Page 51 - BusinessWest February 20, 2023

quick to note that he won’t make it himself.
The prize comes with a check from Ally Financial for $10,000, to be awarded to
the charity of Rome’s choice. But, as a reflection of how he operates his dealerships, Rome will let his team help him decide.
“If it were up to me, I’d give the money to an organization focused on animals, in honor of Jack,” he said, referring
to his beloved companion, spokesdog, and customer favorite, who passed away in October. “But ... it’s not up
to me. It’s not about me; it’s about my team — that’s who I attribute our success to.”
The TIME award was
announced just a few weeks
after Rome was chosen by
BusinessWest to be one of its
Difference Makers for 2023.
The juxtaposition of the two
honors is significant, and he
was chosen by two different sets of judges for essentially the same reasons.
They are summed up in comments from Doug Timmerman, president of Ally Financial, who said of Rome — and the other auto dealers nominated — “they go above and beyond for their customers, communities, and employees.”
In Rome’s case, it’s well above and beyond, especially when it comes to communities and his employees.
With the former, Rome is omnipresent, it seems, serving as
Gary Rome was recently honored as TIME magazine’s Dealer of the Year.
a foundation board member at Holyoke Community College (HCC); presenting a car annually to a graduating high-school student in Holyoke; carrying on a holiday tradition called
the Trees of Hope event, which raises funds for the Ronald McDonald House; and presenting, in collaboration with other
“My involvement with cars started at the age of 9 — I was just enthralled with my father and his business, so I wanted to
be around him
all the time. My father would go to work, and I would chase him down the hallway at home to make sure he would take me with
him. I was very excited about being there, being around him ... it go”t into my blood.
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