2016 KING OF CARNIVAL

As Carnival Memphis celebrates our 85th Anniversary, James Joseph Keras III has been chosen to reign as

King to honor a very important industry in the Mid-South – The Automotive Industry, which is an integral part of our area’s economic base.

King Jay has been involved in the Automotive Industry for most of his life starting with summers working at the family car dealerships, Jim Keras Automotive Group, which includes Chevrolet, Nissan and Subaru automotive dealerships on Covington Pike. Jim Keras Automotive was founded by King Jay’s grandfather, Charles Everett Reed when he opened Charles Reed Buick in 1945. After Mr. Reed’s retirement in 1988, the dealerships became operated by Jim Keras and continued to grow. During the last 70 years, the dealership group has experienced much success and received numerous awards. Jim Keras Nissan has been one of the top performing dealerships in new volume sales across the country and has been a member of the National Dealer Council, as well as multiple winner of the Nissan Circle of Excellence Award. Jim Keras Chevrolet is a multiple award winner of Chevrolet's Mark of Excellence. Jim Keras Subaru boasts one of Subaru’s highest Customer Satisfaction Index rankings in the country.

Our King quickly learned the value of hard work and customer service selling cars as a young man. During college, he worked not only at Jim Keras but in Dallas at Ewing Buick/Pontiac/GMC where he was salesman of the month and as Finance Manager with Mercedes Benz of Plano, developing a greater understanding of the automotive business. In between his early automotive work, King Jay, worked for United States Senator John McCain as a Research Assistant for the United States Senate Committee on Commerce, Science & Transportation during the 2001-2002 congressional year. Senator McCain served as Chairman of the Committee and King Jay provided research regarding federal agencies such as NASA, FAA, NOAA, NSF and Federal Research & Development Funding. Prior to co-owning Jim Keras Automotive Group, King Jay gained great legal knowledge by obtaining his Juris Doctorate degree from The University of Denver College of Law. Today, King Jay serves as co-owner and Vice President of Jim Keras Automotive Group, and is responsible for overseeing dealership operations with a staff of over 300 employees.

A lifelong Memphian, Jay matriculated from The McCallie School in Chattanooga, TN and then arrived at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He was very involved with his fraternity, SAE, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in History with a minor in Public Affairs and Corporate Communication. King Jay

then attended The University of Denver School of Law, where he received his Juris Doctorate degree. He also graduated from the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA) Dealer Academy in McLean, Virginia.

King Jay has been very involved in our community and has served on the Board of Directors of the Boys and Girls Club of Greater Memphis, the Board of the 100 Club of Memphis, a non-profit that supports local fire and law enforcement agencies; and also the Church Health Center Development Board. Our King and his family have a long and storied Carnival history. He served as a Carnival Memphis Page in 1990, an Escort in 1999 and a Scarab in 2001. Jay has also been a long-time member of the Grand Krewe of Osiris. His father, Jim Keras, represented Carnival as King twenty years ago in 1996.

King Jay met his wife, the former JJ Smith, while at SMU and they have been married for 10 years. They have a son, Dallas, and daughter, Coco who will serve as Carnival Memphis Pages this year.

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King James Joseph Keras III

The Keras Family: King Jay, JJ, Dallas and Coco