Charles Goodman, Founder
Charles Goodman, named one of the “Top 50 Collectors in North America” by Sports Car Market Magazine, has enjoyed an avid participation in the car hobby for over 50 years. His interest in automobiles began with the joy of operating a “driving machine,” which grew into an appreciation of the beauty of design, and currently revolves around the responsibility of maintaining and encouraging the future of this true American Heritage. At age 20, Charles bought his first car, a 1926 Model T Ford, which still holds a cornerstone space. The founder and past chairman of the Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance, Charlie is also a 40 year member of the Auburn, Cord, Duesenberg Club and serves on the Board of the Auburn Cord Duesenberg Museum in Auburn, Indiana. As a result of many of his friends asking him to start a new fundraising venture, and also realizing that there is a growing interest in the enjoyment of driving their vehicles rather than simply displaying them, Mr. Goodman founded Shifting Gears in late 2012. He has stepped down after 2022 Rally, and left the Organization in the very capable hands of Gary Spratling.
Gary Spratling, Chair
Gary’s DNA pre-determined he would be a life-long car nut. His father loved cars and ensured that Gary and his brothers understood how cars worked. In their early teens, they built the forerunners of go-carts, before there were such things. He and his brothers also learned to disassemble and rebuild the engines, chassis, and drivelines of street machines by the time they were old enough to drive. A half-dozen years later Gary was blueprinting engines for a Ford racing team at night while working on his MBA during the day. Gary’s passion for cars segued to driving—and, in more recent years, also owning—high performance muscle, sports, and GT cars. He has attended automotive events in a dozen countries, loves NASCAR, and is expanding his participation in rallies. Gary recently retired from a 48-year career as a lawyer, the first 28 as a Federal prosecutor and the last 20 as the global co-chair of his firm’s international antitrust practice. No longer traveling more than 200 days and 300,000 miles a year, he now has more time for the varied pursuits of an unrelenting car enthusiast, such as participating in a cross-country show tour with his 1966 Cammer Fairlane through most of 2019.
Mike Westbrook, Vice Chair
Mike has been a certifiable “car nut” since early in his childhood years. Born in Dallas, Texas, to a family that owned and operated a trucking transport company, Mike learned to maneuver diesel trucks, including 18 wheelers by the age of 10. By 12, he was driving trucks with 10-16 gear transmissions which he can still today. In his early 20’s, Mike struck out on his own, entering the automobile sales and finance industries and graduating from the NADA (National Automobile Dealers) academy.
In 2019, while Mike was General Manager of Mercedes-Benz of Marin, he joined the dealership team of Tom Price who, in addition to his preeminence in the retail automotive industry, is also a world-class car collector and a celebrated historic racer. Mike is currently General Manager of Ford Lincoln Fairfield. While he still has a soft spot for trucks, Mike’s dealerships and connections have afforded him countless opportunities to drive many types of luxury, sports, performance, and exotic vehicles. He loves car events; shows, concours, auctions, trade shows, rallies (the annual Shifting Gears Rally is his favorite), and racing – including attending the F1 race in Austin earlier this year. But Mike’s greatest joys are his wife, Kristy, daughter Lara and son Jon.
Mark Essman, Secretary
Has over 35 years of automotive event-related experience. He has organized, supervised, and participated in such events as Hot Rod Magazine’s Annual Americruise car tour, the Car Craft Summer Nationals, Back to the 50’s, The Annual Hot Rod Power Tour, Midwestern Street Rod regional contests and numerous other large-scale car shows throughout the United States. In addition, Essman has worked as a partner with Motor Media Inc. to represent the organization at SEMA in Las Vegas as needed over the last 15 years. He is almost finished with his latest restoration project, a 1966 Chevy Nova and also plays with a Harley and a few other toys as well.
Ken Gosliner, Treasurer
Ken has worked on the Shifting Gears Rally since its inception. Ken has had a passion for cars for as long as he can remember. His first car was a ‘50 Olds which he got when he was a junior in high school. His current favorites are his 2020 Corvette C-8 and Jaguar F-Type, both of which have been on Shifting Gears Rallies. Ken once counted the number of cars he has owned and figures it’s about 37 – and he’s not a collector! Ken met Charlie Goodman when he volunteered to work on the Marin County Concours d’Elegance, and fully supports how Charlie has turned his passion for cars into something so beneficial for the community. Now that Shifting Gears has started the CAPP program to support high school kids and to get them interested in cars as a livelihood as well as a hobby, Ken has gotten involved in making sure this program is successful. Ken spent his entire working life as an entrepreneur, first in the men’s clothing business. He was the founder of Sofa-Bed Warehouse, a northern California chain of furniture stores, and after selling that business he purchased a food processing company best known for its fresh Sonoma Salsa. He continues to manage his real estate properties and is a member of a couple of non-profit Boards, the newest of which is Vivalon, as well as a Volunteer Mediator for the DA in Marin and an Arbitrator for FINRA.
N. Gary Cohen, Co-Founder
Throughout his childhood, Gary was fascinated with the art of designing cars; in particular, cars worthy of display at a Concours d ’Elegance which exhibit unsurpassed style, elegance and sophistication. Growing up, he watched his father fix his old cars, often working side by side on repairs and dreaming that one day he would own the most beautiful, exotic car in the world. Over the years Gary has visited, organized and participated in many Concours, car rally and other automotive events. Today, having lived his goals, he is filled with a drive to share his passion for exotic & classic cars with a new generation of car aficionados. Gary is co-founder and past board member of the Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance; co-founder of Shifting Gears in late 2012; former owner and CEO of Golden Gate Electronics, Digital World, Golden Bay Sports, City Sports, and Okidoke USA; currently associated with Golden Restoration and Construction, Commercial and Residential Development and Remodeling in Marin County; a continuing successful entrepreneur, marketer, and business developer; and recently finished the 2016 Great Race in a 1938 DeSoto with his good friend Charlie Goodman. It was a boot camp!!
