F&I Manager Spotlight The inaugural issue’s F&I Spotlight is on Dina Wilson. She’s a unique and highly passionate professional with a wonderful story to tell. W e all have our favorite ways of unwinding after a hard day’s work. For some, it’s watching the news, tinkering in the woodshop or taking a walk. For Dina Wilson, it’s tickling the ivories. An accomplished pianist, Dina channels a lot of herself through the keyboard in many ways. “My method of relaxing at day’s end is playing the piano and my husband can tell what kind of day I had based on the type of music I play”. Her husband, Jesse says “When she comes home and doesn’t talk, that’s the first sign of a bad day. She goes to the piano and depending on how her day went, determines how long and what she plays”. “The harder she beats the keys is how the frustration comes out. The softer the music, the less a frustrating day she had. I enjoy watching her play as her personality comes out through her music”. He adds “When she’s done playing, we talk”. Now, the moment you meet Dina, your first thought is how sweet, gentle and motherly she is. All this is true but you and I know it takes a tough mind to saddle up to the task of both jobs yet she makes it look easy. And don’t underestimate her because she WILL tell you like it is in a heartbeat. Ask yourself this; How many pros can you think of who can wear both hats of General Manager and F&I? This writer cannot. The amount of stress that comes with being GM alone is enough to drive you batty. Add all the things an F&I Manager must do to deliver a car and it sounds like a never-ending day. Though she holds two of the most important roles in the store, her biggest passion is F&I and Customer Service. “I absolutely love helping people and F&I gives me the greatest joy in doing so”. “Currently I serve customers at the Kia Store but have been in our GMC, Buick, and Chevrolet Stores since coming to work here. My current job title at Kia is GM/F&I but I prefer Customer Service. I am here to assist customers in making well-informed decisions and seeing the advantages of ‘why’ they need a particular product”. An award-winning professional with a true passion for the automobile business and helping others, her untiring work ethic is amazing which has often been noticed by peers in the industry. As the General Manager of Timbrook Kia, she’s earned Kia’s coveted “Dealer of Excellence” award the last two years running and captured “The Timbrook Highest Growth in Fixed Ops and Variable Award” in 2019. And when she won the prestigious F&Idol trophy-sponsored by IAS-in Las Vegas a few years back, she recalled being totally shocked. “I remember Jeremy Johnston leaning over and saying ‘You won! And you know this wasn’t rigged because no one has ever heard of Cumberland, Maryland’. 6
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