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Dennis A. Ross

College of Social Sciences & Humanities

Distinguished Professor

Degrees

JD Cumberland School of Law at Samford University
BS in Organizational Management, School of Business at Auburn University

Bio

Dennis A. Ross is a native of Lakeland, Florida. Mr. Ross graduated from Auburn University in 1981 and then attended the Cumberland School of Law at Samford University. In 1987 he graduated and became a Member of the Florida Bar. Mr. Ross is also a Member of the Washington DC Bar Association.

Mr. Ross initially practiced law at Holland & Knight in Lakeland, Florida for two years. Mr. Ross was then employed as an attorney at Walt Disney World before starting his own law firm, which grew to 27 employees. In 2000, Mr. Ross was elected to the Florida House of Representatives where he served for eight years, before being term limited. In the Florida House he served on various Committees and Chaired the House Committee on Insurance following the devastation of 4 successive hurricanes crossing the state of Florida in 2004. In 2010, Dennis was elected to the United States House of Representatives, where he served Florida’s 15th Congressional District for eight years.

Serving on various House Committees, Ross continued his work in the Financial Services arena where he served for 6 years on the House Financial Services Committee, as well as two terms on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, serving two years as the Chair of The Federal Work Force and United States Postal Service Subcommittee. After retiring from Congress in 2019, Mr. Ross joined Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida as a Distinguished Professor and as the Director of the American Center for Public Leadership (ACPL). The ACPL is dedicated to the mission of advocating for increased civic engagement through the development of researched based curriculum which teaches civil discourse and promotes citizen participation. Author of "Reaching Across the Aisles" Reflections on My Experiences in Politics.

He is married to Cindy Hartley Ross and they have two sons, Shane and Travis, and two grandchildren, Emmett and Charlotte.