Pete Herley
Pete cut his teeth on a slow ’53 Chevy in high school before upgrading to an even slower ’57 Volkswagen through college. After college, he found that while he could afford better cars, his dream was always to own an older classic Corvette. Just prior to retirement from a 35-year law enforcement career, culminating as a Chief of Police, he acquired a ’67 Corvette. He has been in the continuous process of “improving” it over the years. The Corvette has been a source of pride and has won multiple car shows, including “Best of Show” for the Western States Corvette Council! Although retired (and as a past-president of the California Police Chiefs Association), Pete teaches and consults in various law enforcement specialties.
Tamara Hull
Tammi has been in love with cars for as long as she can remember. She started drag racing at Sears Point in high school, and her goal of learning ‘the line’ of every road course in the USA was almost complete when many more were built just as she started a family, so she’s got some new ones to learn. Always up for a good driving adventure, Tammi has competed in the Sports Car Olympics, the One Lap of America, the Open Track Challenge, Targa Newfoundland, BMW Car Club of America’s Club Racing series, the National Auto Sport Association’s racing series and endurance races, SCCA races, SVRA races, and competed in the 2016 Great Race. These adventures have given Tammi the opportunity to drive to every state in the Continental US. She has volunteered as a racing official for the BMW Car Club of America Club Racing program and the National Auto Sport Association, served on the national board of the BMW Car Club of America, and co-founded the BMW Car Club of America Foundation. As a CPA, Tammi has volunteered as treasurer for many local organizations, including the Marin-Sonoma Concours d’Elegance.
Ray Kaliski
My first experience in driving fine cars was when I stole my Dad’s brand new ‘59 Cadillac de Ville out of our San Francisco’s home garage just after my 16th birthday. My driving skills were minimal and I hit a parked car on California St around 1AM with no license or permit. I have been a car nut ever since. Some of the cars I owned included, in chronological order, ‘58 Impala, 62 VW, 59 Jag XK150, 67 Firebird, 68 Bonneville, 70 & 72 Mercedes SEL(Can you tell I am a real estate broker now?)76 Jensen Interceptor convt, Porsche 928, 911 and BoxsterS, and the list goes on. I am honored to be with this board and further the work of the educational programs that we support. My wife Carla and I are proud members of the Porsche Club of America Redwood Region and the 5150 Car Club in Novato, CA.
Michael Mackintosh
Michael Mackintosh has been around classic cars since the time he was held in a rumble seat while the back tires were spitting gravel. In high school, he modified and worked on many motorcycles & muscle cars. When he was 14, he started the restoration of his 1940 Ford Woody Wagon. He started as a local backyard mechanic, went on to establish and run startups, worked in the Class Action/Security litigation environment, and ran Atlas Elevator as the CEO. Michael has sat on the boards of the Marin History Museum, the Northern California Region Classic Car Club of America, and the San Rafael Youth Soccer organization, coached almost 50 youth teams, and was one of the founders of the Marin Sonoma Concours d’Elegance. Aspirations include developing the Marin Town & Country Club with a community component that will benefit Marin for many generations to come.
Tom O’Neill
Tom has been a car enthusiast since early high school. Having started in American cars he switched into European cars and sports car racing in the early sixties. Running in local gymkhanas and racing in SCCA events, he witnessed the best of early sports car racing at events around the upper Mid-West, Road America and Sebring in the early ’60s. For winter racing Tom swears that he and his friends invented studded tires, when they pounded roofing nails through the inside of their tires between the tread and the inner tube for better traction for racing on frozen lakes. Career, and family put a hold on “for fun” cars until 1996 when he bought a 1956 Austin Healey. Shortly after, he founded and still runs the annual Tiburon Classic Car Show and has been a member of Shifting Gears for the last six years, helping found the CAPP automotive program in the Marin County high schools.
Gary Phillips
In college, Gary was the proud owner of a 1959 Corvette, and to this day enjoys owning a fully restored 1968 427 Corvette with original, matching numbers. He is an avid “old car” enthusiast who also owns a number of sports and muscle cars, but also enjoys his new 2020 Corvette. In 2006, he and friend Al Boro participated in the 14 day cross country Great Race driving his restored 1931 Ford Model A Deluxe. Further, he drove the Great Race in 2007, 2015 and 2016 (with the Race starting in San Rafael to the enjoyment of about 10,000 well-wishers). Phillips is a semi-retired managing partner of the San Francisco based CPA and business consulting firm, and currently provides various business consulting services. Gary is a private pilot, member of the Olympic Club and is the immediate past mayor of San Rafael.
Geoffrey Smith
Geoff has had a passion for things mechanical all of his life. Starting at about age 3 he tried to start the family Hudson Hornet after his Mom left him alone in the car with the key in the ignition. The start button beckoned resulting in a dented fender. An inauspicious start to a lifelong hobby centered around the automobile. Geoff has raced cars, repaired and restored them, photographed them and showed them. Interesting cars owned include many Corvettes, numerous Turbocharged Corvairs, a 57 Eldorado Brougham, a couple of XKE’s and now a really nice Aston Martin Vantage S. Starting with the PTA in the ‘70s, Geoff has always offered to help others when there was a need. Geoff has supported Shifting Gears since its inception including planning many of the previous routes. Real Estate investments take up some of Geoff’s time but there is plenty of time left over for hobby projects, landscape needs and enjoying 12 grandchildren and one lovely wife named Peri.