When I first heard Mindy Slaughter on the radio as the voice of Sport Dodge a few months ago, her upbeat tone and energy impressed me. She must have had this effect on others, too, as random people encouraged me to contact her for an interview. Her warmth, intelligence, and easy laughter made me glad I did.

It’s been nearly 14 years since Mindy graduated from Mendocino High and went away to college. That entire time, she felt compelled to return home. “Even though I was born in Ukiah and lived most of my childhood there,” Mindy said, “I say I’m from the Mendocino Coast.”

In January 2000, her dad Mike and business partners bought Jack Smith Dodge in Fort Bragg. She was in the ninth grade, her brother Matt in the seventh. “I was excited about moving to the coast, but stayed in Ukiah with my mom to finish the school year. That summer, Dad introduced me to the high school basketball coaches for Fort Bragg and Mendocino. I got to practice with both teams.”

Mindy felt a kinship with the Mendocino team and decided to attend their high school. “It was the best decision. There were 72 in my graduating class. We were like a big extended family.”

In 2004, during her senior year, Mindy was accepted to Saint Mary’s College. Her mom Mary fell gravely ill with a fifth bout of breast cancer—a disease she’d been battling for 10 years.

“On prom night I got dressed in her hospital room. The nurses decorated it with our prom theme—Mardi Gras—and helped us celebrate.” A month later, Mary was deemed too frail to attend the graduation ceremony. “Her nurse Kathy Lang and Kathy’s policeman husband Joe sprang her from the hospital and took her anyway.” Mindy smiled at the memory.

Mindy deferred her admission to Saint Mary’s and enrolled in Mendocino College in Ukiah. “This allowed me to come home on the weekends to be with my mom in the hospital.” The love and tenderness with which this was said broke my heart.

In October 2004, Mary passed away.

“I stayed at Mendocino College and got my AA degree in Business Administration. By that time my brother had graduated from high school. He was headed to Sacramento State and I went with him.

“My plan was to finish college and come back to Fort Bragg.” A click of a computer button derailed that plan for over a decade.

“In 2007, Jeep was sponsoring a Tim McGraw and Faith Hill concert at Arco Arena in Sacramento. My dad got sponsor tickets and gave them to me. I went on the Arco website to check the seat locations and saw an announcement for a marketing internship with the Sacramento Kings. I applied and got a call that the positon had been filled, but there were other unpaid internships available in Sales and Service.

“I was hired and the part time internship quickly grew to 30-40 hours a week. I did this for about seven months while also going to school fulltime. I finally told my boss I needed a paying job. A couple weeks later, I was hired as his assistant.

“In June 2008, the Services Coordinator position for the Sacramento Kings became available. I applied and started a week after I graduated.”

During her years with the Kings, she was able to learn many aspects of running an NBA team—marketing, event operations, fan experiences, sales, membership services, and public relations. Although the work was challenging and required long hours, she loved it.

In the fall of 2011, she got a call from a former mentor who was working for the University of Oregon Ducks. “He encouraged me to apply for the athletic department’s Event Manager job at the new Matthew Knight Arena. I love doing events. At the time, there was talk of the Kings moving to Los Angeles or Seattle. Employees were leaving and not being replaced.

“I got the job and moved to Eugene in November 2011. I was 25—eager to do the work and learn. Professionally, I was fulfilled—I got to help with the Olympic trials and an appearance by the Dali Lama. I had the opportunity to learn and do more than most who spend years in this type of role. But personally something was lacking. It was hard living in a town where people are either college students, young marrieds with children, or retired. My heart was in California. I missed home.”

In June 2013, Mindy’s former Kings boss called to say the team had sold and was staying in Sacramento. He offered her the job of Manager of Membership Development and Sales (a department she’d helped start). She jumped at the chance to return to California and be closer to her family.

Her return coincided with the building of Golden 1 Center—the new Kings arena in downtown Sacramento—which was slated to open for the 2016-17 season. “We had to move 12,000 season ticket holders to seats in an arena which wasn’t laid out like the old one. We were prepping for the upcoming season at Golden 1 Center while closing out the last season at Arco Arena. There was so much adrenaline, it was so much fun. There were times I spent the night in my office. Looking back, someone should have stopped me.” She laughed.

With the new arena open, season ticket holders happily seated, and her eighth basketball season under her belt, Mindy began talking with her dad about wanting to apply the knowledge she’d gained to something new and challenging. “I always said I’d move back to the coast and work alongside my dad at the dealership. He suggested this might be the time to do that.”

When Mindy gave her notice, her boss asked what she needed in order to stay. “I told him this wasn’t about money or my job title. It was time for a change. I wanted to go home.”

In September 2017, Mindy became General Manager of Sport Dodge. “I feel like a great weight has been lifted from my shoulders. I feel grounded. It makes me happy when people come into the dealership to meet me after hearing my voice on the radio.”

With step-mom Clara and dad Mike.

One of her favorite aspects of small town living is how people have a vested interest in the well being of others. “You can make a true hands-on difference here. Dad has been a Rotarian for years. In January, I had the privilege of being inducted into the club. It was such a proud moment. It’s important for us to give back to this wonderful community.”

Mindy is delighted to find that the concept of shopping local is more widely accepted than it was years ago. However, she’s concerned that we’re not an active youth community. “I’m in favor of youth leaving for education and experience. There’s so much to learn and observe in the world. I’d like to see more of them return to share their knowledge. We have such great potential to become a thriving economy while maintaining our small town feel.”

She’s proud that the dealership employs 21 people, most of whom were born here or have been members of this community for a long time. She looks forward to helping the business continue to expand and grow.

“After my mom passed, I steered away from having a personal life. I put all my time into school and work. It’s all I really wanted to do.” Returning to her beautiful hometown is helping Mindy find a balance between the two.

With the Sport Dodge crew.