Rita Case, president and CEO of Rick Case Automotive Group, was given a high honor on Wednesday.
She became only the fifth woman to be named TIME Dealer of the Year.
Recommended Videos
Case and 49 other dealers from around the U.S. were nominated from more than 16,000 dealerships.
The award, which was first presented in 1970, recognizes the nation’s most successful auto dealers who have also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to community service.
“I want to thank TIME and Ally Financial for this recognition. I stand on stage with an amazing group of other dealers who all generously give of their personal time and resources to support and improve their communities. TIME Dealer of the Year is the highest honor and most prestigious recognition an auto dealer can receive from the auto industry, and I am humbled and grateful for this award,” Case said after receiving the reward. “I’m proud to be proof to the next generation that the auto industry is a great business and provides support to their community. It’s so much fun, and I’m hoping that all the dealers in the room will pass their dealerships on to the next generation so that we can continue to prove that the American dream is alive and well.”
NADA is an automotive event held every year to celebrate and bring together those in the industry.
The Case family has also spent most of their lives giving back to the South Florida community.
In 1982, Rita and Rick launched Rick Case Bikes for Kids, which has distributed more than 100,000 new and gently used bicycles to children in need during the holidays. The couple also became involved with Soles4Souls in 2013 which provides coats and shoes to children at Boys & Girls Clubs in Broward County.
The Case family has raised nearly $500,000 for the program with many five-year commitments to secure funding for years to come. To date, nearly 7,000 Broward kids have received new athletic shoes through the initiative, according to a news release.