For Salem First Selectman, It's Good To Be "Young"

By Michael Naughton, Published in The Day on 5/22/2008

As a 17-year-old high school dropout, Bob Ross enlisted in the Navy with the goal of eventually attending college.

Ross not only reached that goal, but while in the Navy attained the rank of commander, earned two master's degrees and served as a head of two local governments.

Despite his achievements, the Salem first selectman said he was surprised when the University of Connecticut recently honored him with the 2008 Young Distinguished Alumni Award earlier this month.

Ross, 48, said he thought it was humorous to be presented an award for young alumni.

”When I accepted it I told the crowd I know when they named this award no one imagined they would give it to a guy with this much gray hair and reading glasses,” Ross said. “The great thing about the program at UConn, it's not like traditional academic exercise, it's real application of policy. I learned how to craft public policy and understand policy.”

The award is given annually by the university's public policy department to an alumnus who has demonstrated excellence in his or her field of study and graduated from the program within 10 years. University members said Ross was an easy pick.

”Bob was just a perfect choice for this recent alumni award,” said Jason Jakubowski, the present of the program's alumni council. “Bob demonstrates the natural link between politics and public administration. He is an elected leader, but he comes with a massive tool kit … that makes him a better elected official.”

Ross earned his master's degree in public policy and administration from UConn in 2004. He earned his first master's in national security and strategic study from the U.S. Naval Command and Staff College in Newport, R.I., in 1998.

He served in the Navy for 23 years and retired in 2003. While in the Navy, he served as a spokesman.

He first came to southeastern Connecticut in 1998 when he was stationed at the submarine base in Groton. He bought his house in Salem that year.

After he retired from the Navy, he returned to the area and attended UConn's program with the intention of starting a new career in public service.

After Ross earned his master's in public administration, he moved to his native Colorado for family reasons. While there, he served as emergency communications director for Cripple Creek, Colo., and went on to become the city administrator before he returned to Connecticut last year. He said he and his wife, Nita, decided to move back to Salem because they missed New England.

Ross, a father of four children, said he considers Salem one of his hometowns because he's lived there longer than anywhere else in his adult life.

”I remember the drive to the house with the Realtor,” Ross said. “We thought, 'This is where we want to live, and this is where we want to raise our kids.' “

In November, Ross won the town's first selectman's seat with 69 percent of the vote. He unseated incumbent selectman Larry Reitz and has become a popular figure in town.

”He's come in with a lot of energy,” said Richard Asafaylo, a member of the Board of Selectmen. “He focuses on problems and focuses on problems getting solved.”
Ross said his experience at UConn has enabled him to better serve the town.

”I can attack a problem,” he said, “whether I want to or not, and I've got some tools that I can apply.”