CONGRATULATING THE BOB ROSS AUTO GROUP ON ITS 50TH ANNIVERSARY Speaker: Congressman Michael R. Turner Publication: Congressional Record Date: 10 July 2024 Subject: American Government Topic: Bob Ross Auto Group

Mr. TURNER. Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate the Bob Ross Auto Group, located in my congressional district in Centerville, Ohio, as they celebrate a half-century of service to its customers and the Greater Dayton community.

The Bob Ross Auto Group, which consists of three franchises, Buick, GMC and Mercedes-Benz, commemorated its 50th anniversary on February 22, 2024. Over the past five decades, this family-owned dealership has become a pillar of the community and earned the trust of thousands of customers for their automotive and service needs.

The dealership contributes to a variety of charitable causes and community events, and to the Nation as a whole, through its support of the American Cancer Society's efforts to raise awareness and find a cure for breast cancer.

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On July 10, 2024, on page E713, in the second column, the following appeared: of the American Cancer Society's efforts to raise awareness and a cure for breast cancer.

The online version has been corrected to read: of the American Cancer Society's efforts to raise awareness and find a cure for breast cancer.

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Robert P. Ross, Sr. started his successful entrepreneurial journey in Richmond, Indiana in February 1974. He became the first African American Buick dealer in the state of Indiana, where he continued to work and serve his community until he moved his business to Centerville, Ohio in 1982.

It took no time for his business to become a symbol of change in the Dayton community, as it was here where Bob Ross became the first African American Buick Dealer in the state of Ohio and the first African American Mercedes-Benz dealer in the United States.

Bob Ross would continue to be a trailblazer for civil rights in the automobile industry. He would help establish the National Association of Minority Automobile Dealers, as well as supporting numerous charities.

After Bob's death in 1997, his wife Norma J. Ross, assumed the presidency of the company, and his daughter Jenell Ross became vice-president and principal dealer at the age of 27. These two remarkable women would become the first female African Americans to be at the helm of an automobile dealership.

They would continue to grow the business together, earning numerous accolades, including recognition as one of the ``Top 100 Companies in Dayton.'' In 2011, Black Enterprise Magazine named the Bob Ross Auto Group ``Automobile Dealer of the Year.''

When Norma passed away from breast cancer in 2010, Jenell took over the business as its president. In memory of her mother, Jenell established the Norma J. Ross Memorial Foundation, which has raised thousands of dollars for breast cancer research. The foundation hosts a number of events, proudly branded as ``Pink Ribbon Driven,'' to raise awareness about breast cancer prevention.

Jenell Ross is the only second-generation African American female automobile dealer in the United States, and she is the first-ever African American Chair of the American International Automobile Dealers Association.

Mr. Speaker, I have known Jenell Ross and her family for 30 years. I have seen firsthand how she has sustained and grown Bob Ross Auto Group into a thriving small business that her father would be proud of.

The Ross family's commitment to the traditional values of hard work, quality products, and customer service represents the very best of the American entrepreneurial spirit, and serves as a model for all small businesses.

I congratulate Jenell Ross, her family, and her employees on this great milestone in their company's history. I wish them many more years of continued success and leadership in the community.