[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 73 (Tuesday, May 10, 2016)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E667]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             IN HONOR OF MARY CATHERINE (KITTY) VAN BORTEL

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. CHRIS COLLINS

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, May 10, 2016

  Mr. COLLINS of New York. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to honor a 
constituent of mine who was recently awarded one of the highest honors 
in her industry.
  Mary Catherine (Kitty) Van Bortel, president of Van Bortel Subaru in 
Victor, New York, which is located in my Congressional district, was 
named the 2016 TIME Dealer of the Year. Ms. Van Bortel received this 
highest honor out of a select group of dealers from across the country 
recognized at the 99th annual National Automobile Dealers Association 
(NADA) Convention & Exposition in Las Vegas on April 1st.
  The TIME Dealer of the Year award is one of the automobile industry's 
most prestigious and highly coveted honors. Recipients are among the 
nation's most successful auto dealers who also demonstrate a long-
standing commitment to community service. In fact, Ms. Van Bortel was 
one of only 50 auto dealers from 16,000 nationwide--nominated for the 
47th annual award.
  The award is sponsored by TIME in association with Ally Financial, 
and in cooperation with NADA. A panel of faculty members from the 
Tauber Institute for Global Operations at the University of Michigan 
selects one finalist from each of the four NADA regions and one 
national Dealer of the Year.
  A 1972 graduate of Palmyra-Macedon Central High School in Palmyra, 
New York, Ms. Van Bortel earned a B.A. in psychology from Wells College 
in Aurora, New York, in 1976. Although her father was a car dealer who 
owned 17 franchises at one time, she began her career at a dealership 
independent of her family.
  Having first worked at Ridley Ford in Webster, New York where she 
became the top salesperson, Ms. Van Bortel was later a sales manager at 
Holtz Mercedes-Benz and BMW in Rochester, New York, before opening a 
used-car lot--her first step toward owning a dealership.
  She later convinced Subaru to give her a chance and opened Van Bortel 
Subaru in 1991 vowing to make it the largest-volume Subaru dealership 
in the nation. Within seven years, that goal was achieved. Her business 
has since expanded to include Van Bortel Chevrolet in Macedon, New 
York, and Van Bortel Ford in East Rochester, New York, both of which 
she owns with her brother.
  The reputation which she has built over the last 30 years has been 
the most rewarding part of her automotive career. And that reputation 
includes an unwavering commitment to giving back to her community. A 
nine-year breast cancer survivor, Ms. Van Bortel is dedicated to 
spreading the word that early detection is the cure. She has raffled 
off pink Ford Mustangs, given countless speeches to those who would 
listen and become a major contributor to the Breast Cancer Coalition of 
Rochester. Other organizations Ms. Van Bortel supports include: 
National Susan B. Anthony Museum & House in Rochester; The National 
Center for Missing & Exploited Children; American Diabetes Association 
Tour de Cure (fundraising cycling event); Warrior Salute (assists 
veterans as they transition back to civilian life); Vistor/Farmington 
Food Cupboard (Thanksgiving baskets); IAC Kids: It's About Caring for 
Kids (help families in the Greater Rochester region going through 
financial hardships due to their child's severe illness); House of 
Mercy in Rochester (homeless shelter and advocacy group); Open Door 
Mission in Rochester (homeless shelter); Catholic Charities USA and 
many other local organizations.
  In addition, Ms. Van Bortel has received numerous awards for her 
community service and business leadership, including the 2009 Herbert 
W. Vanden Brul Entrepreneurial Award from the Saunders School of 
Business at Rochester Institute of Technology; 2011 Athena Award from 
the Women's Council of the Rochester Business Alliance and 2009 
Rochester Women's Network ``W'' Award.
  In 2005, she was named one of the ``100 Leading Women in the North 
American Auto Industry'' by Automotive News.
  Ms. Van Bortel was nominated for the TIME Dealer of the Year award by 
Robert Vancavage, president of the New York State Automobile Dealers 
Association.
  Mr. Speaker, on behalf of all of the members of the New York 
Congressional delegation, please allow me to once again congratulate 
Ms. Mary Catherine (Kitty) Van Bortel on this prestigious award and 
thank her and her family for their involvement in the Rochester area.
  I wish her, her family, and her employees at the dealerships a 
prosperous and bright future.

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