Seattle - Washington Policy Center, Washington's premier freemarket public policy research and education organization, elected James E. Coles of Western Peterbilt to its Board of Directors.

Jim Coles, President of Western Peterbilt in Seattle, Washington earned his degree in Industrial Engineering at California State Polytech University. In 1975, after working for Caterpillar as a machine sales and dealer representative, Coles took over a Peterbilt dealership in Riverton, Wyoming and eventually opened Wyoming Peterbilt in 1976. Coles finally opened Western Peterbilt in 1983, whose operations today include dealerships in Washington, Oregon and California, a lease and rental division, nine service locations, three body shops, a full frame//axle facility, a refuse systems division and insurance services.

Coles has received 19 awards for excellence from Peterbilt and PACCAR Inc. He was named 2000 ATD/Heavy Duty Trucking Truck Dealer of the Year at the 37th annual convention of American Truck Dealers. He is a member of Washington's Chamber of Commerce and the Zion Prep Academy.

"Jim and Western Peterbilt have been supporters of our organization and our work to improve our state's business climate over the last few years and we are excited he has agreed to join our board of directors," said Daniel Mead Smith, WPC President. "He brings extensive knowledge on many of the policy issues we work on and we look forward to him sharing that expertise now that he is member of our board."