Cox Automotive Presents Rita Case With 2026 Barbara Cox Woman Of The Year Award

Case is widely recognized for her leadership in the automotive retail space, operating the nation’s largest auto group owned and led by a woman. Her 12 dealerships across South Florida and Atlanta generate more than $2 Billion in annual sales and are consistently recognized for setting national sales- volume records.

The Barbara Cox Woman of the Year Award includes a $10,000 donation to a charity of the honoree’s choice and a $10,000 Barbara Cox Memorial Scholarship awarded to a Northwood University student. Case has designated the $10,000 to benefit the Rita and Rick Case Vocational Scholarship Fund at the Boys & Girls Clubs of Broward County.

This year’s scholarship recipient is Breanne Pratley, a rising senior in the nation’s leading Automotive Marketing and Management program at Northwood University. Pratley is a student ambassador, softball athlete and leader in the university’s annual International Auto Show. The scholarship helps support her continued academic and professional growth.

“The Barbara Cox Woman of the Year Award celebrates extraordinary female pioneers who embody transformative leadership and unwavering philanthropic vision within our industry,” said Steve Rowley, President of Cox Automotive. “We are honored to recognize Rita Case, President and CEO of Rick Case Automotive Group, whose remarkable achievements and enduring commitment have made an indelible mark on the automotive industry.”

The honor was presented by Rowley during the Northwood University Dealer Education Awards on Thursday, February 5th, 2026 at the NADA Show in Las Vegas.

“I am so honored to receive the Barbara Cox Woman of the Year Award,” said Case. “I am also thrilled for Breanne, who will be part of the next generation of women leaders in the automotive industry. And thank you to Cox Automotive for the donation to our scholarship fund at the Boys & Girls Club, an organization near and dear to Rick’s and my heart. It is so important that as business leaders we support our local communities. Our loyal customers allow us to give back, and we are very proud to do so.”

A Lifelong Automotive Leader

Case’s parents opened the first Honda car dealership in the U.S. in 1968, where she worked throughout grade school. After earning a Bachelor’s Degree in economics from the University of California, Davis, she returned to the family business, determined to prove that a woman could thrive as a dealer. While managing the dealership, she met Rick at a Honda car meeting in 1977; the two married in 1980 and went on to build Rick Case Automotive Group.

Rick Case Automotive Group and its Community Impact

Beyond its business accomplishments, Rick Case Automotive Group is deeply rooted in community impact – having helped raise more than $125 Million for South Florida organizations through philanthropic initiatives supporting youth, education, housing and health-related nonprofits. Signature programs include the long-running Rick Case Bikes for Kids, which has collected more than 122,000 gently used bicycles donated by the community to gift to underserved children each holiday season since 1982.

Learn more about the Barbara Cox Woman of the Year Award: https://www.coxautoinc.com/about-us/diversity/barbara-cox-woman-year-award/

About Cox Automotive

Cox Automotive is the world’s largest automotive services and technology provider. Fueled by the largest breadth of first-party data fed by 2.3 billion online interactions a year, Cox Automotive tailors leading solutions for car shoppers, auto manufacturers, dealers, lenders and fleets. The company has 29,000+ employees on five continents and a portfolio of industry-leading brands that include Autotrader®, Kelley Blue Book®, Manheim®, vAuto®, Dealertrack®, NextGear Capital™, CentralDispatch® and Cox Fleet®. Cox Automotive is a subsidiary of Cox Enterprises Inc., a privately-owned, Atlanta- based company with $23 Billion in annual revenue. Cox Automotive has been included on Glassdoor’s Best Companies in Tech & AI 2026 and Best Place to Work in 2026 lists.

Visit: www.coxautoinc.com - Or connect via: @CoxAutomotive on X, CoxAutoInc on Facebook or Cox-Automotive-Inc on LinkedIn.

About The Rick Case Automotive Group

Founded in 1962, the Rick Case Automotive Group has been honored by Automotive News as the National All-Star Dealer and President and CEO Rita Case was named the 2024 TIME Dealer of the Year. Rick Case Automotive Group is the nation’s largest female owned and operated automotive dealer group in America, offering Honda, Hyundai, Genesis, Ioniq, Volkswagen, Kia, Acura, Audi, Mazda, Maserati, Fiat, Alfa Romeo, Honda Motorcycles and E-Z-Go golf carts. Celebrating more than 60 years in business, the Rick Case Automotive Group has 12 dealerships in South Florida and Georgia. The South Florida dealerships are known for holding national sales records, consistently ranking among the top performers in markets they serve. Rick Case Automotive Group is headquartered at 14500 West Sunrise Boulevard, Sunrise, Florida 33323.

For more information, visit: www.RickCase.com.