McAllen Chamber of Commerce, Man of the Year, Woman of the Year, Lifetime Achievement Award, Bob Vackar, Pattie Rosenlund, Richard Cortez, Bert Ogden Auto Group, Easterseals
Staff Report
McALLEN TX - The McAllen Chamber of Commerce will honor its 2026 Man and Woman of the Year and present a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 71st Annual Man and Woman of the Year Gala on Thursday, Nov. 5.
Bob Vackar and Pattie Rosenlund will receive the Man and Woman of the Year awards, respectively. Hidalgo County Judge Richard F. Cortez will receive the Lifetime Achievement Award, which the Chamber reserves for those occasions when a leader’s lifelong work has significantly impacted the community.
Bob Vackar
Robert C. “Bob” Vackar is a U.S. Army veteran, entrepreneur, philanthropist, and chairman of the board and chief performance officer with Bert Ogden Auto Group. A graduate of Edinburg High School and Texas A&M University, Vackar joined the company in 1983 as sales manager for his father-in-law, Bert Ogden. Under his leadership, Bert Ogden Auto Group has grown to represent many of the world’s leading automotive brands and has created more than 1,000 jobs in the region.
Vackar’s philanthropic focus includes education. Following his donation to The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley College of Business & Entrepreneurship, UTRGV renamed the college the Robert C. Vackar College of Business & Entrepreneurship.
“It’s an honor,” Vackar said. “I really appreciate everybody that was involved in this decision. I am very honored, very proud. When you’re doing philanthropic work, you never think about it. We do a lot with Easterseals, and I’m doing a lot with the college (UTRGV) now and a lot with the high school at Covenant Christian Academy.”
Pattie Rosenlund
Patricia “Pattie” Rosenlund has served Easterseals Rio Grande Valley for 29 years, rising from director of program services to executive director. She holds a bachelor’s degree in special education and a master’s in rehabilitation counseling.
Rosenlund serves on the Texas governor’s Early Childhood Intervention Advisory Committee and the South Texas College Child Development and Early Childhood Department Advisory Committee, among others.
“I am deeply grateful for this honor,” Rosenlund said. “While I am humbled by the recognition, I view it as a celebration of the incredible work being done across our community and by the dedicated team at Easterseals. It is a privilege to shine a light on the impact of Easterseals and our shared commitment to helping children and families thrive.”
Judge Richard F. Cortez
A certified public accountant, Judge Cortez rose to partner in a regional accounting firm, specializing in tax services, independent audits, business valuations and forensic accounting. He has served as Hidalgo County judge since 2018 and previously served as McAllen mayor and city commissioner.
“I am deeply humbled and honored to receive this Lifetime Achievement Award from the McAllen Chamber of Commerce,” Judge Cortez said. “The City of McAllen and the Chamber have been an important part of my life and my journey of service for many years. To receive this recognition from an organization that has worked alongside so many people to strengthen this community is especially meaningful to me.”
Gala Details
The event will be held in McAllen at a site to be announced. Festivities begin at 6:30 p.m. For sponsorship opportunities and table reservations, contact Blanca Cardenas at 956-682-2871 or bcardenas@mcallenchamber.com, or Sally Guerra at 956-458-0085 or sguerra@mcallenchamber.com.
Source - McAllen Chamber of Commerce