Ryan Fitzpatrick

Automobile dealer Ryan Fitzpatrick was born on April 27, 1977, in Newport Beach, California, to Bertha and Benjamin Fitzpatrick. He attended Norman Rockwell Elementary School and Redmond Middle School before graduating from Redmond High School in Redmond, Washington, in 1995. Fitzpatrick went on to earn his B.A. degree in economics from the University of California, Berkeley, in 2000, where he played on the university’s men’s soccer team. He later completed executive coursework at the BMW Business School and graduated from the National Automobile Dealers Association Academy.

Fitzpatrick began his professional career in 2000 as a subcontract analyst at Lockheed Martin, where he worked in defense systems procurement. The following year, he joined his family’s business, the Fitzpatrick Dealership Group in Modesto, California, as general manager of Valley Lexus. Under his leadership, the dealership grew into one of the group’s most successful operations and was recognized as among the largest Black-owned dealerships in California by 2006.

After ten years managing Valley Lexus, Fitzpatrick was appointed general manager of Valley BMW in 2012, overseeing all aspects of dealership operations and customer relations. In 2015, following the retirement of his late father, Benjamin Fitzpatrick, he succeeded him as president of the Fitzpatrick Dealership Group, guiding the company through a period of modernization and market expansion. In 2018, Fitzpatrick also became general manager of Valley Kia of Modesto, and remained in this position until 2021.

Beyond his business career, Fitzpatrick has been an active civic and industry leader. In 2014, he joined the Foundation Board of California State University, Stanislaus, in Turlock, California, later serving as board president from 2022 to 2024. From 2020 to 2023, he was appointed to the California New Motor Vehicle Board, advising on automotive regulatory and consumer issues. In 2022, he was elected chairman of the Lexus National Dealer Council Advisory Board, representing Lexus dealerships nationwide.

Fitzpatrick and his wife, Jenise Fitzpatrick, have three children: Devin, Darius, and Danika Fitzpatrick. They reside in Ripon, California.

Ryan Fitzpatrick was interviewed by The HistoryMakers on July 31, 2024.