D & M Leasing Named a Top Place to Work in North Texas

Born in Brownsville but now living in Grand Prairie, Texas, Michael Albert “Mike” Hernandez III has achieved significant success in the vehicle leasing industry. Since 1984, Mike Hernandez III has served as the CEO of D & M Leasing in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metropolitan Area.

In 2019, D & M Leasing was named by the Dallas Morning News as one of the Top 100 Places to Work in North Texas. The competition, held every year, celebrates the businesses, both big and small, that do the most to make North Texas a great place to work.

Entry into the competition is free to any organization with 50 or more employees operating in Dallas, Tarrant, Collin, Denton, Ellis, Johnson, Parker, Rockwall, Wise, and Kaufman counties. Companies that enter the competition have their employees surveyed by Energage, which samples their views on a number of issues regarding the organizations. Energage conducts an email or paper survey asking employees 24 questions designed to measure their thoughts on their companies’ leadership, communication efficacy, and working environment, among other areas. At least 35 percent of employees must respond to the survey. Energage collects these surveys and scores companies based on the responses. The highest scoring companies make it to the Top 100 List.

D & M Leasing’s employees praised the company for retaining an innovative and industry leading psyche despite being around for over 40 years. They also praised its collaborative and supportive work culture as well as its leadership’s commitment to training and improving the sales team.

Brownsville Scholars Program Needs Support to Serve Community

Vehicle leasing entrepreneur Michael Albert “Mike” Hernandez III is the CEO of D & M Leasing in Dallas-Fort Worth. A philanthropist with a desire to help people in need, Mike Hernandez III and his wife Kelly set up the Brownsville Scholars Program at Texas A&M University to help students from low-income communities achieve their higher education goals. The two established the program with a $1 million cash gift. It has since been renamed the Cameron County Scholars Program.

Brownsville was, in 2013, identified as the poorest city in America. Research has shown that only 20 percent of 8th graders in the city graduate from college. Through programs like the Cameron County Scholars Program, students from disadvantaged backgrounds stand a chance of earning a college degree and breaking the cycle of poverty.

The scholars program accords up to $4,500 in scholarships over the course of a four-year degree program. Scholars also receive a $4,000 stipend to take part in enrichment activities and a paying internship in Cameron County.

The program, however, needs additional assistance to continue to support students. Texas A&M estimates that an endowment of $7 million will sustain the program indefinitely at present levels. It is calling on local companies to create internship programs to support Brownsville scholars and, for those who can, to make a donation to help the program reach its funding goal.