Meet Our Team
Timothy "Choppy" Alvarez
Relationship Manager
Tim a.k.a “Choppy” Alvarez is from Streamwood, Illinois and currently lives in Savannah, TN. Choppy enjoys cooking and traveling to spend time with his extended family in Illinois, Arkansas, Mexico and California. Choppy has been with our team since 2016 and is extremely committed to connecting with our customers. He serves as one of our relationship managers and understands that an automobile purchase is one of the most significant purchases an individual or family can make. He works tirelessly to help our customers find the “right” automobile from an appearance, reliability or affordability standpoint. When Choppy isn’t working directly with customers he enjoys managing our photography and social media efforts. According to Choppy the things he most enjoys about his work is seeing the joy a customer is experiencing as they drive away in their new car or knowing he helped someone buy a car to get them to and from work so they can support their family. Choppy’s first car was an 80's Chevrolet Astro van.
Mary Schafer
Relationship Manager
Mary is from Corinth, Mississippi where she still lives with her husband Mike. Mary has one daughter, Natalie. Mary has been in automotive industry for over 30 years. Mary's mission is to help each customer find their "right" vehicle. She understands that size, price, and appearance combined with a easy, no-pressure, no-haggle car buying experience are all important to the individual customer. As a Relationship Manager, Mary's number one goal is to establish and maintain a great relationship with the customer during and after the sale. Mary says the most rewarding thing about the work she does is seeing each customer (and family) drive away with a smile on their face. Mary's first car was a 1973 Chevrolet Malibu.
Lindsey Michael
Relationship Manager
Lindsey grew up in Corinth, Mississippi and moved to Iuka, Mississippi in 2005 where she currently resides with her husband, Jeremy. Lindsey and Jeremy have five children, Jayden, Felicity, Eli, Makenley, and Reagan.. Prior to joining our team at Southeast Lindsey worked in the finance and insurance world. Over the course of Lindsey's career, she has found the most satisfaction in meeting new people, both customers and community members. Lindsey hopes that her customers will always remember her for her friendly smile and that she goes above and beyond to make sure they are treated well and truly have the best experience possible. Lindsey is naturally competitive and takes pride in being the best she can be. When she is not working Lindsey enjoys spending time with her family and taking care of all things on her farm including goats, chickens’ turkeys, and her fur babies. Lindsey's first car was a 1994 Toyota Camry.
David Gaines
Detail Technician
David is from Corinth, Mississippi where he lives with his wife Wanda. They have three children, Ashley, Porche, and Jaylon. David has been in the auto industry for over 10 years. When David is not working or spending time with his family, he enjoys playing his guitar. David works hard to ensure each and every auto that Southeast sells meets the customers’ expectations. David said he enjoys making sure all our inventory is frontline ready for customer viewing. He believes the customer's positive or negative first impression is based on the cleanliness of the automobile. David’s first car was a Pontiac Sunbird.
Sy Brazeal
Logistics Manager
Sy was born in Panama, grew up in Jacksonville, AR and currently resides in Blue Springs, MS with his wife Linda. He and Linda have two children, Travis and Baylee and two grandchildren, Parker and Madilyn. Sy honorably served in the U.S. Marine Corps and proudly defended and protected our great nation. When he isn’t spending time with his family you can find him in his shop woodworking. Sy has been involved in the automotive industry for over 22 years in multiple roles. Sy’s expertise as the Logistics Manger for the dealership is invaluable to our mission and ongoing success. He spends his days ensuring that our inventory meets the highest standards of appearance and performance, and that dealerships appearance is unrivaled. His work begins with acquisition and continues even after the auto is parked in a happy customer's driveway. Sy enjoys every aspect of automotive sales and prides himself on doing whatever it takes to make the customer happy. His first car was a 1969 Mustang.
Paula Gentry
Office Manager
Paula grew up and currently resides in Savannah, TN with her husband Mark. She has two children, Courtney and Cory and three wonderful grandchildren, Parker, Penn, and Prescott. Paula has worked in the auto retail industry for over 23 years and brings with her a wealth of knowledge and experience in accounting and financial processes as well as overall dealership operations. Paula says the thing she enjoys most is working with such a great team that is solely focused on meeting our customers’ needs before and after the sale. Paula says she hopes our customers and community members will always remember her by her smile and how efficiently the dealership handles all aspects of sales and service. Paula's first car was a Chevrolet Malibu.
