Tim Urness of C.H. Urness Motors in The Dalles has been named president of the Oregon Automotive Dealers Association and will serve through June 30, 2017.
The Oregon association was founded in the 1930s and has over 200 members representing over 90 percent of the new vehicles sold in Oregon, according to the association.
The association is part of the National Automobile Dealers Association, which was founded in 1917 and represents nearly 16,000 new car and truck dealerships, with about 32,000 separate franchises.
Urness began washing cars on the Urness used car lot while in junior high, and worked his way up through the various departments. He is part of the third generation working at Urness Motors, which was started by his grandfather, C.H. Urness, nearly 70 years ago.
“We started as a Studebaker, Packard and Mercedes Benz dealer here in The Dalles and have seen a few changes over the years,” he said.
Urness has served on the association board for several years, representing the Eastern Oregon district. The board serves as an advocate in the state and national arena, working proactively with legislators on laws that will impact new car dealerships.
The association also provides educational seminars and information packages to dealers, helping them stay on the cutting edge of what is happening in the industry, and serves as a conduit between dealers and new car manufacturers.
New car dealers are a competitive lot, Urness admits, but they all face many of the same challenges and work well together.
“It’s a wonderful group of individuals,” he said. “We all sit down at the same table, we all are wearing the same hat.”
“It would surprise a lot of people, how well we work together,” he added.
That isn’t just true on the state level, but locally as well: As a member of The Dalles New Car Dealer Association, he was honored in the Mid-Columbia Health Foundation in the 2009 Traditions of Compassion awards as the Outstanding Philanthropic Group, along with fellow car dealers Ray Schultens, Bob Stone and David Griffith.
Urness has long been involved in the community, and has been a coach and referee at the high school and a member of the Little League board. He was a sponsor of the Fort Dalles Rodeo for over 25 years, and a co-sponsor of the Jr. Livestock show in Tygh Valley.
He is active in the Cruise the Gorge car show every August.
He said he is probably proudest of being a long-time sponsor of the American Legion Baseball program and the Ed Urness Baseball Scholarship at The Dalles High School in honor of his father.
Serving as president of the board is a natural progression to serving as a board member, Urness said. “It is an honor to serve on this board that has had so many outstanding individuals in the past and present. We have a great team serving our industry.”
“It’s humbling to be part of this group,” he added.
Urness enjoys golfing, fishing, skiing and trips to the Oregon coast.
Visiting the Oregon coast is one of his favorite trips, but Urness notes the gorge is an outstanding place to be. “The Columbia River Gorge is one of the most beautiful places in the world. Having seen it through all the seasons, year after year, I grow to appreciate it more every time I drive it,” he said.
What does he drive on his road trips through the gorge? A 1970 Hemi ‘Cuda, he said.
ABOUT C.H. URNESS
C.H. Urness, 505 Cherry Heights Road, is a premier new Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, RAM and new car dealer. The dealership can be reached at 888-775-8608 for sales, the service department is at 888-705-7594 and the parts department is at 888-712-8248.
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