Leading Ladies: Della Domingo, SEMA Public Relations Director

Not all automotive enthusiasts are born with “geared blood,” but what one doesn’t acquire at a very young age is not off limits from a passion standpoint later on in life. As public relations director for the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), Della Domingo, proves just that.

With an automotive passion that stems mainly from her first position at SEMA, Della is more than just an automotive fan. In fact, as SEMA’s PR director, she acts as one of the main gateways between the industry’s biggest association and media outlets, industry personnel, and social media outfits all over the globe. There’s nothing we like better than seeing an automotive-minded female contributing by providing information that benefits many in the industry.

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Photos courtesy of Della Domingo.

Della’s role is unique, and she doesn’t have a “typical day” with the same schedule over and over. Rather, the fast-paced job keeps her on hopping writing press releases, answering media inquiries, posting and monitoring social media activity, and working on special events like the annual SEMA Show and the Media Trading Conference.

“I enjoy providing reporters with the information they need to get their jobs done, and coming up with new ways of doing things better and more efficiently,” Dellasaid. “I get excited when I can turn something good into something great!”

Della started at SEMA in 2000 as the editor of membership publications, and was the point person to produce SEMA Member News and eNews publications for the association. Having studied public relations in college and experience working in marketing and public relations in various other industries, from healthcare to child advocacy, Della moved up to her current role in 2006.

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There’s no “typical day” for SEMA Public Relations Director Della Domingo. Many of her duties include sharing information with media and SEMA members. She is particularly enthralled with using social media to distribute industry news.

So what s Della’s favorite part of the job? Aside from assisting people on a daily basis, she loves being part of such an innovative, progressive and exciting industry – one she tells us she had some trepidation about getting into initially because of her limited experience with the automotive world. However, this hesitation turned out to be the source of a successful career, as it matches her passion for people, cars, marketing and people skills.

She also has the opportunity to work on the annual SEMA Show, an event Della admits takes every ounce of effort from the entire staff the week of the show, but is such a rewarding experience. “It’s awesome to be part of something that has such a huge impact on so many people,” she explained. “I love that I get to be a part of such a dynamic event!”

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Della doesn’t have a specific type of vehicle she likes over others. Rather, she finds appeal in all types of rides, from classic muscle cars to trucks built for off-roading.

As far as being a woman in the still predominantly male-run automotive industry, Della admits she’s never really seen her position at SEMA as a boys versus girls type of relationship, nor has she experienced any obstacles outside of what she would consider the norm for any career field.

“I never looked at it as ‘succeeding in a male-dominated field’,” Domingo told us of her successful career in the automotive industry. “I’ve always just sought to work hard and do a good job. If the end result is that I’ve succeeded in a male-dominated industry, then that’s great. I take pride in succeeding in whatever it is that I attempt. Luckily, working at SEMA is like being on a team. If I’m having a particularly challenging day or something isn’t going quite right, I know I can count on my teammates to fill in the gaps.”

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She doesn’t claim to be an expert in the automotive world, but Della says she loves learning new things when it comes to awesome rides!

Della also wouldn’t hesitate to recommend to women looking at entering into a career that’s fun, fast-paced and fulfilling to consider the automotive industry, and to not shy away from those dreams.

“Any young female that is considering a career in the automotive industry should seriously go for it,” Della explained. “There isn’t any reason why a female couldn’t do the same job that a man could do in our industry, so long as the individual has the knowledge and skills to get the job done. The end result will be so rewarding, because this is a fun and exciting industry.”

Passionate about her job and, about the automotive industry, Della also has passions outside the car world. Married with a teenage daughter, she loves being a mom, has helped out in her daughter’s classroom, and is was a troop leader for her daughter’s Girl Scout troop. She also advocates for children’s causes and is involved in local charitable organizations – something she hopes to do more of in the future – and is passionate about helping battle cancer through Be the Match, an organization that aids in providing bone marrow transplants for patients.

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SEMA and the car scene have been integral parts of Della’s family life. Her teenage daughter is so immersed in the car world that she knows more than mom did when she first started at the association.

Della looks forward her career in the future, and the automotive world — a world she is honored and grateful to be part of, and can’t wait to see what changes occur within the automotive industry and SEMA. No matter where the industry takes her, we have a feeling that Della will always play a passionate role as she continues to be an amazing influence as one of the industry’s Leading Ladies!

About the author

Lindsey Fisher

Lindsey is a freelance writer and lover of anything with a rumble. Hot rods, muscle cars, motorcycles - she's owned and driven it all. When she's not busy writing about them, she's out in her garage wrenching away. Who doesn't love a tech-savy gal that knows her way around a garage?
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