For over three decades, Ross managed or advised others on the protection of people who were at risk of targeted violence, and on the protection of iconic or symbolic facilities and events, including the Olympic Games and American embassies. Ross is widely recognized for his knowledge of methods to prevent, intervene, and respond to terror threats and active assailants, either acting alone or in a group. He holds lifetime, retired Certified Protection Professional (CPP) and Physical Security Professional (PSP) credentials, the gold standards among leaders in the security profession. Ross currently serves as Governor Roy Cooper’s appointee to the N.C. State Emergency Response Commission (“SERC”), which advises the Department of Public Safety and the Division of Emergency Management on the state’s emergency management and homeland security programs.
In 2002, Ross founded The Treadstone Group, Inc., which for twenty years, cleared, asserted, defended, or acquired intellectual property rights for clients that ranged from young entrepreneurs and tech moguls to the world’s largest corporations. In 2022, Ross sold the investigation division and now concentrates exclusively on acquiring trademarks, domains names, and social media handles for Treadstone’s clients.
Ross is passionate about supporting organizations that serve communities of youth, the elderly, and other populations that are traditionally underserved or underrepresented. The Treadstone Group has directly provided over $600,000 in monetary and in-kind donations to nonprofits, charities, houses of worship, schools, and other organizations. Most recently, The Treadstone Group donated the funds for the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office to purchase two narcotics dogs, “Major Treadstone” and “Gamora,” and train their handlers. Ross regularly hosts intimate fundraisers, including those that helped raise nearly $100,000 in donations for Scouting, the United Way of Lincoln County, and organizations that provided free art camps and 100 bicycles for children whose parents could not otherwise afford it. He created and hosts a major, annual fundraiser, “Cigars, Bourbon & Benefactors,” which has attracted as many as 375 guests per event and raised nearly $500,000 for the Lincoln County Coalition Against Child Abuse and Child Advocacy Center, known as the CAC. The CAC helps children heal from physical and sexual abuse and holds their offenders accountable.
Currently, Ross serves on the boards of directors of the CAC (immediate past chair), the Partnership for Children of Lincoln and Gaston Counties, and the United Way of Lincoln County. Formerly, he served on the Valle Crucis Conference Center board, Gaston College Foundation Board, East Lincoln Betterment Association, East Lincoln Rescue Park Management Committee, the United Way of Lincoln County Allocations Committee, and the National Night Out (Lincoln County) planning committee, and as chief of East Lincoln Rescue Squad. Ross is a Rotarian and Paul Harris Fellow.
For his service to the community and philanthropy, the Child Advocacy Center named its child forensic interview room, “The Ross Room,” and presented him with its “Ola Mae Foster Award;” the Valle Crucis Conference Center named the road throughout the Conference Center as “Ross Bulla’vard;” the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation, Carolina’s Chapter honored Ross with its 2021, inaugural “Dr. Keri Wetherington Legacy Award;” the Daughters of the American Revolution presented him with its 2019 “Community Service Award;” the United Way of Lincoln County named him its 2019 “Community Hero;” and the Lincoln County Chamber of Commerce named him 2018 “Small Businessperson of the Year.” Ross is equally proud to have had a roast beef sandwich bear his name.
He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Charlotte, with a BS in Criminal Justice and a second major in Psychology. Ross is an Eagle Scout.
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