John D. Rock, a member of the board of directors and chairman of the nominating and governance committee for Rush Enterprises, died on Friday, November 16, 2007 after a short battle with cancer.
Rock was elected to the Rush board in April 1997, following his retirement from GM, where he worked for 36 years. Rock held positions as vp of the Oldsmobile Division and head of the GMC Truck group, and also oversaw operations at the company’s Holden Division in Australia.
“Professionally, I have known John for more than 25 years since his days as head of the GMC Truck group,” said W. Marvin Rush, chairman of Rush Enterprises. “During that time, he became a personal best friend and trusted colleague. While at GM, John was always an advocate for dealers. He was an independent thinker but always operated fairly and with a dealer’s best interest and success in mind.”
“John Rock was a man of principle, and could always be counted on to do the right thing, whether or not it was an easy or politically correct decision,” said W. M. “Rusty” Rush, president & CEO of Rush Enterprises. “He understood that the strength of a dealer organization was crucial to the success of the manufacturer, no matter the nameplate. He could always be counted on to cut through any bureaucracy to get things done for the dealer, both during his time at General Motors and as a member of our Board.”
