From High School Friends to Leaders at Pohanka
Ray O’Bryhim (Class of 1977)
Mike Wirth (Class of 1977)
Sandy Fitzgerald Angello (Class of 1979)
There are certain high schools known for producing prominent alumni in specific fields. Several schools in West Texas are famous for their long line of great quarterbacks, spot lit under Friday night lights. Westlake High School in Los Angeles has educated dozens of actors, from Jake Gyllenhaal to Shirley Temple. Two U.S. Presidents and a Vice President attended to Phillips Andover in Massachusetts.
Perhaps less nationally renowned, but no less prolific, is Crossland High School, in Camp Springs, Maryland. Here in quiet Prince George’s County, behind a somewhat inauspicious façade, lies an automotive industry giant. Prominent alumni include Sandy Fitzgerald Angello (Class of 1979), Ray O’Bryhim (Class of 1977). and Mike Wirth (Class of 1977). All once walked the halls of Crossland High. Now all are leaders in the automotive profession. All, it should be noted, have climbed to these heights at the Pohanka Automotive Group, where they still can be found today.
Crossland High School
Exactly what was it about Crossland High that helped shape these automotive power brokers? Was it something in the school lunches? Were experiences and values shared that have contributed to their achievements? Did Crossland uniquely position them for their future success? Here at Pohanka Way we wanted answers to these questions, so we dispatched our reporters to meet with Mr. O’Bryhim (Dealer-Principal of Honda of Fredericksburg), Mr. Wirth (Sales Manager of Pohanka Lexus) and Ms. Fitzgerald Angello (Dealer Principal of Pohanka of Salisbury).
Questions and Answers have been lightly edited for clarity.
Q: To an outsider, there seems there must have been something special about Crossland, where you have three automotive industry leaders coming from the same place at the same time. What do you think is the explanation? Is it coincidence or something else?
Sandy A: I don’t know.
Ray O: We shared the same mindset—to get what you want you need to work hard.
Mike W: We had good values.
Q: At the time, what did you want to do when you graduated or “grew up”?
Mike W: At the time I wanted to be a builder, like [Master Builder] Ben Kamm. Crossland had a vocational wing that taught trade school. I was able to take classes like carpentry, sheet metal and brick laying. I think the instructor’s name was Mr. Beavers.
Ray O: I was trying to make my way into college.
Q: What memories do you have of each other from this timeframe?
Ray O’Bryhim (Class of 1977)
Mike Wirth (Class of 1977)
Sandy Fitzgerald Angello (Class of 1979)
Sandy A: Ray was on the football team. We were good friends. He was really smart, and partied a lot. Ray was also a good dancer.
Sandy A: Ray wanted to be an FBI agent, then was working on pre-law in college.
Mike W: I started dating [my wife of 41 years] Scarlett in high school. At the time I was doing some things I probably shouldn’t have been doing, especially some mornings before school. One [such] morning I was hanging out with some friends and I saw this in green slacks and a tan jacket. I said to my friend: I’m going to marry her one day.
Fortunately [for me] we started dating. It was Scarlett who introduced me to Sandy and Ray. They were upgrades to the crowd I was hanging out with at the time.
Sandy A: Mike started dating Scarlett and got into the disco scene and wore like a jump suit and jelly shoes.
Q: So Mike was one of the cool kids?
Sandy A: We were the cool kids!
Q: Did you have any interest in cars or the automotive industry while you were at Crossland?
Sandy A: Mike and Ray were in the Van Club, where they would meet and customize vans.
Ray O: Sandy was working for Pohanka, part time as a switchboard operator. Sandy was academically gifted [too].
Mike W: I had a guidance counselor who told me a local car dealer was hiring for the summer. So I went with a friend to Bills Karns Pontiac with a friend and we interviewed for the job. Then I never heard anything back. [Later,] my father called the dealership and asked whether I got the job. The owner said that he liked the black haired one but he didn’t like the red haired one. I was the black haired one. So I started that summer as a lot attendant. Soon I was promoted to Service Writer.
Ray O: I always worked at the same time as I was in school. I had a paper route. Mike went to work in the car industry. [But at the time] I was a student athlete and thinking about college. Sandy and I both ended up going to the University of Maryland.
Sandy A: Ray and I were the smart ones.
Q: Sandy was at Crossland when she started at Pohanka as a switch-board operator. How did Ray and Mike join the group?
Sandy A: Mike was working at Kroyst Toyota. I called him every month and told him to come work for me. I was the Pohanka Used Car Manager in Marlow Heights. Mike finally agreed and starting selling Olds, Hondas and GMCs out of the old gas station building we turned into a car building.
Ray O: After college, Sandy recruited me. She told me to give [the car business] a shot. I did and never looked back.
Mike W: Sandy introduced me to Mr. Crabtree. We sat down in his office and he told me: “here’s the vision. We’re going to build a world class operation.” Then he went on to describe exactly what he was going to do to grow the company into what it is now.
Sandy: Scott back then was always quoting Alexander the Great. [Imitating Mr. Crabtree’s voice] You have to climb over the wall and join the battle.
Ray O: Sandy was the one who introduced me to Mr. Crabtree [also]. He became my mentor.
Mike W: Sandy is someone you can trust and you don’t mind working for. She always kind of led.
Q: What lessons or principles did you learn at Crossland that you still apply today?
Sandy A: It’s about networking, building relationships, and building a team.
Mike W: You get one chance to do this thing right. Do it right the first time.
Ray O: You get out of life what you put into it.
Q: What was it about this group from Crossland that has led to their success today?
Ray O: Everyone has stayed true to their values.