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Becky Barnhart joined Team Gilbert in 2020 on the office team at Gilbert Chevrolet as the Office Manager. Joining Team Gilbert was a change in pace for Becky as she worked in the public/government sector for 20 plus years. She brings with her a positive attitude and the ability to overcome day-to-day challenges. We asked Becky what is her favorite part about being on Team Gilbert and she replied, “it’s the folks that I have the privilege of working with on a daily basis.” She said there are multiple people that have helped her grow on Team Gilbert, from Becky Racine who “showed her the ropes and answers her constant questions” to Joe Glevenyak who “is a wonderful mentor and cannot thank enough for his guidance and sharing his knowledge.” When Becky isn’t “facing the daily opportunities” and investigating the “how’s and why’s” at Gilbert Chevrolet, she enjoys cooking, baking, and flower crafts. Becky is married to her wonderful husband, Jim Barnhart. Together they have two sons and two bonus daughters. And between them, she has been blessed with 5 bonus grandchildren. We also feel blessed to have you on Team Gilbert, Becky!

You've heard about the new vehicle shortage around the world and that the right new car can be hard to get. It's not hard at Gilbert Chevrolet in Okeechobee, FL when you reserve the new Chevy you want with us. We have new in-transit models coming and we'll be glad to show you our list of incoming vehicles. You can then reserve the new Chevy you have in mind. If you aren't happy with it when it arrives, no problem. You're under no obligation. There's no extra charge to reserve the new car of your dreams Just fill out the form at the reserve it now link to get the conversation started. One of our friendly, no-pressure sales consultants will contact you, show you our list of new in-transit vehicles so you can reserve the one you want. By putting your name on the new Chevy that appeals to you most, you're automatically at the head of the line when that vehicle comes in. Take the uncertainty out of finding a new car Instead of just hoping the right vehicle comes in with the next shipment, you can see what's coming in advance and reserve the one you want. Shop all our brand-new Chevy models from the comfort of your home in Port St. Lucie or Fort Pierce, FL. You might want a new 2022 Chevy Silverado 1500, a 2022 Chevy Equinox, a sleek new 2022 Camaro or a big family SUV like a new 2022 Chevy Tahoe. Find it on our list and reserve it now. Take back control: Talk to us today about reserving your next vehicle Does the idea of reserving your new Chevy ahead of the crowd seem almost too good to be true? It's a new vehicle shortcut that not everyone knows about. But it's available to all and we encourage you to take advantage of it. Get ready for a conversation with us by shopping our new Chevy models to find the one you want, then reach out online or by phone to kick off the conversation with us at Gilbert Chevrolet in Okeechobee, FL.

This week's Hometown Hero features Cari Rucks Arnold, SRO Sergeant with the Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office. Is there a member of the community you would like to nominate? Visit GilbertHasIt.com & click "Nominate a Hometown Hero" & submit your nomination. In 2002, Sergeant Cari Rucks Arnold was a stay-at-home, enjoying her life taking care of her two kids, Daryl Joy and Royce. However, she felt at times that she wanted to get out into the community and give back somehow. So that year she decided to apply to become a dispatcher with the Okeechobee County Sheriff's Office (OCSO). Her father, Gary Rucks, remembers the day Cari told him she was applying. He said, "it was one of the proudest moments in my life. Both my father and brother were in law enforcement and I knew she would do well." It was no surprise to him that she chose this career path as "she always put other peoples' needs before her own. She has always wanted to help others. It was that simple." While Sergeant Arnold joined the OCSO as a dispatcher, that role did not last long. She was quickly spotted as someone that would be better utilized elsewhere in the department. She recalls Sheriff O.L. Raulerson approaching her on a Wednesday after she had been in dispatch for only a few short months. He told her that he would like for her to consider a position on their Corrections team. Initially, she was hesitant. "Who dreams about working in a jail," she recalls thinking. But she appreciated his confidence in her abilities and took him up on the offer. The following Monday she was enrolled in the Corrections Academy and has never looked back. She appreciates every moment she spent in corrections and continued to position herself to be a positive impact on the department and the community. Sergeant Arnold was promoted to School Resource Officer (SRO) Sergeant in 2018, overseeing all SRO responsibilities in Okeechobee County. She loves this role because, as she says, "it gives me the opportunity to create positive interactions between kids and law enforcement. I need them to know that we are here to help them whenever they need us. Nothing could be more important than their safety and security." This passion does not stop when she is off the clock. Major Michael Hazellief has worked with Sergeant Arnold for nearly 20 years. He believes, "Sergeant Arnold is a true public servant. She serves her community both on and off duty and works hard to ensure the safety of our children." She works tirelessly in her personal time as a leader in the Okeechobee Fraternal Order of Police. Through events like the Independence Day Celebration, Shop with a Cop, and photos with the Grinch and Santa, she spends nearly every waking moment serving our community. Okeechobee is blessed to have you protecting our children, Sergeant Arnold. You truly are a Hometown Hero!

