Teri Garcia-Amigo Chevrolet: Susan Clarke

Teri Garcia AMIGO CHEVROLET

By Susan Clarke

Teri Garcia is the General Manager of Amigo Chevrolet and Toyota in Gallup. She is the only female General Manager of a Toyota dealership in New Mexico. So do guys give her a hard time? Sometimes - but she just ignores them and gets on with business and business is good. Teri’s Dad was asked to start the Chevrolet Dealership in Gallup in 1982. Teri and her sister were raised as dealership “brats.”

Teri had the run of the dealership. She was in and out of meetings and all over the lot. Her father, Terry Proffitt, Owner/Dealer Operator, always had time for her. Sometimes, however, she had to sit quietly and wait until her father resolved an issue. Her father is a tough guy by all accounts, but he is also her teacher and mentor, always pushing her to try something new and see how it goes. Teri learned to drive in the Golf Cart on the lot.

Teri is a tomboy and a girly-girl. She loves to hunt, fish, camp, ATV, and shoot, as well as shop, especially for shoes and handbags. She says she loves her life with its strong men, smart daughters, and a job that is never the same two days in a row. There is never a dull moment at home or at work. It is a busy, robust, and happy life.

Teri graduated in 1993 from Gallup High School. She went on to UNM in Albuquerque. She did have opportunities to try some other work options and did, but she missed the dealership and Gallup and came home. At Amigo, Teri worked in reception, accounting, and finance learning the business. Teri has continued to advance her education through NADA (National Automotive Dealer Association) headquartered in McLean, Virginia. She and her Dad strive to make Amigo the premier Auto Dealership in Northern New Mexico.

Customer Service is part of a premier dealership. Amigo works on honesty. It does not believe in the high-pressure hustle/hassle, sell-a-car-at-anycost. Amigo would rather put you in a good car at a reasonable price and have you come back the next time you need a car. Amigo sales people are expected to be thorough and honest. It is a fullservice dealership with a comprehensive service department.

Teri is definitely The Boss. She can be firm if there are work issues at stake, but is very supportive of the individual employees’ learning process. She is also protective of employees, one might even say feisty. Teri considers her employees her family. She says the family environment at Amigo is what holds it together and makes it worth coming into work. Some of the children and grandchildren of the original employees are working at Amigo. She loves coming in and seeing long-term loyal employees on a regular basis and learning about new employees.

When asked what she thinks of being a Gallup powerbroker, Teri is nonplussed. She says it has never crossed her mind. The only things important to Teri are: family, both her immediate family and her Amigo family, and Gallup. Teri loves Gallup. She says you can find everything you need in Gallup. There is no need to head to the big city to find what you need. You can find it or order it right here.