Best of the Best — On The Move

[joe.pistell]

John Quinn joined InFocus Solutions​

John left TradePending in March 2026 and joined InFocus Solutions in May as Director of Product & Systems.

InFocus provides dealership lead-management, appointment-setting, CRM-accountability, and customer-contact services.

Links: John Quinn’s LinkedIn profile · InFocus Solutions

@john.quinn

 

[joe.pistell]

Ryan Leslie joined Click Here Digital​

Ryan announced that he joined Click Here Digital in mid-2026. His LinkedIn profile currently lists him as Sales Director.

This moves him from an independent automotive consulting identity into a large automotive digital-marketing organization.

Links: Ryan’s announcement · Ryan Leslie’s profile

@ryan.leslie

 

[joe.pistell]

Greg Gifford moved into the Chief Strategy Officer role​

Greg became Chief Strategy Officer at SearchLab Digital in June 2026. He previously served as the company’s Chief Operating Officer.

SearchLab also announced that Greg was named to the inaugural Search Power List: 100 Most Influential in SEO in the USA.

Links: Greg Gifford’s profile · SearchLab leadership page · Search Power List announcement

@Greg_Gifford

 

[joe.pistell]

Bill Vaughn joined Kirksville Motor Company​

Bill joined Kirksville Motor Company in February 2026.

His LinkedIn profile lists him as Sales Manager. The dealership lists him as New Car Sales & Inventory Manager.

Links: Bill Vaughn’s profile · Kirksville Motor Company team LinkedIn

@BillVaughnKMC​

 

[joe.pistell]

Mitch Gallant disclosed an AI merchandising platform​

Mitch now operates Gallant Signal Marketing, an AI-native marketing and consulting company.

Its 2026 materials describe Blink Merchandising Engine, an AI-powered system that creates trim strings, product descriptions, and visual merchandising content for a retail operation with more than 200 units.

Links: Gallant Signal · Blink product description · Verified business listing

@Mitch Gallant

 

[joe.pistell]

Alex Snyder expanded VehicleLyfe into service-lane acquisition​

VehicleLyfe’s name change occurred in 2025. The important 2026 development is a product expansion.

In June, VehicleLyfe added acquisition-opportunity generation using:

• Open repair orders.
• Closed repair orders.
• Service appointments.
• DMS data.

VehicleLyfe also describes an AI layer that converts customer and vehicle data into CRM insights, narratives, and customer profiles.

Links: VehicleLyfe timeline · Humanizing Data with AI

@Alex Snyder

 

[joe.pistell]

Vicimus gained a distribution partnership for Bumper BI​

Consolidated Dealers Co-Op announced a 2026 partnership with Vicimus to make Bumper BI available to its dealer members.

Bumper BI combines information from sales, F&I, service, parts, accounting, marketing, and inventory into one dealership reporting system.

Craig Hooghiem is listed as Vicimus COO and EVP and is part of the leadership team behind the platform.

Links: Partnership announcement · Bumper BI leadership

@craigh

 

[joe.pistell]

Dealer Authority expanded Inventory Everywhere beyond automotive​

Dealer Authority introduced Inventory Everywhere before 2026. The system distributes live inventory across channels such as Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Pinterest, and Google Vehicle Listing Ads.

The noteworthy 2026 event is its expansion into boat and marine dealership marketing in April.

Brian Michael West has been one of the public authors and promoters behind the product.

Links: Automotive Inventory Everywhere · Marine expansion

@Brian Michael West

 

[joe.pistell]

George Nenni released a 2026 update to his GA4 book​

George released a May 2026 update to A Car Dealer’s Guide to Google Analytics 4.

The new edition includes updated dealer-specific instructions and color screenshots reflecting changes inside GA4.

Link: George Nenni’s announcement LinkedIn

@George Nenni​

 

[joe.pistell]

Clint Jones received a Nebraska state-board appointment​

Clint Jones, DealerRefresh member Tallcool1 and owner of Clock Tower Auto Mall, was confirmed to the Nebraska Motor Vehicle Industry Licensing Board on January 30, 2026.

The Nebraska Legislature approved the appointment by a 37–0 vote. The board regulates motor-vehicle dealers and related licensees in the state.

Links: Nebraska Legislature transcript · Licensing Board membership Nebraska Legislature

@Tallcool1​