Prior to Toward Liberty, Gordon had never donated to ACLU of Colorado. This year, she was the first to become a top presenting sponsor. Why now? And why us? For Gordon, the answer was personal.

“Becoming the first Black woman to sit on the Colorado State Dealer Board as President was an honor and a disappointment,” Gordon said. “Here we are in 2022 and there is still a ‘first Black woman category’ in something as major as the car industry and too many other areas of life. Learning that an organization as effective as the ACLU of Colorado has a plan to address systemic equality and center racial justice — I had to be a part of that.”

Gordon is the founder and CEO of GoJo Auto, a top-rated independent car dealership located in Denver. From humble beginnings in retail, Gordon broke through barriers and worked her way to the top, all with a commitment to lift others along the way. With over 18 years of experience in the automotive industry, in all positions ranging from sales and finance to management, she has solidified herself as a highly respected subject matter expert, educator and leader.

Among her many accolades, Gordon earned a 2021 Denver Business Journal 40 Under 40 Award and was the Urban Leadership Foundation of Colorado's 2020 Leader of the Year, as well as the 2019 New Leader honoree for the Colorado Black Chamber. In 2022, Denver Urban Spectrum named her as an "African Americans that Make a Difference" award recipient, and the Colorado Women's Chamber honored her with one of its “Top 25 Most Powerful Women in Business” awards.

Gordon’s passion for empowering women translates into everything she does. She is a staunch advocate for diversity in the workplace and makes it her mission to mentor women of color and help them realize their full potential in positions of power. She hopes that with her three-year commitment as President of the Colorado State Dealer’s board and through her philanthropic efforts, she will inspire others to be the best version of themselves — and to embody  the change they seek.

“I made a conscious decision to make GoJo a different kind of business,” Gordon said. “One in which our bottom line is defined more by what we give back than by what we bring in. I’m excited to continue partnering with the ACLU and to help ensure that the milestones I’ve made as ‘the first’ won’t be the last.”