SCHAUMBERG, Ill. -– Zurich North America announces that Bill Stoothoff, vice president of the finance & insurance division for the company's commercial direct markets division, has received the Chrysler Minority Dealer Association RoadRunner Award.

This award is presented to a person who has best exhibited the spirit of sacrifice for the benefit of CMDA members.

"It's an honor to be associated with a great organization such as the CMDA," said Stoothoff. "Zurich values its close relationships with dealers, and meeting with CMDA’s members provides us the opportunity to develop a greater understanding of the issues that affect dealers."

Stoothoff's commitment to CMDA and F&I knowledge were two factors in his selection as the award recipient, said Jay Rivchin, vice president of the CMDA and dealer principal/general manager of South Dade Dodge in Miami.

"Bill has brought to our association a tremendous amount of knowledge about garage liability, compliance for the finance and insurance office and ways to increase dealer profitability," Rivchin said.

The CMDA was founded in 1968 as the Chrysler Black Dealers Association, and was developed to help minority dealers and others who aspire to join the association’s community. The association currently has 100 minority dealership owners.