and realize as dealers, we’re not alone. We have other members who may have experienced what we are experiencing — the troubles, tribulations or business pressures — and it’s a way for us to gather our resources and address problems, whether that be on the legislative front, the manufacturer front or in the relationship with our communities. What help do you need from members to accomplish those goals? Get involved and state the reason why you’re getting involved. Make sure your managers and fellow employees know why you’re getting involved. Oftentimes, we as leaders think people around us know why we are doing what we are doing. But, if we don’t tell them they can’t possibly know, they might just think GADA is an expense that they’ve got to cover when there’s a lot to it, and their jobs may be actually counting on it. It is especially important to state the case for GADA when another generation of dealers is coming behind them so they, too, can be prepared to be leaders in the industry. passed away in 2014, I went through some unpleasantness with my manufacturing partner. I had Lea, and others, hold my hand through that experience. I would say to her, “Hey, they’re doing this,” and she would say, “Well, they can say that they’re doing that, but they can’t do that.” I realized then the absolute value of GADA and was sold on it. I decided that I wanted to help other dealers and began serving on the board in 2015. With GADA, dealers have somebody on their side, that was what drove me to really want to serve on the board, and I’ve tried to remain very active and that has resulted in me becoming chairman. What do you see as the benefit of being a GADA member? Being a GADA member opens doors and provides opportunities to bounce ideas off of other dealers or gain ideas from them as well. Every meeting I go to, I try to jot down at least one or two ideas that I learned while I was attending the meeting. It could be in a conversation that I had or in a presentation that I sat through so I could implement them down the road. I remember, years ago, I was at a grassroots meeting for GADA and was with a dealer who shared an idea with me that saved me about $36,000 a year. I said to myself, “I’m going to start attending more of these meetings if I can add $36,000 a year to the bottom line from spending an hour or two.” Attending GADA events and meetings is valuable. What are your goals as chairman? My plan as chairman was summed up by the Greek physician Hippocrates when he said, “Do no harm.” In all seriousness, I want to work to continue the work of making the case that GADA is just as valuable today as it was 70 years ago, and it’s probably even more valuable today than it was 70 years ago. We certainly have a lot of issues facing us, and it is important for us to gather SPOTLIGHT ON 2024‑2025 GADA CHAIRMAN BO SCOTT THE GENERATOR 8
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