Alan Gamblin 2017-2018 WSADA President
Alan Gamblin Named President of Dealer Association
June 7, 2017 – Alan Gamblin, Art Gamblin Motors, Enumclaw, was named 2017/2018 President of the Washington State Auto Dealers Association (WSADA) at the organization’s annual convention last month.
Born in Sandpoint, Idaho, Alan moved to Enumclaw when he was 13 years old after his father bought the local Chevrolet dealership. Alan immediately started working in the family business sweeping up the shop, graduating to washing cars and then, at just 15 years of age, he sold his first car.
After studying business at Brigham Young University and a two-year mission to Chile for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Alan returned to the dealership and sold cars for six years before becoming sales manager. In 1985, he became a partner with his father and purchased the dealership in 1992.
Alan and his wife, Jeri, have five children – including two sons who work at the dealership – and seven grandchildren. The Gamblins are very active in their church which Alan said has helped instill the importance of honesty in his life. Alan and Jeri are members of Rotary International and serve in their local club. They also support the Rainier Foothills Wellness Foundation, a nonprofit that serves Enumclaw and neighboring communities with health and wellness initiatives such as providing seniors with complimentary transportation to doctor’s appointments. Alan is a past president of the Foundation and continues to serve on the board of directors. In addition, the family created the Art Gamblin Memorial Scholarship after his father’s death which provides annual college scholarships to local high school students.
“When I succeeded my father as the Chevrolet dealer in Enumclaw, he told me to get involved and support the Washington State Auto Dealers Association because they do so much for our business,” Alan said. “Over the years whenever I’ve been asked by the Association to help, I’ve remembered my father’s counsel and done it. As the new WSADA President, my goal is to help connect more dealers with their elected officials in Olympia, especially the many new legislators. It is important that local and state officials understand our business so they can make informed decisions when it comes to regulation and taxation that affect our customers, community, and business.”
“It is also important to help the new generation coming into our industry,” he continued. “My father, like many former dealers before me, served in World War II when cars and business were not as complex. I’ve watched the automobile industry dramatically change over the last four decades, and it’s important to help the rising generation continue to be successful.”
Founded in 1920, the Association’s 294 dealer members serve 70 cities and towns across Washington and are responsible for annual sales volume totaling $17.3 billion. Together, they employ over 21,000 people with a combined payroll of more than $1.2 billion. An average Washington dealership creates 70 local jobs, each paying on average over $57,000 per year plus benefits. Their dealership sales total 16.4% of the state’s retail sales, generating hundreds of millions of dollars of tax revenue for state and local governments through sales, corporate, and payroll tax revenue.
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