Anthony “Ant” Kayda joined Team Gilbert in 2019 at Gilbert Outdoors as a LINE-X Tint Specialist. After about a year, Ant moved to the sales department as a Product Specialist. His favorite part of his current position is “meeting and talking with customers that have been around Okeechobee their entire lives and listening to their stories and what they remember most from ‘old Okeechobee.’” Whether you are a customer or a member of Team Gilbert, when you walk into the showroom at Gilbert Outdoors you will almost certainly be greeted by Ant wearing a smile and a willingness to help in any way possible. When asked if there is anyone on Team Gilbert that has helped mold him into who he is today, Ant replied, “Josh Borgstrom, because he gets stuff done.” Ant is married with three wonderful children; two daughters and a new son. When he’s not on the showroom floor showing off the newest golf car, he enjoys spending time with his family. And if you are looking for him on the weekend you should probably check the softball fields first. He spends a lot of time there cheering on his oldest daughter. Thank you for all of your hardwork and always doing it with a smile, Ant. You are greatly appreciated!

Jeremy Morgan joined Team Gilbert in 2013 as a Service/Part Specialist at Gilbert Outdoors and LINE-X. During his time with us, he has become a man of many hats. Whether helping tint windows, LINE-X truck bed liners, fixing golf cars or mowers, ordering parts, or helping customers with all their golf car and mower questions, Jeremy is always ready to pitch in. While working part-time here at Gilbert Outdoors, Jeremy became a full-time Firefighter/Paramedic with Okeechobee County Fire Rescue. He was recently promoted to Lieutenant/Paramedic which is a huge accomplishment. We couldn’t be more proud to have him on our team. When Jeremy isn’t ordering parts for a golf car at Gilbert Outdoors or putting out fires while on shift with the Okeechobee County Fire Rescue, he enjoys spending time with his beautiful wife, Paula Morgan, and their 5 children, Kyle, Keith, Kayla, Kole, and Kody. The family enjoys spending time in the sun on their boat or watching Jeremy at the race track. Jeremy, everyone on Team Gilbert is proud to not only work beside you but to call you a friend. Thank you for your hard work, dedication, and support to your team and our community.

Lee “Cowboy” Geringer joined Team Gilbert in 2018 as the General Sales Manager at Gilbert Ford. One thing Lee remembers about his first day with Gilbert Ford is that, “it was a very busy Saturday and it was one of the best days I’ve ever had.” Cowboy joined us from a dealership in Tennessee and brought with him many years of knowledge in the automotive industry to help lead the Ford Sales team. When asked what his favorite thing about his current position was, Lee responded, “building relationships with the customers and with his sales staff” and “the family dynamic. I am very blessed to be here and very thankful for the opportunity to work for Team Gilbert.” There is a secret talent that Cowboy has that many people may not know about. He is not only our General Sales Manager, but our “Singing Cowboy” as well. When you purchase your next Ford, ask Cowboy to sing you a tune as you drive off in your brand new ride! Lee is married to his beautiful wife, Deborah, and feels blessed to have adopted his two adorable daughters, Zoie and Khloe, in 2016. When he’s not at Ford selling the next Mustang Mach-E, he enjoys his free time working outside with his wife and daughters and coming up with new lyrics for his next big hit. Thank you for all of your hard work and support, Cowboy. And thank you for sharing your gift of music with all of us on Team Gilbert!

