Cox Automotive Presents Rita Case with 2026 Barbara Cox Woman of the Year Award

Rita Case, president, CEO and owner of Rick Case Automotive Group, has been honored as the 2026 Barbara Cox Woman of the Year.
Case is recognized for her leadership in the automotive industry, community impact and notable philanthropic efforts.
The Barbara Cox Woman of the Year Award includes a $10,000 donation to a charity of the winner’s choice and a $10,000 Barbara Cox Memorial Scholarship for a Northwood University student.

ATLANTA, Feb. 5, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Cox Automotive announces Rita Case, president and CEO of Rick Case Automotive Group, as the 2026 Barbara Cox Woman of the Year. The award recognizes women who have made outstanding contributions to the automotive industry, championed community advocacy and demonstrated leadership.

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, CEO, and owner 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 Feb. 5, 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.

Download a photo from the event: https://www.coxautoinc.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Rita-Case-2026-Barbara-Cox-Woman-of-the-Year.jpeg

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