Political Quotes

“I rise today to remember the remarkable life of my friend Gert Boyle and her many economic and philanthropic contributions to Oregon. Gert died earlier this month at the age of 95. I am one of the many fans of Columbia Sportswear--and there are an awful lot of us in Oregon--who admired Gert and saw her as synonymous with the iconic Oregon company she led. This force of nature came to Oregon after fleeing Nazi Germany with her family in 1937. It is an immigrant story she shared with my parents, who also fled the Nazis. Like so many other refugees welcomed to America over the centuries, Gert arrived to America ready to work and eager to contribute. She did both in spades, adding her own significant chapter to America's proud history of immigrant successes. She was a pioneer, a woman running a company at a time when that was unfortunately even more rare than women CEOs are today. When Gert's husband Neal died unexpectedly in 1970, she stepped in to replace him as president of what was then a tiny local company weighed down by debt. The challenge was mighty, but so was Gert. She became identified everywhere with Columbia Sportswear as she grew this Oregon business into a national and international brand. It now generates net annual revenue of $3 billion and employs more than 6,500 people. Business school students and Oregon historians alike will always remember Gert for that exceptional run, as will I.…”