This week's Gilbert Spotlight features Aaron "A-A-Ron" Mast, Parts & Service Manager at Gilbert Outdoors. Is there a Gilbert Team Member or a member of the community you would like to nominate? Visit GilbertHasIt.com & click " Nominate a Hometown Hero ". Aaron Mast or “A-A-Ron” as few of us like to call him, joined Team Gilbert in 2014 as a mechanic at Gilbert Outdoors. While he still goes out to the shop to diagnose problems or turn wrenches, Aaron was promoted to Parts and Service Manager a few years ago. This is a great role for him as it is clear he enjoys passing along his abundance of knowledge to the rest of the team. One of his teammates told us, “Aaron is always there to help me however he can. Whether I need help with a customer or moving boxes in the warehouse, he does whatever it takes for us to get the job done right.” When Aaron finds free time, he enjoys going bass fishing but he spends most of his free time with his wonderful wife, Susan, and their daughter, Riley. He brings this love of family to work with him every day. For instance, he said what he loves about work is that “we are like one big family. We are always doing whatever we can for each other to make the day go smoothly no matter what issues may arise.” Aaron’s favorite thing about work is “being able to help resolve customers’ issues with their mower or golf cart, especially when it comes to finding a part that may be scarce or hard to locate.” One thing about Aaron always rings true and it is that he wants to do whatever is necessary to help a customer. From all of us on Team Gilbert, thank you for the excellent service to your team and customers, Aaron!

Kevin joined Team Gilbert in March of 2010 at Chevrolet as the Fleet and Commercial Manager.  Prior to starting his journey with Gilbert, he knew the Culbreth/Luna families.  He knew that they were great people and had employees that came to work for them as a career, not a job.  Kevin says that his first day at Gilbert was like the first day of school in that he was nervous, anxious, and excited.  Kevin knew that the Culbreth family had big plans and that those plans aligned with what he was thinking. Kevin credits many people who have helped mold him into the manager he is today from the owners to other co-workers within the Gilbert companies.  Christa Luna has always been his direct “supervisor” and he feels very fortunate to have been able to learn from her knowledge and her passion for her people and their families of the organization as well as the surrounding community.  This is what a family business should strive to accomplish! According to Kevin, knowledge is a commodity.  Never stop training.  If you aren’t gaining more knowledge all of the time your value will decrease.  He learns from completing his training and from training others.  He feels very fortunate to have the best fleet and commercial team in the state!   Kevin has been in his “position” for almost 12 years.  The department has grown over time and now his team is even stronger.

This week's Gilbert Spotlight features William "Bill" Corbin, Service Technician at Gilbert Chevrolet. Is there a Gilbert Team Member or a member of the community you would like to nominate? Visit GilbertHasIt.com & click " Nominate a Hometown Hero ". William "Bill" Corbin joined Team Gilbert in 1993 as a Service Technician at Gilbert Chevrolet and recently celebrated his 28th "work" anniversary! During his 28 years here at Gilbert Chevrolet he has seen the industry grow and change. He's even had the privilege to work with Jim Kenbeek, who taught Bill "persistence". When asked what was the most challenging thing about his current position he stated, "Every day is challenging. Modern vehicles aren't as easy to diagnose or repair like they were in the past." Because of this, Bills keeps up with the ever-changing industry by maintaining his GM Certification training as well as other automotive classes. We asked Bill what he remembered about his first day. He replied, "I always knew I wanted to work for Chevrolet. I remember working on an electrical problem on a Pontiac Grand Am that had a loose connection in the fuse panel on my first day." And to think, that was 28 years ago. Bill is a role model to any service technician, whether seasoned or new to the industry. He uses his vast knowledge in the automotive industry to help guide and teach anyone who joins Team Gilbert. When he's not diagnosing an electrical problem Bill is enjoying his day fishing or catching up on his NASCAR races. Bill, we can't thank you enough for your 28 years here at Gilbert Chevrolet, all of your hard work, and dedication. We look forward to many more years with you.

