Member Spotlight - Jenell R. Ross

RossJenell R. Ross is the President for Bob Ross Buick, GMC and Mercedes-Benz, and soon to be Fiat in Centerville, Ohio. Jenell accepted the leadership role of the dealerships in July 1997 after the untimely death of her father Bob Ross Sr., who started the family owned business in 1974 in Richmond, Indiana. Bob Ross Buick celebrated 35 years as a Buick Dealer and also celebrated 30 years as a Mercedes-Benz Dealer in 2009. In 2007 Bob Ross GMC celebrated 25 years as a GMC Dealer. Mercedes-Benz of Centerville is the first African –American Owned Mercedes-Benz Dealership in the country and currently is the only Mercedes-Benz Dealership Owned by an African-American woman. Bob Ross Buick-GMC is currently the only African-American Women Owned Dealership in the country. Jenell is the only second generation African-American Female Automobile Dealer in the country.

 Her undergraduate degree in Sociology is from Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. Jenell has completed the General Motors Dealer Management Development Program and is a graduate of the National Automobile Dealers Association Dealer Candidate Academy

Jenell is an active member of several automotive organizations, DAADA, OADA, NADA, NAMAD, and GMMDA. Jenell is a board member for The American International Automobile Dealers Association representing Mercedes-Benz, which she will serve as the Chairwoman in 2013.  She is also an active member of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., Beta Eta Omega Chapter, a member of the Dayton Chapter of the Links, Inc., Trinity Presbyterian Church, and works with the YMCA Mentors Matter Program. Jenell serves as a Board Member for the Diversity Council for Centerville-Washington Township, The Miami Valley School Alumni Council, the Dayton/Montgomery County Convention and Visitors Bureau, Central State University’s Foundation Board, Minority Business Partnership thru the Dayton Chamber of Commerce, and the Federal Reserve Board of Cleveland-Dayton Business Advisory Council. She has served as a board member for the Dayton Area Automobile Dealers Association, the Dayton Development Coalition, The South Metro Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Montgomery County Economic Development Committee, The Dayton Chamber of Commerce and the Reynolds and Reynolds Company Customer Advisory Board.

Awards and Dealership Recognition

40 Under 40- Received from the Dayton Business Journal- 1999

  • Top 500 Women Owned Companies – Working Woman Magazine- 1999 & 2000
  • Automobile Dealer of the Year – Black Enterprise Magazine 2000 & 2011
  • Top 500 Automobile Dealers – Ward’s Automotive Magazine- 1998, 1999 & 2002
  • Mark of Excellence Dealer-Buick Select Dealer 1999-2010
  • Mark of Excellence Dealer-GMC Leader of Distinction 1998,  2001, 2002, 2003, 2005 and 2009
  • Received 35th year award from Buick Motor Division - 2009
  • Received 30-year award from Mercedes-Benz-2009
  • Received 25 year  award from GMC Division- 2007
  • Received The Opera Guild of Dayton “Opera Friend of the Year” award-2001
  • Received “Large Business of the Year” award from The South Metro Chamber of Commerce-2001
  • Listed as one of the “Top 100 Companies” in Dayton, Ohio – 2001-2010
  • Finalist Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year Award” - 2001
    The Bob Ross Organization was the first business in the Southern-Ohio region to win the Governor’s Service Award from Workers’ Compensation 1998
  • The Bob Ross Organization ranks among the Top 100 African-American Automobile Dealerships from Black Enterprise Magazine 1976 - 2011
  • Received 2002 “Trailblazer Award” from the General Motors Minority Dealers Association on behalf of our founder Robert P. Ross Sr. for his accomplishments and efforts with minority automobile dealers.
  • Presented the “Jack Smith Leadership Award” as one of the Top 100 General Motors Dealers for 2001 in the country that has excelled in both Retail Sales and Customer Satisfaction.
  • Bob Ross Buick also received the Outstanding Community Service Award from General Motors 2001 for Buick.
  • Awarded the Ernst & Young “Entrepreneur of the Year Award” for the Retail/Distribution category for all of Southern Ohio and Kentucky 2002.  This award qualified the Bob Ross Organization to be among the National Finalist for this category at the Ernst & Young National Awards.
  • July 2004 received the  National “Spirit of Entrepreneur Award” from Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. at their National Conference
  • Received the 2005 SBA Minority Small Business Champion of the Year Award from the US Small Business Administration
  • September 2008 was selected as on of the Top Ten African-American Women CEO’s in the Miami Valley
  • December 2008 was selected as on of the Top Ten Women of Dayton from the Dayton Daily News
  • January 2011 included in the Inaugural Who’s Who Publication, a Tribute to African-American Achievement in the Automobile Industry
  • March 2011 Honorary Chairperson for the YWCA Women of Influence Annual Luncheon
  • May 2011 was one of four inductees into the first Dayton Business Journal 40 under 40 Hall of Fame
  • May 2011 received the 2nd Annual Torch Award by the Dayton Better Business Bureau
  • June 2011 was awarded on of the Outstanding African-American Businesses by the Greater Dayton African-American Chamber of Commerce

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