Jason Willis, General Manager of Willis Auto Campus, has been honored by Business Record’s Forty Under 40 list.

The Willis name is well-known in Greater Des Moines, Iowa, possibly as much for the family’s philanthropy as for its success selling automobiles. Jason Willis is carrying on the tradition on both counts.

He didn’t start out to be a car salesman. Willis’ first desire was to be a pediatrician, and he went to St. Olaf College as a pre-med student. While there, he decided that maybe he should stick with the automobile business. Willis said his parents set the example for community involvement, especially in organizations related to children and health care. Still, you can’t ignore that car connection. Willis’ parents met at Betts Cadillac. His grandfather kicked the whole thing into gear on the East Coast.

When Willis was doing study-abroad trips in Australia, he wound up working for a then-25-year-old car salesman who operated dealerships for several lines of automobiles, including Volvos.