[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 156 (2010), Part 8]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages 11346-11347]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO MAYOR ROBERT D. COBLE

                                 ______
                                 

                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                         Tuesday, June 22, 2010

  Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a dear 
friend and outstanding public servant, the Honorrlble Robert D. Coble. 
Mayor Coble is retiring from public life after 25 years of service, the 
last two decades as Mayor of Columbia, South Carolina. He has served as 
a tireless advocate for the city and its residents, and his tremendous 
leadership will be missed.
  Mayor Bob, as he is affectionately known, is a native of 
Chesterfield, South Carolina, but came to live in the city he now leads 
as a child. He is a graduate of Dreher High School, and went on to earn 
a bachelor's degree from the University of South Carolina. At USC's 
School of Law, Mayor Bob distinguished himself as a member of the Order 
of the Wig and Robe and graduated with a Juris Doctor cum laude.
  Today he is a partner in the law firm of Nexsen Pruet. He has 
dedicated his legal career to practicing in the areas of economic 
development, health care, regulatory law and governmental 
representation. This expertise is a reflection of the issues he is 
passionate about in his public service.
  In 1985, Bob Coble won a seat on Richland County Council where he 
served for 5 years before being elected Mayor of Columbia in 1990. 
During his 20 years at the helm of the city, Mayor Bob has focused on 
revitalizing downtown and the neighborhoods that surround it. Today, 
the city that Mayor Coble manages is almost unrecognizable from the one 
he inherited. The once gritty industrial corridor, just blocks from the 
State Capitol, has been transformed into a vibrant commercial 
thoroughfare known as the Vista. A riverfront that was once dominated 
by the state's largest correctional facility is now home to a park, new 
residential developments and two popular museums. Former barrack-style 
public housing developments have been razed and replaced with 
affordable housing that families are proud to call home. These are just 
a few examples of the tremendous changes that have taken place in 
Columbia under Mayor Bob leadership.
  The name Mayor Bob exemplifies the affable way he approaches the 
office and the people he serves. No issue is too small and no person is 
too insignificant for this humble public servant. He has met Presidents 
and Popes, but has never lost the common touch. He treats everyone with 
respect and dignity no matter their status in life.
  His style of governing is one I can appreciate--consensus-building. 
This style was born in part because of his natural disposition, but 
also because of his role as a who held no more voting power than any 
other member of City Council. Despite this weak mayor form of 
government, Mayor Bob was anything but weak. He led the way in setting 
the agenda for the city and ensuring that his vision was carried out. 
And his influence went beyond the City of Columbia.
  Mayor Bob was a vocal opponent of the Confederate flag flying over 
the State Capitol. He was also an integral player in the fight to save 
Fort Jackson from closure during two rounds of the base realignment 
process. I feel certain that it was because of his and other community 
leaders making such a strong case for Fort Jackson that its mission 
grew as other facilities were being closed.
  Personally, I will never forget being rocked by images of the 
suffering and chaos after Hurricane Katrina and picking up the phone to 
ask Mayor Bob to help me bring survivors of that disaster to Columbia. 
He didn't hesitate, and worked throughout the Labor Day weekend to set 
up a one-of-a-kind center to provide all the services evacuees would 
need. The City of Columbia ultimately became the destination for more 
than 2,000 New Orleans residents who had no place to call home, and 
thanks to Mayor Bob they found a community that welcomed them with open 
arms.
  Outside of his work on the city's behalf, Mayor Bob has also been 
personally committed to improving the community in which he lives. He 
has served on numerous boards and commissions and volunteered countless 
hours of his time. He started the City of Columbia's Lunch Buddy 
program and has been a lunch buddy for 12 years. Mayor Bob and his 
wife, Beth, founded the ``First Ladies Walk for Life'' to raise funds 
for breast cancer research.
  He has served as the President of the Municipal Association of South 
Carolina and Chairman of the Fighting Back Task Force for Alcohol and 
Drug Abuse. He was instrumental in creating the Central Midlands 
Regional Transit Authority and has been the fundraising chairman of the 
United Negro College Fund. Mayor Bob is also a former member of the 
advisory board for the Medical University of South Carolina, the 
Council on Aging, the South Carolina Special Olympics and the Bethlehem 
Community Center. He is currently a board member with the River 
Alliance, Ingenuity, and the Central Carolina Economic Development 
Alliance.

[[Page 11347]]

  Mayor Bob has received numerous awards during his 25 years of public 
service including the Chamber of Commerce's Ambassador of the Year 
(2004), Central Midlands Council of Governments Regional Leadership 
Award (2007), induction into Richland School District One's Hall of 
Fame (2007) and the Global Vision Award from the World Affairs Council 
(2008).
  He is married to the former Beth McLeod and they are the proud 
parents of six children and two grandsons. They are members of Trenholm 
Road United Methodist Church, where he has taught Sunday school and was 
a Boy Scout leader for a number of years.
  Madam Speaker, I ask you and our colleagues to join me in thanking 
Bob Coble for his tremendous record of public service. Even though he 
is stepping aside to let a new leader take over the helm in Columbia, 
the city will forever reflect the many positive contributions Mayor Bob 
has made. He is a true leader and great example for anyone entering 
public service today to follow.