Sandy Raffealli is Owner/Partner in Bill Pearce Motors, Inc. in Reno, but came to that position in a round-about manner. As a young girl the family moved frequently as her father’s positions in the auto industry took him to many states. Finally settling in Reno, her father, Bill Pearce, was hired at the Waldren Motors Oldsmobile dealership, which he later purchased. Sandy graduated from the University of Nevada with a degree in education and joined VISTA where, in Oklahoma, she met her husband, John. Some years later, Bill invited husband John into the car business, but to her disappointment, not her. Sandy, instead, was hired by First National Bank where she went into the management training program, gaining a background in human resource management. This skill led her father to reassess bringing her into dealer management and Bill, John, and Sandy, then headed the family business. With the death of both John and Bill, Sandy is now the only woman in Nevada owning a large automobile dealership, a job she loves and works hard to keep it successful. Sandy’s other passion is philanthropy. She was immediately attracted to the 501c3, Nevada Women’s Fund, and through that organization, and on her own, she and her family generously donate to numerous organizations and charities.
Highlights coming soon.
Sandy Raffealli was interviewed by the Nevada Women’s History Project on December 14, 2022, through a grant from the Ericson Family Trust Foundation.