Laura Kate Marlar
F and I Manager
Laura Kate is from Corinth, Mississippi where she resides with her children, Jordan, and Makenzie. Prior to joining our team Laura Kate worked in sales and operational leadership. When Laura Kate is not working she enjoys spending time with family, attending church, and learning anything new. Laura Kate enjoys interacting with the customers and making sure they are confident in their purchase. She also enjoys the sales process and contributing to the success of the business. She hopes that her customers will remember her as someone who worked hard to ensure they have the protection and peace of mind they want after buying a vehicle from Southeast. Laura Kate's first car was a Pontiac Grand Am.
Nic Lott
Sales Manager
Nic grew up in Adamsville, Tennessee where he still resides with his wife, Stefanie and their two children, Jacey and Hayes. Nic spends his days ensuring that every aspect of your auto buying experience runs smoothly. He supports our relationship managers in sourcing the perfect automobile based on the customer's needs and wants. He then works with over 40 lenders to obtain the best possible financing package for each and every customer. Nic says the most satisfying part of his job is helping someone purchase their dream car or simply helping a customer overcome obstacles in their auto buying experience. Nic's first car was a 1999 Ford Ranger.
Jack Harms
General Sales Manager
Jack grew up on a farm in Canby, Oregon surrounded by his large closeknit family. He currently resides in Iuka, MS with his son Henry and loves keeping the dealership connected to the local community. Jack has a background in auto sales and lease and has been a member of our team since relocating to the south in 2012. Jack serves as the General Sales Manager of the dealership and is actively involved in all aspects of sales and operations. Jack leads and supports the work of our relationship managers and assists with operations and financial account management. Jack appreciates the opportunity to establish relationships with new customers and being able to witness firsthand the customers excitement about their purchase. He is personally committed to ensuring that each and every customer receives the highest level service and professionalism in an efficient and timely manner. Jacks feels as the best compliment we can receive is a return customer or a customer referral. Jack's first car was a 1990 Jeep Wrangler.
Angela Nowlin
Dealer Principle/Owner
Angela grew up in Adamsville, Tennessee and currently resides in Pickwick, TN with her husband Tim. Together, she and Tim have seven children and 10 grandchildren with one due to arrive in early 2022. Angela enjoys spending time with her large, chaotic family, reading, and boating on Pickwick Lake. Angela is a nurse and has passionately enjoyed 25+ years in healthcare leadership and operations. During her career in healthcare Angela spent a large portion of her time focused on developing people and streamlining processes in pursuit of the best possible healthcare experience. Angela joined the automotive world in 2020 when she and Tim opened Southeast Auto Direct. In her new role Angela continues to get excited about creating an exceptional customer centric auto buying experience for every customer and family. Angela remains adamant that the key to long term success in any business is never losing touch with the customer's situations, perceptions and expectations. Angela's first car was a 1980 AMC Spirit.
Tim Nowlin
Dealer Principle/Owner
Tim grew up in Gold Beach, a small costal town near the California and Oregon border. While he spent his younger years in Oregon Tim’s roots can be traced back to Tennessee where his great grandfather, Thomas Claiborne started his journey as a scout on the Oregon Trail in 1860. Tim’s career with Tracker marine brought him South in 1989 in his role as Director of Product Design & Manufacturing. Tim immediately felt at home and developed an affinity for the South's rich history, friendly people and welcoming culture. After 21 years in the boating industry, in 2001 Tim made a major career change and joined the automotive sales industry. Tim has spent the last 20 years leading and redefining the automotive sales experience from the customer perspective. In 2020 Tim and his wife, Angela, decided to follow their dream and opened Southeast Auto Direct in Iuka, MS. With confidence in a great team that had been 10 years in the making Tim started Southeast with a clear purpose of further refining and defining the auto buying experience through a locally based and digital sales model. Tim is passionate about providing a no-pressure, friendly and efficient customer buying experience for each customer. When you ask Tim what success look’s like to him, he is quick to answer “the provide the most exceptional car buying experience in the Southeastern market”. Tim's first car was a 1953 Ford F-100.