A.J Town joined Team Gilbert in 2015 as a Paint Technician at Gilbert Collision Center. When asked what was one thing he remembers about his first day on Team Gilbert, he replied, “It was a great clean shop and I was able to interact with my boss at the time, Mark Luna, right away.” As a paint technician, it is his responsibility to paint the exterior parts of a damaged vehicle and help restore it back to pre-accident condition. One of the many challenges A.J. faces as a paint technician is the different types of finishes that are available for the many vehicles he sees. To help keep up with these changes, he completes regular training through PPG, stays in constant communication with his team members, and relies on the many other resources available to him. When A.J. isn’t restoring vehicles back to their original condition, he spends much of his time exploring Florida’s beaches and soaking up the sun with his children, NaKyshia Galloway and Tristan Town, and his grandchildren, Archer and Reagan. A.J. is a hard worker, a great team member, and is always ready to give you a smile while taking a quick break from his busy painting schedule. We thank you, A.J., for everything you do for Team Gilbert. Your hard work and dedication are greatly appreciated.

This week's Hometown Hero features Sirikun “Jaimie” Hans, Chief Creative Officer for Okeechobee Professionals for the Cure. Is there a member of the community you would like to nominate? Visit GilbertHasIt.com & click " Nominate a Hometown Hero " & submit your nomination. When most people think of October they recall Halloween or pumpkin spice lattes. But for some, their focus is on National Breast Cancer Awareness month. One such person is Sirikun "Jaimie" Hans. And Jaimie has every reason to associate October with Breast Cancer Awareness. In 2013, Jaimie received the devastating news of her breast cancer diagnosis. If you have met her, you know Jaimie is a fighter and this would be no exception. Determined that she had much more on this earth to accomplish she worked with her oncologists and aggressively fought this disease. In addition to dealing with a barrage of side effects from her treatments, she was in constant battles with insurers that had no desire to support her in this fight. Thankfully, she remained determined to fight and had a faithful support network built around her - people like her husband, Chris, her family, and numerous community members like the recently passed Sharon Wallace. Jaimie's fight against her personal diagnosis came to an end in 2015 when she was declared cancer-free! But her fight against this disease was far from over. While she still works full time as a medical professional, she has spent part of every day since her diagnosis showing other breast cancer fighters the same support and love she was given. In her free time, she is the Chief Creative Officer for Okeechobee Professionals for the Cure - a nonprofit focused on assisting locals with mammograms, biopsies, diagnostics, and support group meetings. Okeechobee is blessed to have you in its corner, Jaimie! Keep on fighting! If you would like to learn more about how you can help Okeechobee Professionals for the Cure or if you need help yourself, Jaimie is ready to jump in your corner. Call her at 863-697-2819 or find her on Facebook.

Nathan Liscomb joined Team Gilbert in 2014 as a product specialist at Gilbert Ford. When asked why he joined Team Gilbert, he replied, “Because I love what I do.” If you ever get the opportunity to work with Nathan, you will see his love for his job by how he greets you: with a warm smile, handshake, and a positive attitude. When asked what his favorite thing about his position was he stated, “Helping people get in a vehicle when they thought it wasn’t possible.” Nathan keeps up with the newest and greatest features of the new Ford models by his continued training as well as learning a thing or two from his general sales manager, Lee “Cowboy” Geringer. When he’s not learning about the exciting features in the newest Ford models, you’ll find Nathan spending time with his wife, Amanda, at the baseball fields watching his oldest son, Ian, play and while trying to keep up with his youngest son, Owen. Nathan, thank you for your positive attitude and all you do for Team Gilbert!